Love Bullet: Manga Review

On September 17th, 2024, manga author and artist inee (アイニ―) took to X (formerly Twitter) to express that her debut yuri manga, LOVE BULLET, was at risk of getting canceled due to its first volume’s low sales. Unfortunately, cancellations are a common occurrence in the yuri genre. A day earlier it was announced that Sukeban to Tenkousei would abruptly come to an end after its third volume.

Perhaps the fresh disappointment in this news contributed to the online outcry. Yuri fans were begging people to support LOVE BULLET by reading or buying it, spreading inee’s message, and even sharing fanart and cosplays to promote the series. Naturally, as an avid supporter of queer stories and recognizing yuri’s particular struggles, I read it then.

Synopsis

In this supernatural story, young people who met an untimely death before they could experience love for themselves are reborn as cupids.

With a modern spin on the classic bow-and-arrow, these cupids carry guns instead. But their job remains the same: to help people fall in love. Following the protagonist and newly-born cupid Koharu, we learn that the job isn’t easy. First, cupids have to choose someone compatible with their target, or the bullet will have no effect. Second, they compete for rewards, thus igniting dangerous battles between cupids who share the same target.

The characters

The first chapter of the story is actually Chapter 0. We’re introduced to the main quartet as they try to resolve a love triangle. Quickly, the author showcases how each of their personalities falls into a specific trope:

• Chiyo, the reckless, easily-bored rulebreaker.
• Kanna, the calm, friendly mentor with a mysterious dark side.
• Ena, the logical, stoic, and reliable one.
• Koharu, the experienceless newbie with a unique ability (her observant skills).

Careful thought is given to their designs. Even though their cupid uniforms have the same basic components, each one incorporates unique elements and detail fitting their personalities. At first this might seem a little on the nose, but the four of them create a fun dynamic showing there’s more to them than meets the eye. This fun and unique premise hooked me instantly, but I was not prepared for what would come next.

The main story

Moving on to the main story, we are introduced to Koharu’s past and how she ended up as a cupid.

Knowing that she’s dead genuinely does not prepare you for the reality of her death. Her death occurs due to a freak accident while her best friend, Aki, is in the middle of confessing her feelings. As she dies, she realizes she won’t be able to process Aki’s feelings and that she would’ve indeed liked to fall in love. When Koharu awakes as a cupid, she’s greeted by Kanna, her self-proclaimed mentor, who teaches her the ropes of her new life and helps her on her very first mission. However, there are a few big hurdles.

Five years have passed since Koharu’s death. Her very first target is the now-college student Aki, and the dangerous and skilled cupid Chiyo is also gunning for her. Throughout Koharu’s mission, we learn more about how cupids work, as well as how Aki’s life was affected by her death. It is a beautiful story of regret, grief, love, and letting go, accompanied by charming art and some really striking spreads. This first volume does everything right, it introduces the world and the main characters easily. Setting up several questions and mysteries that add to the plot and fuel fan theories from the get-go.

Love Bullet draws out a rollercoaster of emotions with its wonderful storytelling.

It is a mystery to me why this series got so close to being axed! Thanks to the overwhelming support of yuri fans worldwide, Volume 1 sales skyrocketed. LOVE BULLET is selling out across multiple stores and websites. Now here we are, a little over a year later, with the english translation in our hands and a huge fanbase. Even if you aren’t a yuri fan specifically, I cannot recommend this series enough with just this one volume. You will laugh, you will cry, and you will wish to be alive for as long as inee needs.

Yen Press released Volume 1 on December 9th, 2025.

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