If you’re anything like me, then you know the struggle of putting on your boyfriend’s shirt and being disappointed that it’s not as oversized in that perfect 90s romcom way you had imagined. In a world that teaches girls to be cute and smol, at times many of us experience FOMO. Iwata is a girl who gets it. She’s always been tall and stronger than the other girls in her grade, which in her mind means there’s no way she can be the perfect female lead. Is it giving 2019 Netflix’s Tall Girl which the internet hated / loved-to-hate? A little, but A Star Brighter than the Sun is far better in my estimation.
[This review covers volume 1 of A Star Brighter than the Sun. Content warnings: Discussions of body image, bullying. Spoilers: Minimal, specific reference to chapter 3]
The Story:
Much of the time, Iwata goes with the flow. Even putting on a smile and laughing off “jokes” her classmates make about her. Whether they’re comparing her to a giant from a folktale or debating if she could successfully fight a bear, she takes it on the chin, even if deep down it hurts. Luckily Kamishiro is there to stick up for her.
Kamishiro is Iwata’s childhood friend, who she’s pretty much been in love with since the day they met. Back in elementary school, she was much taller than him and was somewhat protective of him because he was shy. Now in high school, Iwata feels like he’s out of her league, as Kamishiro is now tall, broad, and classically handsome.
That was my first and only disappointment with the beginning of this series. It feels like a missed opportunity that Kamishiro is no longer shorter than Iwata as it makes the situation less tense. Iwata still feels awkward in her body when next to other girls. But I feel like if she was still bigger than Kamishiro it would add a lot more nuance to her feelings and might reach a larger demographic of readers who would find it relatable. But the tension she feels is still very much a part of the story, and it feels well written. So the lack of size-disparity between our romantic leads hardly ruins the narrative, but it would have been cute.
The Art
The art is quirky in the best way. The characters’ expressions are often awkward and sometimes mis-balanced which adds a lot to a story about nervous high schoolers falling in love for the first time. Their mouths are often just a bit too wide, and it adds so much charm to the characters’ designs. When they smile, they look completely overjoyed in such an unabashed child-like way that feels all the more endearing.
I also like that the mangaka clearly knows a thing or two about anatomy as all the characters have some weight to them; like they all look like they have bones and muscles. They aren’t just muscle-less figures with ultra long limbs as is fairly common in pretty romance manga.
The art also provides so many good comedic moments. My favorite scene was when Iwata learned that another girl was interested in Kamishiro.
Iwata thinks to herself, “if I don’t have the guts to tell him how I feel I have no right to prevent anyone else from falling in love with him.” And then the scene cuts to Iwata pinning the girl down while wrestling in gym class. It’s little transitions like that, that make for comedic gold. It just feels like smart storytelling. Oh and if you think you’re going to hate Iwata’s romantic rival, guess again, because she’s hilarious.
The deadpan humor of the characters, the fun art style, and the meaningful storytelling make this a pretty delightful read. A lot of shoujo protagonists feel relatable, but Iwata might just be the most relatable of them all. Whether it’s her need to over-explain things, her desire to keep the peace for everyone around her even at her own expense, or just feeling awkward in her own body, she is clearly a person many of us have been at one point in life (especially in High School).
The Deets:
A Star Brighter than the Sun is brought to us by the same mangaka, Kazune Kawahara, who made the much beloved “My Love Story!!”. It is their latest manga, and is an ongoing series in Japan, with 10 volumes currently out. The English release of A Star Brighter than the Sun is being published by VIZ Media. The second volume is set to come out on June 3, 2025.
An anime adaption was also announced in February 2025. So you might want to get your hands on the manga now, and get ahead of the anime hype.
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