Reviews for The World's Greatest First Love: The Case of Ritsu Onodera

Yes...Yes... When we talk about Sekaiichi Hatsukoi, there MUST be comparison between this series and Junjou Romantica... Well, that's because they are both by the famous-yaoi-mangaka Nakamura Shungiku whose Junjou Romantica has become the top yaoi manga/anime known by ALL yaoi-fanatics. And when she came up with the new Sekaiichi, everyone was jumping up and down awaiting its release... And now that it's released up to volume 6 (right?), in my opinion, it is another amazing work of art. Honestly, I find Sekaiichi quite more favourable than Junjou Romantica! Why? Hehehee... I'll take my time and explain! But first thing's first; I want people to knowthat I've watched 12 out of 12 episodes of Sekaiichi Hatsukoi anime PLUS the first OVA before reading the manga... I've also watched Junjou Romantica BOTH seasons full thrice and is still catching up with the manga. Kay? Kay? OKAY! So let's begin!

Story;

I'm a sucker for out-of-this-world storylines which would either put my eyes glued on the screen/book reading or make me refuse to even know about what would happen next. The thing about Sekaiichi is that...it is NOT out-of-this-world... A typical first-love that ended up broken for a misunderstanding and these two fated ones are once again reunited via work. I was skeptical at first but once I started reading, the story went on very smoothly and it truly showed what would happen between two actual people in real life.

Oh, and a typical Nakamura Shungiku work: it has 3 stories, the main and two other. I'll be dealing with the main since it IS the principal setting.

In every chapter, there would be these scenes where they end up slowly falling in love. I love these scenes as they are SO CUTE and really moves me...i'm a girl so yeah... but then, as there is the 'stubborn one' in the pair, it will always end with a hilarious gag. Sometimes it might be a bit annoying as the lovey-dovey/smexy scene is like already a BLAST but was cut off with a new chapter... Nevertheless, it'll leave you aching for more. Depends on how persistent you are, that's for sure. ;)

Art;

Hmmm... Even from reading Junjou Romantica, I'm still not all-that with the art style since it gets pretty messed up at times. But then again, it has it's own originality and the potrayal of the characters and scenes are very well-made. To be honest, I find the art style of Sekaiichi much more clean and clear than Junjou so I enjoy reading it a lot more.

But I have to say, the coloured-prints and covers are beautiful... The colouring leaves me in awe as it leaves a girly love feel but the guys still have their manliness and all. I can't really judge base on their art but it is decent enough for me so yeah!

Character;

My favourite bit of the entire series. I. Love. THE CHARACTERS! The main pair; Takano Masamune & Onodera Ritsu is practically the most common type of pairing you can find out there! The tall perfect cool-type and the stubborn headstrong and persistent one. Cliche? Kind of... But the world is cliche enough for me to not even care. Even so, the characters have their own hint of originality. Takano displays the twisted leadership qualities making him quite the eccentric type. You can find these twisted possessive types but Takano is not one to cage his love interest. He can be carefree and very understanding...although his 'understanding' can be seen in a very out-of-the-ordinary way. And Onodera is your cute stubborn hardworker who is very confused and in denial with his feelings. But even with his predictable personality, his descisions (about Takano) can catch you off-guard. A total tsundere and yet, he is one of the most stubborn types I've ever read about which makes him my favourite out of all teh characters.

Originality differentiates with each and every human being. But I can't help feel that these characters have huge reasons of their own which brings the story alive by their presence in every page.

Enjoyment;

Although quite predictable at times, I can't help but enjoy every page and every panel of this manga. People sometimes say that it is very similar to Junjou Romantica and all but I can't seem to relate to them... I see Sekaiichi Hatsukoi. That's it. And all I know is that it is a great work of Nakamura Shungiku. I enjoyed reading and I'll wait like a fool for the next volume! Even when Onodera finally succumbs to his feelings, I'll keep on loving this series no matter what!

Overall;

There are flaws, there are certain parts where I can't really come to like but nevertheless, Sekaiichi can bring me to tears and make me laugh my guts out on the floor. And they're only pictures with words! (That's what my mom says when she finds me reading manga) But that's how I react with Sekaiichi Hatsukoi. It is AMAZING, BEAUTIFUL, HEART-WARMING, ADDCTIVE and tells the world's Best First Love story ever made.

