Synopsis

Plain, boring, and friendless Nukumizu Kazuhiko has witnessed something completely baffling: popular girl Yanami Anna was friend-zoned by her childhood friend and crush! In fact, all the popular girls around him are getting similarly rejected by the boys they like. Without realizing it, Kazuhiko becomes entangled in the relationship drama where all the leading heroines are losing out on love! Can he keep their spirits up and help them find happiness? (Source: Seven Seas)

The Story of After the Heartbreak!

Written by Takibi Amamori and illustrated by Imigimuru, Seven Seas’ latest light novel, Too Many Losing Heroines, offers a twist on the rom-com genre by having each of the series’ love interests, as the title would suggest, be a so-called losing heroine. 

A title often attributed to rom-com characters fated to lose from the start, the story follows Nukumizu Kazuhiko as he’s unwillingly thrust into their relationship drama and discovers what happens after the heartbreak.

The first volume begins the series by introducing Nukumizu to the three main losing heroines of the story, each of whom follows a recognisable heartbreak scene from the rom-com light novel genre. The first is Yanami Anna, a childhood friend who loses out to a transfer student. The second is Yakishio Lemon, a heroine who lost before she had a chance to realise her feelings. Finally, there’s Komari Chika—the heroine destined to be a stepping stone for the protagonist to discover his true feelings.  

Having your rom-com begin with a volume dedicated to the rejection stories of each of the main heroines is a gamble, but it definitely pays off in the end. By focusing on these highly charged moments, the reader inevitably gets to know these characters very quickly, ultimately providing solid foundations to build on as the volume count increases.

Moreover, despite openly playing around with a gimmick, the author uses the meta theme of rom-com rejections to reinforce mature conclusions to its moments of drama rather than shy away from them. The first volume makes it clear to the protagonist that things won’t work out the way they do in an anime. 

Also working in this series’ favour is the author’s style of comedy. Nukumizu provides a rather blunt and sarcastic in-story narrative. While this works great when Nukumizu is faced with shocking or difficult situations, it’s best put to use as the protagonist gets to know each of the losing heroines and attempts to break the ice. 

Each of the three heroines has different reactions to Nukumizu’s openly prickly nature, and it helps develop natural and believable interactions. Yanami and Komari’s interactions with the protagonist are a particular highlight, as they often leave Nukumizu on the back foot. Yanami’s social skills as “queen of the classroom” run rings around Nukumizu, often able to deflect his quips before he’s had time to think of them. Komari, meanwhile, is able to give as good as she gets. Despite being shy, she’s still able to put this series’ resident loner in his place. 

Overall, the opening instalment of Too Many Losing Heroines gets the series off to a great start. Comedy, characterisation, and drama are all on point within the volume, setting high hopes for what’s to come next. 

I Give Too Many Losing Heroines: 9/10