If you like magical girls, yuri, and gore, then I have a manga just for you. Let me introduce you to I Want to Love You Till Your Dying Day, Nachi Aono’s first serialized yuri manga.
[Content warnings: gore, blood, non-sexual nudity, transphobia. Mild spoilers for Volume 1.]
This story is set in a school where orphans born with magical powers train to become weapons of war.
We are immediately introduced to the main character, Sheena Totsuki, as we find out her roommate died in an attack the previous night. Losing classmates is not a rare occurrence in this world, and most students seem largely unaffected by the news. Not Sheena, though; she cannot get used to death. The feeling that their lives are expendable, so she spends the day in a numb state until she runs into a strange girl at night. Even though this girl is returning from a mission covered in blood, she wears a happy disposition and nonchalantly asks Sheena to share her onigiri.
This very confusing encounter turns sour for Sheena the next day. We find out the girl’s name is Mimi, a mysterious student regarded as the school’s secret weapon and rumored to be stronger than the teachers—and her new roommate.
For Sheena, who dislikes fighting and using magic as a weapon, Mimi’s carefree and joyful personality outside the battlefield is unnerving.
I don’t want to give too much about Mimi away. There’s more to her inhuman strength than meets the eye. Regardless, maybe because of their differences and not despite them, as well as their close proximity as roommates, Sheena begins to warm up to Mimi, and a friendship (or something more) blossoms.
It should be noted there is a major translation error in chapter 2, where Mimi is said to be 10 years old. This actually refers to the age she was when she arrived at the orphanage. This is confirmed a few pages later when Sheena states they’re the same age, around 14 years old. This nearly made me drop the manga given the girls’ developing relationship, so do keep that in mind if you give it a read.
As for other characters around them, there are two girls, Ari and Seiran. They are in an established relationship and are close friends with Sheena. They have a cute dynamic, and I’m hoping to see more of them in upcoming chapters. I was also personally excited to discover the school’s nurse and Mimi’s apparent guardian, Ms. Fran, is a trans woman. Though not so thrilled that this is revealed through casually transphobic remarks made by Mimi and other students. I wouldn’t have dubbed this as problematic representation if it had only been child characters offhandedly saying something ignorant. Especially since other adult characters seem to respect her identity. But, Ms. Fran makes an inappropriate comment about Sheena, which contributes to the harmful stereotype of trans women being perverted and/or groomers. I’m hoping this won’t be a recurring trope in the story, or I’ll be quite disappointed.
Thoughts after reading I Want to Love You Till Your Dying Day:
There are a few things I’m curious about. Mainly learning more about the world we’re in and seeing how the girls’ relationships develop. I feel like I need a few more chapters to decide if I’ll commit to it or drop it entirely, as certain elements in the story could build up to be deal breakers for me. My recommendation is to check out the first volume. Even if you’re not entirely sold but have enjoyed other similar dark fantasy manga and/or yuri.
An anime adaptation for I Want to Love You Till Your Dying Day was announced in March 2025. There is no release date yet. Kodansha released Volume 2 last week, on April 15th, 2025.
Poppy Seeds: ●●●◐○ (3.5 out of 5)
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