"Killer in Love" is a psychological drama about a dirty liar - a girl ruined by her family's expectations and people around her, and a pathetic fool - a boy who never could fit anywhere and fell victim to social pressure and manipulation. Both characters are looking for things they never really had - love and understanding. When these two people meet one day, the tragic story begins. And oh boy, the story really is tragic, especially when it comes to writing quality. [Story - 4] Even though there were moments I enjoyed, the storywriting was just poor. There were many questionable choices of mangaka. Those regardingthe story progression and Ryuuto's personality changes were most notable.
First of all, the series of random murders by the MC felt so irrational. As far as I understand the first two accidents, since it was purely self-defence - I don't think there was anything better to do in this situation - I completely don't get the next few (especially the one where he debates if he should kill his cousin). Good enough, the narrative could be constructed only based on the first stalker (and there was a chance after that the MC wouldn't even go to jail), but drama has to be created from something, so he becomes a serial murderer. I don't deny that something like that can happen, but it doesn't feel right. Readers can get a feeling the story progresses in a really odd, unnatural way after the first few chapters. On the good side, Ryuuto's sudden personality change can be a strong side of the manga since the storyline gets much more unpredictable and messed up, which is usually a great thing in psychological dramas.
The pacing of the story was horrible. Readers don't know if everything happens over a few hours, days, or maybe weeks. How come Ryuuto run away with Kokoa for 30+ chapters, but when he leaves her, he gets found immediately by the police? They have every possible evidence it was him since he wasn't careful with his murders. It should be just a matter of hours to track him down, considering how dangerous he was. Some of the elements in the plot were rushed. The main characters had little to no time to know each other, and all of sudden Ryuuto is so much in love with Kokoa that he can kill anyone for her. The chapter on Disneyland was sweet, and I wish they could have some more time for themselves in the later chapters as well. Unfortunately, the author decided to throw an encounter with another murderer right after that, so the readers don't even get to see more of these cute moments between the main characters. Everything seems to be very inconsistent - sometimes the story goes very fast, and sometimes it slows down completely.
Kokoa's stalkers/ex-boyfriends are also an aspect that wasn't well-executed. They all are either serial killers or just total scumbags, and their whole personality is being obsessed on her point. I know love makes people crazy, but this is some unreal extreme. I wasn't surprised seeing one "crazy stalker" of her, but it was getting only worse as the story progressed. In addition, all these people appear to be extremely insignificant to the plot, with the personality of a stone block, and just thrown there as meat for MC to kill.
The ending of this manga is the worst thing that could possibly happen. It's just a piece of nothing, leaving the reader with zero emotions and the feeling of wasted time. Everyone knew what would happen in the end, and yet it had to be so bland and emotionless. The ending can be called "open" since Kokoa gets yet another chance in life, and the viewer is left with the unanswered question of whether she will make good use of it.
[Art - 9]
I started reading this manga because of its excellent graphic style, and it did not disappoint. It's the strongest point of this title - with beautiful drawings of Kokoa and Ryuuto, decent fighting scenes and an excellent environment reproduction, it keeps the reader interested.
[Characters - 5]
Yoshizaki Kokoa - At first sight, her personality seems to be shallow. She's a typical "pretty girl" who is adored by all the guys in school because of her looks. As the plot progresses, readers learn much more about her personality, past experiences, and relationships, but until the end, she remains a slightly mysterious character. These traits make her a much more interesting than Ryuuto. As far as there's a lot of trauma and unpleasant feelings in her backstory, at the same time, it sounds plain, repeatable, and in some ways just insignificant compared to the main story where her boyfriends are serial murderers. In addition, nothing could excuse her actions in any way. This manga uses these backstories to try to make her appear less guilty. While Kokoa is mainly playing a victim, she also plays a major role in killing the people. After all, her stalkers were doing that for her sake, and the only thing they got in return was her fooling them around for her pleasure. While maybe not exactly intentional, she tried to victimise herself in every single situation. In the end, she was the cause of everything negative that happened. At the same time, most of the readers may identify with Kokoa's hardships. Who doesn't want to be loved? Who doesn't want to be appreciated? Who doesn't want to be heard and praised from time to time? These were the struggles of Kokoa that made her the way she was. Unfortunately, people may find it difficult to sympathise with her after reading 36 chapters of the manga.
Suzuki Ryuuto - Very dense MC with a personality of "I'll do whatever they tell me to do". He falls for Kokoa quickly, although he hesitates to admit it initially. Everything he does, he justifies with an argument that he's "doing it for her". He isn't in any way original or intriguing. My irritation with Ryuuto's behaviour was also one of the factors contributing to the low "story" score. There's nothing to his personality other than that he is socially awkward and shy but very kind and thoughtful in the direction of Kokoa. Readers can watch his slow degradation and transformation into a cold-blooded killer under Kokoa's influence. Most of the time, manga focuses more on telling the story of Kokoa than Ryuuto since even he admits that she's his whole life. Thus, he has no personality whatsoever. Ryuuto's choices became a point of my annoyance after a few episodes in, especially considering each of his choices is dictated by his love for Kokoa. I can understand that sometimes people can go really far for their loved ones, but here is an example of the absolute sacrifice of everything for the sake of one person. Furthermore, everyone around him suggests that he should be careful with Kokoa, or better that he would not interact with her at all. The first incident with a stalker should already give him some thought. It's the type of person who sees all the red flags and decides: "Yes, it's a great idea. I'll fix her". In cases like that, you want to storm into the world within the manga and punch the character right in his face. Overall, his character was also very bland and didn't leave a positive impression on me.
When it comes to side characters - they don't exist. As mentioned before Kokoa's stalkers/ex-boyfriends are there only to somehow progress the plot. Readers don't get to know about them anything at all. The chapter with Ryuuto's cousin gives some details about her and her relationship with MC, but it isn't enough to say it was a meaningful character for the plot. No one else plays a major role in this manga, so it's safe to say it's a story about Kokoa and Ryuuto only.
[Enjoyment - 6]
This manga is a typical page-turner. It's written in a way that absorbs readers from the start and fills them with excitement. I was very interested in each episode, and even after finishing it, I didn't have enough. The quality of the storywriting isn't the best, but this manga is one of these titles you want to read, even knowing its flaws. Unfortunately, besides questionable murders from the beginning, the ending is the weakest point of the whole manga, and it really affected my enjoyment, regarding this series. It doesn't provide any value or conclusion. When it comes to emotions, I felt nothing after finishing it. There was no satisfaction, no happiness, no sadness, just emptiness. Maybe I'm a sucker for happy romantic endings, but deep down, I was hoping for them to end together, but with each episode, there was less and less chance for that. I stopped caring about the main characters halfway through because of the previously mentioned annoying decisions and weird plot progression.
"W... Would it... Be better if I were dead?" - She asked.
Probably yes, but it certainly would be better if I never stumbled upon this manga.
Jokes aside, "Killer in Love" is a decent read if the reader is ready to turn a blind eye to a nonsensical plot and a disappointing ending. What I can guarantee is that this title definitely isn't boring. There's constant action and a few unexpected events, so anyone who likes to be surprised by the plot shouldn't be disappointed. Moreover, the art style is beautiful, so even looking at this manga is a pleasure.
