Love, That’s an Understatement /ひかえめに言っても、これは愛 Volume 4 : Manga Review and Thoughts

There were quite a few happenings in this volume… So let’s get right to it!

If you haven’t read it yet, you can check out my review of volume 3 here!

To get to the point..

Do I recommend this manga? Yes!

Who do I recommend this manga to? Fans of high school romance.

Who do I not recommend this manga to? Those who prefer romance with drama

Trigger warnings? Fighting

Information About the Manga

Who wrote Love, That’s an Understatement?

This manga was written by Fujimomo! You may be familiar with one of her other very popular series, Lovesick Ellie!

You can check out her X here! You can check out her instagram here!

How many volumes are out?

In Japanese, there are 7 volumes published.

In English, there are 6 volumes published digitally. Kodansha has added this series to their print club, however it is near impossible to find volumes for purchase at this point.

For those looking for the Japanese digitals…

For those looking for the English digitals…

What genre? What are the vibes?

High school romance
Yankee romance
Valuing friendship

Impressions and thoughts

As the previous volume ended on a bit of a cliffhanger, I was very excited to start this one! I really loved all of the new characters introduced in this volume, and also enjoyed seeing a few characters in a new light.

I really love the way that the author is able to depict her characters as being complex – they all have different sides to themselves, and only show certain sides to certain people.

This was another strong addition to the series!

What happens?

Volume 4 starts right where volume 3 ended – with Lisa spending the night at Zen’s house. In case you forgot, Lisa lost her house keys (which Fumin will return to her later), leading her to almost having to spend the night alone at a park. She ends up calling Zen to give her some company, where he ends up bringing her back to his place.

At Zen’s house, we meet his two older sisters, and his mom. Lisa is set up to sleep in one of the sisters rooms, and they all go to bed.

Everyone we meet in Zen’s family is incredibly kind to Lisa, with his mom going as far as calling Lisa’s mom to reassure her that Lisa is safe there.

During the night, Lisa gets up to go to the washroom, and gets a little bit lost on her way back. She accidently goes to Zen’s room instead of his sisters, and ends up staying there after some persuasion from Zen.

A little while later, one of Zen’s friends, Raku, causes quite a few problems for Lisa. His being a bit of a womanizer already has been causing difficulties for him, but there is one woman in particular that has been causing him difficulties.

After Lisa gives him some advice, he ends up asking her to tag along with him so that he can meet said troublesome woman one more time without problem… but it ended up being a set-up. The woman contacted Fumin’s gang prior to reaching out to Raku, hoping to have him beaten up.

Note: although Raku does not have a girlfriend, this girl was very interested in him. She misunderstood seeing him with another woman as him cheating on her. So, as a form of revenge, she told Fumin’s gang that he hit her. Raku is 0% in the wrong.

Lisa is unfortunately with Raku when he runs into the woman and the gang, and they are both kidnapped and held hostage.

Of course, now that Lisa has been kidnapped, Zen is going to come and help her! However, Lisa, due to her growing, complex relationship with Fumin, is able to help calm the situation down in her own way.

My Favourites

Meeting Zen’s family – It’s cute how they all resemble Zen in their own way
Lisa’s strength – While she’s not physically strong, I really liked watching her use her abilities to save Zen after he saved her.
Lisa’s complex relationship with Fumin – While it does stress me out a little bit, I do think it’s a very unique aspect of this manga!

My Least-Favourites

Nothing!

Maddie’s ratings

Plot

Is the plot constantly engaging? – Yes!

Is it original? – I think so.

Am I excited to continue reading? – Yes!

Art

Do I personally like the art? – Yes!

Does the art match the vibe of the story? – Yes!

Is the artstyle unique? – To a certain degree.

World-Building

Is there a lot of lore? – No.

Personal Enjoyment

Would I re-read it? – I did to make this review!

Would I add it to my physical collection? -I already own it!

Would I recommend it? – Yes!

Maddies Manga