This is a review of the manga Sakaiichi Hatsukoi. Judging from the art we can tell this is a work created by the same Mangaka as the popular Junjou romantica Nakamura Shungiku. As an avid Junjou Romantica fan I was looking forward to a season 3 and was a little disappointed when I found out that there more than likely wouldn't be one but I was ecstatic to hear about this being turned into an anime. For some reason for a while I overlooked the fact that it was a manga. Story: This is often directly compared to Junjou Romantica, which is a normalthing to do considering its a spin off from junjou and it's drawn by the same mangaka. similarities are expected. There are many similarities I will admit but I still notice the differences. Even so this is common practice when a mangaka has multiple titles. Take Koi Suru boukun for example. the mangaka for that one also has other work, and they are all very similar from the story to the character design, let's face it guys...it happens. but if it's a good story who cares, lets just enjoy it for what it's worth and appreciate the work that the mangaka is putting out for us to enjoy. We are all creatures of repetition.

Art- The art is fantastic. All of the proportions are accurate. I like the art in this one better than that of junjou romantica to be honest. The only problem I have is I'm getting a couple of the characters confused for some reason. i'm getting chiaki and kisa confused but whatever its all good, I got miyagi and nowaki from junjou confused also. Other than that all the characters are hot, which is a plus when you are shallow like me :P

Character- eh like I said above there are very blatant similarities between junjou and hatsukoi but overall I think the characters are well developed and typical of yaoi, I've seen them all before but I've also read a lot of BL and there are cliches here but I still enjoy it.(how many BL mangas say "but we're both men")

Enjoyment- I think of this manga like it's food. Sometimes I find myself sitting on one page for an extended period of time, kinda goes along with saying savoring every bite.

Overall I think this is a very good manga and it's going to be worth purchasing for sure. If you can look past the fact that yes...it is like junjou then you will enjoy this manga. If you enjoyed junjou then you will enjoy this just as much it's still "different" and it's still a very good story.

This is my first review but since this manga only has one I'm gonna try to write one. Sekai Ichi Hatsukoi is from the same author as Junjou Romanitca so the art style, the characters and the story line are sometimes the same. Well it's my own opinion but I really like the artstyle of Junjou Romantica so, I like this art style too. If you're looking for a special new manga then this isn't really what you're looking for, it's nothing new but I don't think it's bad that they use a standard story line. Because of that they can concentrate on the art/characters/etc.The development of the story is nice and it has a good and calm feeling while you're reading the manga, it isn't rushed so they take their time to explain things and to show what the main character is thinking while things are happening. If you're a Junjou Romantica fan I would say it's a must read and if you're not sure I would say just give it a a chance.

(Btw, if you like to read manga's about mangaka's and publishers it's also a must read)

I'm sorry if I'm biased here. I really am. Sekaiichi Hatsukoi-- literally means World's Greatest First Love, is quite a cheesy title. But seriously, take a time to understand the meaning of this title while reading this manga and advancing to the next chapters. It seriously has a deeper meaning than how it might seem. Story - I have no complaints for the story. The story might be going on circles, but at least to me, it's really beautiful. Sekaiichi Hatsukoi is one of the few series I've ever read which can make me feel so depressed for the emotional scenes, and grinning like an idiot forthe sweet scenes (or is it just me being over-sensitive). Nakamura Shungiku really likes playing with my heart. While the main plot doesn't seem too special, the execution is beautiful and--- man, emotional! There are so many sentimental scenes in this series. I can't help crying over it.

I also love how this manga occasionally switches its point-of-view. It helps us understand the story even more, as we get to see things from the others' perspective.

Art - The art looks kinda funny. But at least the author tries to differentiate people's roles by their chins (hint: square chin and pointy chin). The sex scenes are hot.

And yes, it's better than Junjou Romantica's art. Their faces here look more proportioned, and the Maiden Department dudes are all handsome!

Character - The characters might seem overused in the world of animanga, but once again, I somehow still enjoy this. We have Onodera Ritsu, the typical tsundere main character. Takano Masamune as Ritsu's love interest (or is it the other way round?), who is really persistent and aggressive. I don't really get people who bash characters just because they're too mainstream. If they fit the role, why bother getting pissed off? Enjoyment is the best part though.

