Just in time for Valentine's Day, Viz Media released the first volume of new shojo romance series My Special One by Momoko Koda. While not a popular series internationally, it clearly has a fantasy that it's trying to fulfill. Protagonist Sahoko Wakaume isn't the typical shojo lead who's open to love. In fact, she's determined to live her life without it after a bad experience. When she was in middle school, Sahoko told the boy she liked how she felt; however, this boy put her confession on social media, which led to all her classmates making fun of her.
However, Sahoko's life changes when she meets Kouta Kirigaya from the popular idol group, Like Legend. Despite Sahoko's best efforts and strong resolve, she finds herself falling for him. Volume 1 is filled with typical shojo moments, from Sahoko happening to see Kouta shirtless to the pair playing with the common kabedon trope. Their interactions are sweet, tender and perfect for fans of the demographic. That said, there is one major detail that could immediately turn fans away.
Kouta Kirigaya Is a Great Love Interest -- Save for One Divisive Detail
Famous and beautiful, Kouta is the epitome of the type of boy Sahoko has sworn off. He's the leader of a popular male idol group, a model for plenty of products and an actor. Nonetheless, he isn't self-obsessed like Sahoko thought he'd be. Kouta starts regularly coming to her family's diner for meals, and she sees first-hand how he behaves. He's easily excitable and just as easily devastated. Determined to make everyone in his presence smile, he vows to make Sahoko his fan and agonizes over hecklers' opinions of him. In many ways. Kouta is similar to Ouran High School Host Club's Tamaki, albeit far more in touch with reality. Charming, handsome and with the personality of a Golden Retriever, it's hard not to like Kouta.
The only part of him that could throw a reader off is a factor the manga has addressed only indirectly: his age. Throughout Volume 1, Kouta is treated in a way that isn't typical of teen idols. He's in movies, TV shows and plenty of advertisements, as other idols often are, but some of these roles in particular stand out. Kouta plays an apathetic doctor in one movie and is on the cover of a magazine that promotes his "effortless sex appeal." These roles suggest he's an adult, and Sahoko's notes all but confirm this. In Chapter 4, when she's creating a 10-year plan to become his type, the bottom of the page states that she'll be 26 by the end of this plan. There's another age beside it, 32, but the words above are obscured by Sahoko's narration. Based on the context of the moment, it's safe to assume that Kouta will be 32 come the end of the 10-year plan, making him 22 currently.
Age Gaps Are a Common Problem in Shojo Titles
Relationships with significant age gaps can be found in every subgenre of romance. Be it stories like After the Rain where a teenage girl falls for a divorced father or Cardcaptor Sakura's rampant use of the teacher/student dynamic, age gaps come in many forms. Because of this, it can be argued that Kouta and Sahoko's age difference is better than a lot of other fictional couples. Some may argue that it's okay because both parties are over the age of consent in Japan, while others staunchly disagree because of the clear difference in maturity: a person at age 16 is very different from one in their 20s. One is considered an adult while the other is largely regarded as a minor. Kouta can go to bars and drink while Sahoko can't. All of this divides them before considering that he's a celebrity while Sahoko's an average high school girl, which gives the pair a power imbalance as well.
Age gaps are not a deal-breaker for everyone. In fact, there are plenty of readers who enjoy stories that involve this trope. However, it's a divisive one that can help someone determine if they want to try a series or not. The issue may even be addressed in future volumes of the manga, but for this reason alone, My Special One definitely won't be to everyone's tastes.