The Spring 2025 Manga Guide

Nomi x Shiba (18+)

What's It About? 

They first met at boarding school. After two whole years of living at the dorms, Nomiya can't truthfully say he's ever been in love. Sure, he thinks Mikoshiba's face is kinda cute and girlie, and yeah, his heart skips a beat every time Nomi sees him, but that doesn't mean he's in love with Shiba, all right?! He's into chicks, not dicks, okay?!

Nomi x Shiba has a story and art by Tohru Tagura, with English translation by Leighann Harvey. This volume was lettered by Dietrich Premier. Published by Yen Press (March 25, 2025). Rated M.

Is It Worth Reading?

Rebecca Silverman
Rating:

I admit it: this otherwise adorable little story got off on the wrong foot with me when Nomiya opened his monologue by apologizing to his parents that going to an all-boys high school made him gay. The first chapter of this series is full of homophobia played off as a joke before it settles into being a cute romance between two roommates who are afraid of scaring each other off by confessing their very much requited love. It's a rocky start to what is ultimately a nice BL book, but I wouldn't blame anyone who had trouble getting past that first chapter.

Once you do, though, this is cute. The story follows Mikoshiba and Nomiya, high school roommates who have both just come to terms with the fact that they like each other. Well, that they each like the other; somewhere along the way, they got the idea that the other one would be scared off by the mere idea of gayness. This is despite the fact that they're both friends with Miyai, an upperclassman who is out; in fact, both boys separately go to him for advice, much to his annoyed amusement. And actually the entire dorm knows that Nomi and Shiba like each other, with at least two of them taking bets on when they'll finally get together.

The story is a bit less will-they-won't-they than this would imply, though. It's a foregone conclusion from the midway point of chapter one that they will, and the main plot is the two of them slowly circling closer and closer to each other. Despite Yen Press' “explicit content” label, there's never anything more sexual than kissing and a couple of clothing-covered erections, along with some mention of sex, so while this may earn that warning label later, there's nothing here that warrants it. It's much more a story of yearning than sex, and it does a nice job with that. Sure, it's frustrating to see the boys patently not getting it despite the many unsubtle hints they send each other, but there's relief in the fact that the rest of the cast is right there with us. We're all in it together watching these two adorable morons try to figure it out, and that's an enjoyable dynamic.

There are a few other warning notes here, or at least elements that won't feel comfortable for readers who have an understanding of how some of the tropes of depicting LGBTQIA+ themes can be harmful. Apart from the aforementioned issues in chapter one, we also have a fudanshi, who keeps tabs on all of the boys at school and their sexualities for shipping purposes and a “femboy enthusiast” who keeps wanting to put Mikoshiba in drag, over his vociferous objections. They're both presented as harmless and funny, but they're also really not acceptable stereotypes, especially the latter, who fortunately is relegated to the background. I don't envy the translator with him, and it's to Leighann Harvey's credit that the book reads as well as it does.

With art that's just okay and those few issues, this isn't going to work for all BL fans. But if you can get past them, it's a decent story, and one I do want to give another volume.

Lauren Orsini
Rating:

Oh, to attend an all-boys' boarding school in a BL comic. Everyone is at bare minimum heteroflexible and down to clown. Most of these classmates have paired up, but the true winner of this genre is the school's only openly gay guy, whom all the other students can't help but call “lucky.” Such is the fertile BL setting of Nomi x Shiba, the story of the two titular characters who everyone is hoping will just get together already! It's a classic “idiots in love” premise: their affection for one another is clear to everyone but themselves. This rom-com is silly and light enough to keep you from tearing your hair out while Nomi and Shiba repeatedly try and fail to catch even the gentlest of softballs and confess the mutual feelings that are obvious to the entire school.

Nomi is a reliable sort of guy who likes to help out his classmates, including his roommate Shiba, who he definitely doesn't have a crush on. (Oh my God, they were roommates!) Shiba is slight of build, looks great in drag, has to frequently fend off would-be suitors, and has a big crush on Nomi. Nomi figures Shiba is sick of being asked out all the time and doesn't want to burden Shiba with his crush; Shiba thinks Nomi is straight as a board. And so these two idiots never, ever talk about their feelings even as their actions and body language give them away to everyone else. The story is a patchwork quilt of common fanfiction tropes—caring for the other while they're sick, fake dating (and real feelings), accidental kabedon, being the other's knight in shining armor in a tight spot—but still these stubborn boys won't confess, and their friends in the know (one of whom has lent a listening ear to both boys about their feelings!) are keeping mum. I found it entertaining but I can totally see this being too frustrating for some readers. Just keep in mind that this slow burn does reach its resolution in the end.

Nomi x Shiba is a generally silly story but keep in mind that there's a slight misstep into harassment on the part of a side character that could be uncomfortable for some readers, even though it is swiftly dealt with. It relies on familiar tropes and an even more well-tread boarding school setting, but the real feelings and affection between the romantic leads go a long way toward giving this story heart.