Enjoyment - Man, how I love this series. I might be biased because this manga was the first yaoi manga I've ever read, but I think this manga deserves its popularity. I really enjoy reading. Some moments just hit me so much. I can laugh and cry and squeal while reading this manga.

Overall it's a freakin' awesome read. I recommend this to, ugh, EVERYONE! Enjoy your sentimental moments with this manga.

This is a review of the manga. I have some mixed feelings about this manga. I really enjoyed this when I started and for the most parts until volume 6-7 but I’m currently on volume 8 and Oda’s constant refusal to admit his feelings is already feeling very repetitive and annoying and looking up the manga it HAS 17 VOLUMES OUT AND NO END DATE YET??? HOW?? The pacing of how we also interact with each pairing is really awkward - sometimes we get jarringly transported to a side couple in the middle of an important moment. Or the fact we got introduced to the childhoodfriends couple at the very start of the series, but we haven’t seen much of them in at least the last 4 volumes. I heard they are introducing another rival for them and I don’t know why this is necessary.

Non of the couples seem to learn from their mistakes - Kisa still doesn’t communicate his concerns to Yukina even though he knows this is likely going to lead to an argument, it makes me feel so bad for Yukina, who is the younger one, but obviously the more mature one.

I’m happy Yokozawa has calmed down a bit, he was really annoying at the start, even though his new love interest came out of no where.

I feel like this story would turn sour from here on now - with at least 10 more volumes to go and no progress with the main relationship? I feel like the story is winding down around volume 8 and I wish it had concluded earlier, but on a good note. I also got spoilers that closer to the more recent volumes there is a scene with dubious consent as well a ?new rival - I don’t know why they thought that would make the manga more interesting and please the fans?

I would continue reading for another volume or so, but I may have to leave this series incomplete if it becomes more unlikable.

I know publishing more books is probably a matter of pride for the mangaka, but a shorter series, which remains beloved seems like a better option.

In general, this has so far been a sweet series, but I don’t know what dark magic the mangaka is using to prolong a series which should in all honesty be under 10 volumes to 16+, but I hope it concludes soon and we can finally put the poor characters to rest.

Spoilers ahead Okay. It's time to break this parade of positive opinions. I started reading this because as an anime it seemed to be more interesting than JR. And at first, the story seemed not so horrible. Here we have a typical story of an old lost love from high school, which the protagonist meets after many years. Doesn't that seem bad? Truth? The chapters that have been adapted into two anime seasons are quite good. They have something intriguing about them. But then it just gets cyclical and boring. But, ok, I read it until chapter 29, in which Namakura ran out of ideas, and decided itwould be a good idea to rape the main character. Let's be honest, she has never had much passion for writing about healthy relationships, but she has already completely lost here. After this chapter, she decides to introduce another rape attempt on Ritsu

(it was loud on the internet with fans after that, but well, I only found out about it recently) then I just shut it down and that's it. I'm not going to go back to that. Using this kind of twists only speaks of the author's creative impotence.

Now back to couples.

Erotica:

The best couple that Namakura has made, due to the fact that they are adequate people who don't have any serious problems, are nice enough, aren't toxic of some kind, and they trust each other, it's okay, okay.

Domestica:

I don't remember anything about them, except that one of them raped someone in some novel about them.

Nostalgia:

Oh god, where do I start? Onodera Ritsu is by far the poorest of uke. He's just undecided for everything he does, all the time hysterical and obnoxious, but I'm not going to blame him for anything now, especially for being a victim. Because it's a horribly disgusting thing.

Ok? Takano seems to be a funny guy who, like Tom from the cartoon about Tom and Jerry, runs after the main character over and over again. Their relationship is similar to that. But the problem is that he insults Ritsu. He doesn't listen to what he has to say. and cuts him off for full-time. He's quite narcissistic. It's just not okay because it hasn't been changed throughout the manga. Totally unchanged and it pisses me off, ok? It is a pity that for this whole story, which is practically ending (because Ritsu is supposed to fall in love with him in 20 days), and their relationship seems to be completely ruined. Namakura are you ok?

The art is pretty nice in the last chapters, and in general, it doesn't skip me too much, but it doesn't save the fact that the plot is already ruined, because the author totally doesn't know what to do with the story.

This is where my soul scream ends, and it's a real shame that Namakura, like JR's, doesn't have very good plot ideas.

