620https://i.ur.com/IMsmkuT.jpg Do you want to orange with me? Confessing in the first chapter? Shows over. Jokes aside Love Roma firmly establishes early on that it doesnt intend to idle around with dreary romance tropes and hairpulling drama thatd bog down ones enjoyment. What establishes its frank nature is the manzai protagonist couple Hajime Hoshino and Yumiko Negishi. A violent tsukkomi by nature Negishi is baffled by her classmate and natural boke Hoshinos perhapstooblunt confession in front of the entire class. One full of explosive emotions and prone to violent embarrassment and the other defined by his cluelessly robotic logical yet heartfelt personality this polaropposite couple defies their contrast with communication that an army tank couldnt hope to penetrate. 420https://i.ur.com/S9tlOMj.jpg What ensues after their official romantic declaration in the very first chapter is nothing but sweet sweet progression. Drama such as love rivals and brief tensions are refreshingly resolved within a single chapter with heartfelt conversations between Negishi and Hoshino despite their differences. Or rather its because of their one massive similarity their honest nature of speaking that allows their relationship to prosper despite some issues that prove to be mere pebbles. Sprinkled generously with amusingly simple tsukkomi and gagcomedy indicative of its older age even the perilous drama is infected by the lightheartedness. 420https://i.ur.com/XnJZ6tN.jpg Despite its simplistic charm and permanentlyfixated lighthearted humor Love Roma possesses surprising maturity in its portrayal of adolescent romance. Sex though a bit of a gag later in the series propagates heartfelt and serious discussions between Negishi and Hoshino. A girl who isnt comfortable and a boy with a raging libido talk out the sensitive topic rather than pretending it isnt there. This intangible existence of the two facing their issues headon handinhand is a dominant pattern throughout the series. Jealousy and loneliness usually the bane to a fictional couples happiness are also resolved in the couples endearingly quiet conversations. Though by no means are these two picturesque. Their conflicting personalities Negishi defined by rampant emotions and Hoshino by his deadpan logic make them allthemore selfaware of their own flaws. Though because of their neverlacking communication unconditional support gets the better of their insecurities and happiness permeates the end of every chapter. 420https://i.ur.com/cZpVZ7u.jpg 420https://i.ur.com/aQ1OOkG.jpg Conclusion A first love is a clumsy one. Love is a fickle matter of the heart especially during puberty. Hormones run high and emotions run rampant. Though easier said than done communication is key. Just with the presence of powerful relationship communication between our protagonists irritating tropes and drama homestay to the romance genre are whisked away for lighthearted gag comedy and a constantly upslope romantic progression. More than that however the characters grow despite their contrasting personalities by yearning to understand each other. Rough patches are not absent but the couples honest and blunt conversations resolve relationship perils in the blink of an eye with warm genuineness. Love Roma is a refreshing romcom despite its age. The unfiltered simple manzai and gag comedy remind me of School Rumble and other classic 2000s romcoms and the bold somewhat janky character designs are a loveable quirk. Perhaps its age is what keeps it undertheradar but by no means is that warranted. At the time when you finally grow too dreary of romance series too deeply saturated with sighinducing drama Love Roma is a straightball unamused with prolonged drama fixated on depicting perhaps not the most natural highschool romance but a satisfying one at that.