The Girl That Can’t Get a Girlfriend

Gr 9 Up–This heartfelt autobiographical manga follows Mieri as she tries to find a hot, short-haired girl to become her girlfriend. Mieri initially despairs that such a girl is more likely attracted to a feminine girl than to her less fashion-conscious self, but, after a few years of dating and college classes, she becomes romantically involved with the girl of her dreams. In this deeply personal manga, readers travel with Mieri through her self-discovery and acceptance of her attractions and sense of worth, but also dive deep into despair and heartbreak with her. Hiranishi employs many popular shōjo elements when illustrating anything pertaining to her crushes, including styling her crushes themselves into the perfect shjo ideals. Her own self-portrait is basic and undetailed, which adds comedic effect but also speaks volumes to the mangaka’s idea of herself. Many young readers will see their struggles in Mieri and relate to her journey, regardless of the types of people to whom they find themselves attracted. This is a more high school–friendly version of the poignant memoir, “X-Gender.”