I'm going to start by getting this out first: I love Junjou Romantica. Now it's obvious this would come up given that both works are by the legendary genius Shingiku Nakamura whose BL/yaoi have made for one of the best-selling yaoi of all time. Sekaiichi Hatsukoi is somewhat of a 'spin-off' of of Junjou, taking place in the same universe and following a similar style and formula. A guy hired as a manga editor for Makawa Publishing surrounded by men trying to mimic their shounen demographic by way of getting in touch with their feminine side? SOUNDS LIKE AN A+ PLAN TO ME. But Ididn't like this as much honestly. And I really wanted to. I know I'm in the minority here but I thought the panels were pretty cluttered and I didn't feel the same endearing quality of Junjou, nor the likability of the characters. It's a decent story and a ton of fun but I couldn't enjoy it as much as I wanted to--I'm not going to knock it for being a sweet romance though.

Okay hear me out, this is a great manga and the story just draws you in so well! BUUUUTTTT do not start reading it right now! There hasn't been any updates in so long, I first started reading this in middle school and 5 years later, THERE'S STILL NOT MUCH!! If you know any place where I can read this or even purchase it outside of Japan, please do let me know because I've been so desperate to read the rest! I really hope we get more updates soon, every couple of months I come to check it in only to find outthere isn't much.

Honestly, I don't dislike Sekaiichi Hatsukoi at all, in fact I kind of like it. The story and characters are cute, the comedy is enjoyable and the smut is palatable, and it gets bonus points for nostalgia as well. ALTHOUGH, this manga has been ongoing for a very long time, and in regards to Ritsu and Takano's relationship, IT'S BEEN FUCKING YEARS AND WE HAVE PROGRESSED NOWHERE. Bro I swear, like, the rest of the couples have sort of already reached steady relationship statuses, with their chapters generally being about goofy funny couples doing goofy funny things, other than that they're just lore insights into their characters.These aren't really BAD per se, they're really enjoyable and since I like to read things with my brain empty they're generally entertaining and nice to read, the occasional drama is nice too.

BUT FUCKING HELL WHEN IT COMES TO THE MAIN COUPLE IT MAKES ME WANNA CRY

General Complaints:

Out of all the couples, I'll be honest and say that I do prefer Ritsu and Takano over the other two if we're talking about the early chapters and stuff in general. Of course they'd be the favourites since they have the most content too, but like holy shit bro the fact that we are 17 volumes in and this bitch Onodera can't even tell his hot, sexy, high school sweetheart-next door neighbor that he's in love with him is driving me fucking insane bro.

I mean, I do understand that if Shungiku sensei were to just let their relationship be official too quickly then it'd kill any other reason to continue it any further, given this manga has been in the making longer than I have even been alive, and I generally do want it to be ongoing for longer... But at this point the author is milking it bro😭

Every chapter, it ends with "Days until Onodera falls completely in love: [REDACTED]" and it gets MORE FRUSTRATING EACH TIME.

I'm going to be talking about a certain point in the manga that I'm up to, but I'm sort of around the bit where Nao gets thrown in suddenly and becomes a (kind of but not really) rival for Takano, and holy shit at this point I'm starting to get genuinely pissed off at Ritsu because he's delaying this confession shit for TOOOOO long now and Takano is starting to get annoyed. Not only that, but like the two of them had the whole "Are we just fuck buddies!??!" conversation and stuff, and this DUMB BITCH RITSU STILL CAN'T SAY ANYTHING ABOUT HIS DUMBASS FEELINGS😭😭😭😭

I think that Ritsu will probably confess soon, since we're really reaching some sort of climax in the story... at least I hope so...

But all that I can say is that I'm really frustrated with the fact that we keep bumping into these issues that the author throws in, Takano and Ritsu fight, Takano drags Ritsu into his apartment and forces a kiss on him at the front door, Ritsu either gives in and then has sex with him or runs away, it gets awkward at work, they make up, REPEAT. THAT'S LITERALLY THE ONLY THING WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH FOR AGES NOW.

Generally good things about this manga:

If you're a brain dead yaoi reader, and enjoy these kinds of stories where the seme just forces himself on the uke and the uke cannot let his own feelings be known for shit then you will surely enjoy this.

