Haruma Ichinose, a 17-year-old high schooler, is admired by many girls at his school. Confident and charming, he faces no competition for their affection until Yuki Mogami arrives. However, Yuki isn’t a rival in the way Haruma expects—she’s a girl. Taller than Haruma and equally admired, Yuki’s charm frustrates him. But soon, Haruma begins to question whether his feelings are really competitive or if they’re leaning towards something more romantic.
A Unique Take on Shojo Tropes
She’s My Knight turns classic shojo tropes upside down. At the beginning, Haruma behaves like the typical hot-headed male protagonist, but his frustration stems from Yuki being both taller and more popular. As they spend more time together, Haruma realizes that his feelings aren’t antagonistic at all—they’re romantic. The story places Haruma in traditionally “female” roles, challenging gender norms in a fun and unexpected way.
For example, in one scene, Haruma trips, but it’s Yuki who catches him. In another, he tries the classic “hand-on-wall” trick, but it falls flat, both because Yuki is oblivious to his intentions and because she towers over him. The manga openly plays with these dynamics, often having Haruma in the “heroine” role and Yuki in the “hero” role, creating an amusing twist on gender expectations.
Haruma’s Struggle with His Role
Throughout the first half of the manga, Haruma struggles to embrace his role as the “heroine.” He attempts to act more traditionally masculine, offering to carry boxes for Yuki and feeling emasculated by their height difference. However, as the story progresses, Haruma grows more endearing as he begins to accept his feelings for Yuki and stops worrying about societal expectations tied to his gender. His awkward attempts to court Yuki—like imagining himself snuggling with her at a fireworks show—are both funny and heartwarming.
Interestingly, Haruma never desires Yuki to be more feminine or less tall. In fact, he becomes most flustered when Yuki unintentionally courts him, highlighting the story’s playful subversion of traditional gender roles.
Yuki: The Unaware Love Interest
While Haruma’s feelings evolve, Yuki remains oblivious. She’s kind and supportive to everyone, often responding kindly when someone shows affection without fully understanding their intentions. Because the story is told from Haruma’s perspective, Yuki’s internal world remains a mystery. However, readers do learn small details about her, such as her relationships with her brothers and childhood friends. Her occasional lack of awareness of social cues adds to her charm, making it easy to see why both Haruma and others at school have fallen for her.
Saisou’s Art and Storytelling
Saisou, the mangaka behind She’s My Knight, is best known for My Tiny Senpai, which received an anime adaptation in 2023. However, She’s My Knight is their only work currently available in English. It’s clear that Saisou has a firm grasp of both comedy and character development. The story feels deliberate, with strong character voices and comedic timing that plays with shojo tropes in an entertaining way.
The artwork complements the humor perfectly, with highly animated panels that vividly capture the characters’ emotions. While the backgrounds remain fairly standard—depicting school grounds, the beach, and the mall—the character designs and their expressions stand out. The visual comedy is particularly well done, making this series an excellent candidate for an anime adaptation.
Translation and Extra Content
The translation, handled by Mari Au and the amimaru company, is smooth and error-free. Some might find the translator notes, which are placed between panels instead of at the end, a little distracting, but they offer useful explanations in real-time without taking you out of the story.
She’s My Knight Volume 1 packs a lot of content into one book. Alongside the thirteen regular chapters, there are seventeen bonus chapters, extra content from Haruma’s friend Miyoshi’s point of view, and additional material. Fans of the series will appreciate the sheer amount of content they get for their money.
Final Thoughts: A Fun, Light-Hearted Romance
She’s My Knight brings something fresh to the English manga market by flipping shojo conventions and exploring gender roles in an engaging, light-hearted way. Haruma’s journey from a hot-headed protagonist to someone who accepts his feelings and embraces the unexpected is a fun, enjoyable ride. Fans of romantic comedies and gender role reversals will find this manga worth checking out.
