When I started reading manga, one of the strangest recurring concepts for me was the idea that single parents would get married without introducing their kids to their partner — and their kids, if they had them.
Example: Sakura is looking forward to meeting her new stepfather and little brother. But “little” turns out to mean “a few days younger and physically bigger”. Not only that, it’s the guy who witnessed her being rejected by her crush, Hatano. The two squabble as Sakura protests this new arrangement, and it gets even worse when he accidentally sees her naked. Then her humiliation gets dialed up to another level when Hatano accuses Sakura of being a stalker. Fortunately, Kaede comes and clears the misunderstanding, and it seems like the stepsiblings are finally off on the right foot.
Getting used to having men in the household eventually turns into getting used to having your crush in the household. Not that Sakura is fully ready to admit her feelings by the end of this first volume of We Must Never Fall in Love!, as she first tries to be a good big sister. But between her own natural bad luck and Kaede’s blunt-but-kind personality, Sakura keeps freaking out even over simple gestures like passing a ketchup bottle…which usually leads to even more embarrassing incidents that start the whole loop over again.
So Sakura is often hapless here, and author Tsukishima does force Sakura to be an incredible ditz at times (forgetting she’s been in the bath for two hours and then fainting right in the middle of a conversation). Regarding Kaede, it’s at least somewhat understandable regarding her panic; she’s living with two male strangers now who have their own habits and preferences. Kaede, for instance, likes to be shirtless at home. But still, things like Sakura asking a male classmate to pose for shirtless pictures at her house because she’s too awkward to fulfill her friend’s request for a pic of Kaede? Even though Mori had no problem with this, this goes beyond innocent maiden territory into bizarre.
Kaede sees less of an issue suddenly having a sister, and he finds her reactions interesting. After seeing how, quote, “self-destructive” she is, Kaede thinks of himself as his sister’s keeper. But some of his behaviors are less like a brother or friend and more like someone romantically interested in Sakura. He steers her away from Hatano at school, and he ups the act when they both accidentally end up on the same group date. Readers can see Kaede shaken at times in his own way, and I think a lot of readers will like him. He doesn’t quite fall into the mischievous category nor the super sweet, but he’s a good mix of the two. He pairs well with Sakura, especially with their shared interest in cooking.
The manga has some of the usual exaggerated and/or coincidental situations (the whole stepsibling thing), but there’s still a down-to-earth atmosphere about it. It reminds me a little of Waiting for Spring in that way. Art-wise, though, it’s closer to something like Atsumori-kun’s Bride-to-Be. They’re all Dessert manga like many of Kodansha Comics’ other shoujo offerings, so it’s a natural fit to their lineup.
The next volume promises to include more of Hatano, who regrets rushing to judgment about Sakura. While Sakura is not moping around anymore, Kaede doesn’t want to see her hurt again. Stepsibling romances aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, so Sakura and Kaede’s story will not be of interest to all manga readers. But for those willing to give We Must Never Fall in Love! a try, this is one romance to keep an eye on.