Tags: Comedy, Drama, Romance, Slice of Life, Seinen

Sub-Tags: Age-Gap

A Single Mother Discovers the Minefield of Love!

Ayako and the Unexpected Confession

For Ayako, life as a single mother is finally settling down. With a stable job, a daughter slowly growing independent, and the perfect relationship candidate for her daughter in the wings, things are looking up for the Katsuragi household. Unfortunately, as the first volume of You Like Me, Not My Daughter begins, Ayako’s picture-perfect future comes tumbling down at the hands of that same relationship candidate.

As it turns out, Ayako’s next-door neighbour and tutor to her daughter, Takumi, isn’t planning to ask out her daughter but her instead. At a complete loss as to what to do, instead of talking it out, she decides to let the hilarious hijinks begin – composing a plan to show Takumi all of her bad sides.

From getting drunk and spending heaps of cash to showcasing her love for a children’s tv show, it all ends up failing spectacularly. Besides his young age and semi-regular intrusive thoughts, Takumi’s love for Mommy Ayako is 100% sincere.

The Sincere Romantic and The Late Bloomer

On the side of the confessor, throughout the opening volume, there are several scenes dedicated to the past between Ayako and Takumi. They are wonderfully used to demonstrate that Takumi’s feelings for Ayako are more than just a childhood crush. From the very beginning, Takumi’s love is destined to stay as he witnesses Ayako’s heroic moments of saving Miu from the incessant bickering about who from her family will take her in. 

Ayako sees this sincerity in the present through Takumi’s forward planning. He’s already gotten permission from his parents, and alongside physical prowess and high career prospects, he’s putting everything forward to ensure their married life would be stable.

Through Takumi’s sincerity, Ayako finally starts to see him as more of a man, and whilst Miu’s interference already had her reject him, it’s her interference that’ll bring them back together.

Tricking Ayako into believing that Takumi has moved on with another woman sees her enter a fit of unusual jealousy. Irrational and selfish, she eventually gets Takumi to keep loving her as she may just love him as well.

To conclude, You Like Me, Not My Daughter’s opening outing is a fun age-gap rom-com. Mixing the serious alongside the silly, it strikes a perfect balance allowing audiences to root for the central couple regardless of how fantastical it may be. As the series moves to the two becoming aware of each other, there’ll likely be even larger hijinks to come.