Ayaka is passionately, head over heels in love with her work senior, Hiroko. But no matter how hard she tries to catch her eye, the polished, professional Hiroko never seems to get the hint. What's a girl supposed to do to prove her love to her boss?

Hiroko isn't out at work — though she's got a reputation for being a real womanizer in the local lesbian community. But her self-control is tested when her beautiful and busty work subordinate starts getting awfully close to her...

How's a professional supposed to stay cool when she's sure that Ayaka is totally straight?

Ayaka Is in Love with Hiroko! has story and art by Sal Jiang. English translation is done by Katie Kimura with lettering by Vibrant Publishing Studio. Published by Tokyopop (February 17, 2026). Rated T.

Rebecca Silverman
Rating:

Maybe I'm a curmudgeon, but there's something about romantic comedies that tends to leave me a bit cold. It's not the same thing as my deep and abiding distrust of any book purposely marketed using the term “romantasy,” or that has “BookTok” on the cover, but rather a balance of elements that I find rarely tilts in my favor. That's where I stand with Ayaka Is in Love with Hiroko!, a fluffy little GL romcom about two office workers who can't seem to figure out that neither of them are straight.

In the case of Ayaka, a late chapter reveals that she's somehow only passingly familiar with the word “lesbian.” Given that Hiroko appears to be the only woman she's ever loved, I'm not sure if that's intended to be a version of the “gay for you” trope or just a gag I've read far too much into. But in any event, she and Hiroko (the object of her affections per the title) both assume that the other woman is as straight as a ruler, which is purportedly the root of the series' comedy.

In all fairness, it works decently well with Hiroko. Because she's so certain that Ayaka likes men, she goes to absurd lengths to misinterpret the remarkably clear signals Ayaka is sending. Somehow, she manages to convince herself that sexy poses while clothing shopping, coming out of the shower in barely a towel, while making suggestive remarks about “my lips are lonely,” and only wearing clothing Hiroko has said she likes are all signs that Ayaka has a crush on an older male coworker. Ayaka, meanwhile, can't figure out how much clearer she can be, so she decides that she's not getting through to the object of her affections, causing her to escalate her efforts. It really should be a lot funnier than it is.

There are some good moments, such as when a third coworker helps Ayaka to realize her orientation and that it's perfectly fine to be queer. Not all queer narratives need to be coming-out stories, but this is nicely done, full of calm reassurance that stands out in the otherwise goofy story. And there's a sense that now that Ayaka knows more about herself, or at least has the words to put to her understanding of herself, she's going to be a whole lot more confident in her attempts – especially since her first lesbian bar experience is at the bar Hiroko frequents.

This is one of those books that falls under the heading of “fine.” It's nothing spectacular, but it's also not without its appeal, and if this sounds wishy-washy, well…I guess it is. It's a sweet little nothing that doesn't quite live up to its potential, and I think there's room for that in our manga landscape.

Erica Friedman
Rating:

I uncritically love this series. Yes, it is a romantic comedy set in an office, which is always excruciating, but Sal Jiang is the master of cringe. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that the cringe is the point here. Cool and cringe lesbians make for one of the more realistic gay rom-coms I've encountered.

Hiroko is so outwardly competent, friendly, and collected, but inside is a bundle of raging hormones and lesbian neuroses. Ayaka is so overtly awkward, but also so genuinely puppy-dog sincere, it's impossible to hate her. Jiang picks one of the great fears of every closeted gay person—being outed at work— wraps it around this ridiculous combo, and makes it laugh-out-loud funny.

Speaking of cringe, Jiang does absolutely amazing expressions. I adore the way she portrays Hiroko being completely confused by Ayaka's plots to get her attention. Without the physical comedy, this would still be a giant ball of nervous laughter inside jokes, but the two together make for a great read.

Yes, this manga is deeply rooted in lesbian culture, right up to the “newbie hunters” in the bar, but you don't need to be gay or know the lingo, the jokes primarily rely on common sense that being outed at work would be bad and the fact that it rarely, if ever, goes well for lesbians who fall for straight women. Ayaka's over-the-top attacks and Hiroko's misunderstood closeted response come to a head in the final pages of this volume. And because this is a romantic comedy, you just know there have to be a few more plot complications before they get together. In any other series, that might be really annoying, but Sal Jiang has complete control of the situation. In Ayaka Is in Love with Hiroko, it just means more laughs to come.

Kevin Cormack
Rating:

Workplace romance is difficult enough for heterosexual people, who can at least assume they comprise the majority of the workforce. It must be so much more challenging for gay or lesbian people who remain in the closet for professional purposes. While some may claim to have developed a finely-tuned “gaydar”, surely that isn't the case for everyone? Hiroko is a go-getting businesswoman who remains closeted at work, which is a problem because her junior co-worker Ayaka capital-A adores her. Hiroko can't help but think that this incredibly forward girl is merely an overly-friendly heterosexual who doesn't know that her every interaction with Hiroko gets her more than a little hot under the collar.

We mostly witness these failed attempts at sapphic seduction from the point of view of the increasingly frustrated Ayaka, who goes to increasingly absurd lengths to tell her older coworker how she feels. Hiroko's desperately flustered endeavours to deny the blatant reality in front of her do become a little wearing – it's hard to imagine someone so truly dense that she fails to pick up on the extremely obvious amorous vibes powerfully radiating from Ayaka's every pore. (In a case of the kettle calling the pot black, it was the woman who eventually became my wife who had to ask me out, because I was utterly oblivious to her more subtle overtures. Perhaps I shouldn't criticize.)

As with all such romantic comedies, the central conflict could be easily resolved by Ayaka telling Hiroko plainly, “I like women, and I like you specifically,” but where would the fun be in that? The repetitive formula begins to get a bit old by the end of the book, where we're left with a tantalizing cliffhanger that might – hopefully – lead to a progression in the second. Up until this point, Ayaka's frustration begins to merge with the readers'.

Ayaka's certainly very sweet, with lots of exaggerated facial expressions. The art is fine, if unremarkable. It's a fun story, with some fun characters, though I don't feel invested enough to seek out the next volume.