I enjoy Sekaiichi for the nostalgia, and also because I think Takano is fucking hot, but there are a lot of other things that I like about it too.

Main Characters + Yokozawa:

Onodera Ritsu:

He's annoying, but he's super cute too, but that might just be because I like tsundere guys in manga/anime. Other than that, he's your copy-paste run of the mill uke who doesn't have much special about him other than the fact that he comes from a rich family. Ritsu's trauma from Takano laughing when he asked if they were in a relationship was extremely dumb imo, but this is an old yaoi and I shouldn't take things too literally. Overall, even though Ritsu is annoying as shit, I love him and will give him a solid 8.5/10.

Takano Masamune:

He's hot, and he's your average cool-guy who gets all the bitches and has no flaws at all, but I really do like how even though he's seen as some sort of Gary Stu, he still has feelings and has gone through a lot of stuff in the past. (Like Ritsu leaving him in high school, his family issues, etc.) I also like his dynamic with Ritsu and how he's clingy with him and stuff since he likes him and isn't afraid to show it, I just think Ritsu is annoying for constantly rejecting him over and over and over again even though he likes him back. Overall, I'd say Takano would be my favourite character, 9/10, although I think he needs to learn what "no" means...

Kisa Shouta:

Honestly I didn't really care much for him, but he's cute and likeable so I don't mind him much and he's a sucker for hot guys so he's relatable. I also liked how him and Ritsu were work bffs. He's great!! 7.5/10 (But, he's also annoying as shit sometimes so that knocks points off.)

Yukina Kou:

He's soo pretty and I love his piercings, so 10/10 for character design! He's sort of like a golden retriever, he's loveable and I really liked him and had no problem with him, even though he's a little bland. Yukina is up there with Takano, 9/10.

Hatori Yoshiyuki:

Well, from what I remember I really did not give a shit about him at all when I consumed this series. He's boring, his story with Chiaki is a little bit cliché but I think it was alright. He's a regular caring seme, and I didn't really dislike how he was a bit like a caregiver to Chiaki and I thought it was pretty cute. Other than that, he's still boring and I don't care much for him, but he's cute in his own way. 6.5/10

Yoshino Chiaki:

A CUTIE, I like his personality and I think he looks cute too. He's your average annoying peppy uke, I really don't have much to say about him but he's good. 7/10

Yokozawa Takafumi:

Honestly I hated him and thought he was annoying at the start, then he got his own love interest and backed off from Takano. I really appreciated that honestly and I thought it was really mature of him as a rival character, after getting with that single father dude whose name I forgot he began to be more cute in my eyes. He's a cute character, with TOOOONNNNNSS and I mean TONS of gap moe to spare. 8/10

Overall Plot/Story:

The plot of Sekaiichi really overlaps with Junjou, but that's not really a problem since the characters from both works reside in the same universe.

The overall story of Ritsu and Takano reuniting after a messy past together as they slowly (REALLY FUCKING SLOWLY) try and mend their relationship again is something that I really like, and I think that the little lovey dovey bits are adorable! It's just so repetitive, and the same shit happens over and over again and gets more irritating each time. But if we're talking about the overall plot, the plot is pretty solid. (Well, not really. Since the whole misunderstanding on Ritsu's part sprouts from Takano giggling at his stupid "A-A-A-A-A-A-ARE WE DATING?🥺" question, which would not be traumatizing enough to make Ritsu fucking move to ENGLAND TO RUN AWAY FROM HIM??😭)

Comments on the other couples:

With Yukina and Kisa, they're alright and I'm not a fan of age gaps but I do prefer that if there IS an age gap that the uke is the older one, and that is the case here, so that's extra points. There isn't much substance when it comes to this couple, and I can't recall much either way, but I think it was alright.

Hatori and Chiaki were cute, I liked the whole childhood friend situation and the drama was tolerable.

Visuals:

The art isn't known to be the BEST, but I personally like it. Especially in the recent volume covers, Shungiku Nakamura's art gets better every time! The style is nostalgic and has an old feel, most don't like the big lips but I think they're alright... Compared to the other newer manga nowadays, it definitely isn't number one, but it's okay! 8/10

Anyway, this review was extremely messy and I'm very sorry if this might have offended. I really love Sekaiichi Hatsukoi as much as I hate it, it's a classic and the parts that I hated I also enjoyed at the same time. 👍👍