What do you think?
Rate this book
桜井さんは気づいてほしい #4
Sakurai-san Wants to Be Noticed Vol. 4
What could be behind all of Sakurai's mannerisms, facial expressions, and behaviors? Is it possible that Mako has finally caught on to what they mean? He thinks so, and he's ready to quit playing defense in the game of love!
- GenresManga
182 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 30, 2023
7 people are currently reading
13 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
May 31, 2023
And she is.
Oh, well, you know, I can only take so many of these ‘quirky cute girl and the dull boy’ stories. But that number is actually pretty high and this one was also actually one of my favourites. The only reason that’s now past tense is because this turns out to be the final volume.
Why I like this particular story is that it was definitely youthful without being too trashy (look, I know what opens this volume but it’s not part of the story, shh), charming without being cloying, and it made it clear from the beginning exactly why Sakurai actually liked Makoto at all.
Which is why it’s pretty funny that this one opens up with a classmate having no idea why Sakurai likes this loser and her struggle over how this milquetoast has landed such a vibrant girl as his potential girlfriend. It’s just the right side of cute.
And the winter hi-jinx continue, same as always, minus one thing. This is all about Sakurai trying to get her intentions through Makoto’s rather leaden skull, except that she already has, he just isn’t able to process it properly. Other people aren’t the only ones questioning his success.
What takes him rather a long while to figure out, including a White Day that goes so abysmally wrong it was one of those moments you want to yell at the page, is that the ‘why’ doesn’t necessarily matter if two people just want to be together.
When we finally get our moment, I don’t think that’s a spoiler, it’s lovingly done. The art was very good throughout, but it shoots the moon for these last chapters and pretty much steps its entire game up a notch. Makoto could have been more, no surprise there, but I don’t mind what he became - the one action sequence here gets it done.
The ending of this then just decides that it needs to go all out and it delivers a really solid epilogue with the aplomb I’ve come to expect at this point. The date that closes things out, in particular, might be a little overboard in the ‘good wife’ department (aim higher, Sakurai!), but is just awash in so many rewarding and romantic moments for those of us who came this far.
I guess if I had to raise an eyebrow at anything, it’s how ridiculously earnest this is at the end, with bold proclamations about being together forever at the ripe old age of teenager. I know it’s genre implicit, but it rarely feels like it gets stated that boldly.
Oh well, hormones, am I right? I am. I think for many reasons that Shikimori’s Not Just A Cutie! is the best of this genre, but for something much shorter, much lighter, but still a good time? This pretty much fits the bill.
4 stars - hey, another short series that actually works and doesn’t linger. That puts this and Miss Miyazen Would Love to Get Closer to You near the top for recommends in this sub-genre and that’s some good company to be in.
Oh, well, you know, I can only take so many of these ‘quirky cute girl and the dull boy’ stories. But that number is actually pretty high and this one was also actually one of my favourites. The only reason that’s now past tense is because this turns out to be the final volume.
Why I like this particular story is that it was definitely youthful without being too trashy (look, I know what opens this volume but it’s not part of the story, shh), charming without being cloying, and it made it clear from the beginning exactly why Sakurai actually liked Makoto at all.
Which is why it’s pretty funny that this one opens up with a classmate having no idea why Sakurai likes this loser and her struggle over how this milquetoast has landed such a vibrant girl as his potential girlfriend. It’s just the right side of cute.
And the winter hi-jinx continue, same as always, minus one thing. This is all about Sakurai trying to get her intentions through Makoto’s rather leaden skull, except that she already has, he just isn’t able to process it properly. Other people aren’t the only ones questioning his success.
What takes him rather a long while to figure out, including a White Day that goes so abysmally wrong it was one of those moments you want to yell at the page, is that the ‘why’ doesn’t necessarily matter if two people just want to be together.
When we finally get our moment, I don’t think that’s a spoiler, it’s lovingly done. The art was very good throughout, but it shoots the moon for these last chapters and pretty much steps its entire game up a notch. Makoto could have been more, no surprise there, but I don’t mind what he became - the one action sequence here gets it done.
The ending of this then just decides that it needs to go all out and it delivers a really solid epilogue with the aplomb I’ve come to expect at this point. The date that closes things out, in particular, might be a little overboard in the ‘good wife’ department (aim higher, Sakurai!), but is just awash in so many rewarding and romantic moments for those of us who came this far.
I guess if I had to raise an eyebrow at anything, it’s how ridiculously earnest this is at the end, with bold proclamations about being together forever at the ripe old age of teenager. I know it’s genre implicit, but it rarely feels like it gets stated that boldly.
Oh well, hormones, am I right? I am. I think for many reasons that Shikimori’s Not Just A Cutie! is the best of this genre, but for something much shorter, much lighter, but still a good time? This pretty much fits the bill.
4 stars - hey, another short series that actually works and doesn’t linger. That puts this and Miss Miyazen Would Love to Get Closer to You near the top for recommends in this sub-genre and that’s some good company to be in.
February 3, 2024
3,5*
Review for the whole series (4 volumes)
Coming back from a funeral I wanted to read something cute as hell and fluffy as fuck to lighten my mood. And that was this series. Cute as and fluffy as.
It pushes the tropes of the pushing girl and the dense dummy sky high but it’s actually funny, cute and fluffy. And it’s only 4 volumes which is just the perfect size. It lightened my mood and that’s what I needed.
Review for the whole series (4 volumes)
Coming back from a funeral I wanted to read something cute as hell and fluffy as fuck to lighten my mood. And that was this series. Cute as and fluffy as.
It pushes the tropes of the pushing girl and the dense dummy sky high but it’s actually funny, cute and fluffy. And it’s only 4 volumes which is just the perfect size. It lightened my mood and that’s what I needed.
May 30, 2023
Makoto, a man of action
This is the final volume of the series, so it's not hard to guess how things end.
Still, I was glad to see Makoto do something that 99.9% of male MCs in manga don't have the courage to do.
Great end to a sweet series.
This is the final volume of the series, so it's not hard to guess how things end.
Still, I was glad to see Makoto do something that 99.9% of male MCs in manga don't have the courage to do.
Great end to a sweet series.
March 21, 2026
32%
Still just painfully plain tbh. By this point, the MC’s basic personality just kinda ticks me off. Every time Sakurai says something and he just blushes and does nothing, I sigh in disappointment. I guess the art was okay, at least.
Still just painfully plain tbh. By this point, the MC’s basic personality just kinda ticks me off. Every time Sakurai says something and he just blushes and does nothing, I sigh in disappointment. I guess the art was okay, at least.
June 1, 2023
FINALLY!
I'm so glad that he's finally getting enough courage to get a clue. It's taken him way longer than I thought, but he's finally stepped up. Bravo sir.
I'm so glad that he's finally getting enough courage to get a clue. It's taken him way longer than I thought, but he's finally stepped up. Bravo sir.
August 1, 2023
More of a 3.5 star rating;
I was almost nervous there for a moment but overall, I like the way that this short series ended. Sakurai and Mako are adorable to see progress from beginning to end.
I was almost nervous there for a moment but overall, I like the way that this short series ended. Sakurai and Mako are adorable to see progress from beginning to end.
November 21, 2023
Was cute enough. I just wish the guy was drawn older looking
January 11, 2024
I really enjoyed this series, the build up was just right I feel, the disappointment in the final volume until the eventual conclusion felt so real and nice to see.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews