When creating most things, and in this case a romcom manga, you should have something somewhat new that makes you stand out from your peers or else you must rely on deft timing and good dialogue. So there’s got to be something new or a common trait that’s handled well. You Must Be This Tall to Propose!‘s common trait: two childhood friends who do like each other but can’t admit to how they feel. The newish element: they agree to marry each other, but Chitose needs to be taller than Tomo for them to go out. Well, that doesn’t sound totally fresh.
But the thing is, both have wildly different interpretations of how tall Chitose needs to be from their promise as kids, which is why this manga’s hilarious!
See, after a moment during their childhoods, Chitose ends up declaring to Tomo, who was taller than him at the time, that once he gets big he would marry her. Tomo agrees, with the catch that he needs to be taller than her. Ten years later, and lo and behold, Chitose is still a short bean to Tomo, who’s only gotten taller. Chitose really wants to grow bigger and outgrow her by whatever (healthy) means necessary. Tomo however only wants him to get as tall as she was when he made the proposal. In other words, they do like each other, but they both have no idea what each other’s standards are.
Cue the laugh track!
You Must Be This Tall to Propose! doesn’t rest on those romantic laurels; by tossing these two together in different moments (from the classic holding the umbrella in the rain trope to lifting a heavy box except in this case Tomo’s doing it because Chitose’s lack of muscles is apparent) and having some great dialogue (one friend explains to Chitose that it’s less that Tomo seems to treat him as a little brother, but as she’s mothering him), each chapter is a riot. It’s only 20 chapters and roughly 6 pages, but between the terrific art and comedic variety, it doesn’t get stale. In addition to its main leads, the side characters, ranging from both their friends to even Tomo’s older brothers, spice things up. In some cases, the hilarity of seeing two side characters progressing because they love an author makes Chitose and Tomo not even making a dent in theirs stand out so much more.
The only real negative for this manga is its price point. For those in need of another romcom to try this is worth your time — but at 121 pages, I can see some hesitation once you see how much you need to pay for it. This is not really a new thing for Kodansha digital titles, but it really comes into play here. That said, if you do take the plunge — or wait and see if it gets cheaper — then this is a fun manga to read.