I like that the title kinda implies that too. The lit. translation is "Let's be strangers in our next life". There are cute moments, but it's not meant to be a cute story at all.
I think I wouldn't want to read this if it ended up being a shoujo cliche where the bad boy changes for the better (I would just read shoujo). It's clearly not going for that kind of story, and I think it's interesting how far they're willing to take things.
Just started today and binged all of it, and it wasn't as bad as ppl were making it out to be. Yeah Kirishima is a psycho, but damn, when he looks at her and the way he just holds her hands gently, and how his whole being just exudes love for her towards the latter chapters got to me.
There's not a single moral guy in the series regardless (Shouma also sleeps around with multiple women). So even if Kirishima is toxic trash, Yoshino accepts him because he's her trash. She's pretty weird herself too.
I also appreciate that there really isn't a 2nd ML, it's mostly just Yoshino and Kirishima developing their relationship, and a propelling yakuza plot looming in the background.
If you ask me if Shouma is better than Kirishima? Not by all that much, tbh (albiet he doesn't even like her romantically). I thought it was kind of ironic that ppl be chastising Kirishima for sleeping around while chasing Yoshino before they were dating, but advocating for Shouma being better when both men go through women like sleeves. Like you said, there's literally no good man in the series, lmao. The gramps even said all yakuza men are trash, and even Yoshino knows this.
I think in the beginning, Kirishima was just trying to do his duties, and he was interested in but wasn't serious about her, but now at this point in the series, you can tell he loves her and would die for her. And it was so deadass funny that she knew about the fwbs and didn't give a shit bc it was Kirishima. But since they became official, he hasn't seen anyone else, and is changing (not necessarily as a better person) for her. (And also we forget they're literal highschoolers.)
IMO the most important thing is that she is aware, and still decided to try and make it work with such a freak bc she herself is also one as well. I love that he underestimates just how much she knows and is willing to go.
Ikr. If he weren't a psycho, he'd be husband material. Picks up after her, cleans up after her, spoils her rotten with whatever she wants to eat, coaxes her softly to the hospital, and is super tender about how he touches her.
Even if they aren't into each other romantically, I think they'd still be good contract marriage partners or something.
PSA: if you're looking for a lovey dovey romcom, it ain't here. This is a /SEINEN/ manga... A hardcore Yakuza-Seinen, not a Shoujo romance. If you think Kirishima is toxic waste and hope Somei ends up with someone else, you're just on copium. It's not that kind of story from the get-go (￣∇￣").