You and I Are Polar Opposites
Japanese manga series by Kōcha Agasawa
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You and I Are Polar Opposites (Japanese: 正反対な君と僕, Hepburn: Seihantai na Kimi to Boku) is a Japanese web manga series written and illustrated by Kōcha Agasawa. It was serialized on Shueisha's Shōnen Jump+ app and website from May 2022 to November 2024, with its chapters later being collected in eight tankōbon volumes. The series follows Miyu Suzuki, an outgoing high school girl, and her relationship with her crush Yusuke Tani, an introverted boy.
| You and I Are Polar Opposites | |
First tankōbon volume cover, featuring Yusuke Tani (left) and Miyu Suzuki (right) | |
| 正反対な君と僕 (Seihantai na Kimi to Boku) | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Romantic comedy[1] |
| Manga | |
| Written by | Kōcha Agasawa |
| Published by | Shueisha |
| English publisher | |
| Imprint | Jump Comics+ |
| Magazine | Shōnen Jump+ |
| Original run | May 2, 2022 – November 25, 2024 |
| Volumes | 8 |
| Anime television series | |
| Directed by | Takakazu Nagatomo |
| Produced by | Teruko Utsumi (animation) |
| Written by | Teruko Utsumi |
| Music by | Tofubeats |
| Studio | Lapin Track |
| Licensed by | Crunchyroll |
| Original network | JNN (MBS, TBS) |
| Original run | January 11, 2026 – present |
| Episodes | 11 |
An anime television series adaptation produced by Lapin Track premiered in January 2026.
Plot
Miyu Suzuki and Yusuke Tani are two high school students who are polar opposites of each other—Suzuki is an energetic and outgoing girl who tends to follow the crowd, even when she does not feel like doing so, while Tani is a quiet and introverted boy who bluntly speaks his mind. Because of this, Suzuki has fallen head over heels in love with Tani, but is unable to really make her feelings known to him, and is unaware that Tani also has a crush on her, though initially it seemed he did not reciprocate at all. After she confesses her love to him, the story follows Suzuki and Tani in their developing relationship, as well as their friends' issues.
Characters
- Miyu Suzuki (鈴木 みゆ, Suzuki Miyu)
- Voiced by: Yū Sasahara[2] (PV), Sayumi Suzushiro[3] (anime) (Japanese); Celeste Perez[4] (English)
- A gyaru who has pink hair and painted nails. She has an outgoing personality, going out of her way to please the people around her, even though sometimes she finds it exhausting. She sits next to Tani and has long been interested in him, but is shy about her feelings. The two later start dating.
- Yusuke Tani (谷 悠介, Tani Yūsuke)
- Voiced by: Yūto Uemura[2] (PV), Shogo Sakata[3] (anime) (Japanese); Brandon Acosta[4] (English)
- A glasses-wearing loner student who sits next to Suzuki. He has a quiet personality but is honest when he does speak, contrasting with Suzuki's more outgoing and friendly personality. The two eventually start dating. At the end of the series, he is accepted at a university and moves away, with him and Suzuki planning to have a long-distance relationship.
- Kentaro Yamada (山田 健太郎, Yamada Kentarō)
- Voiced by: Anji Iwata[5] (Japanese); Van Barr Jr.[4] (English)
- One of Suzuki's best friends, whom she has known since middle school. Known for his quirky and airheaded demeanor, he often asks Tani for homework and touts having a friend named "Gapacho" that no one else ever sees. He is drawn to seeing people laugh who he would not expect to see laugh, which draws him to Nishi, eventually leading to them dating.
- Natsumi Nishi (西 奈津美, Nishi Natsumi)
- Voiced by: Kokoro Ōmori[6] (Japanese); Rebecca Danae[4] (English)
- A kind but extremely shy girl from another class who volunteers at the library with Tani. She has a habit of finding the antics of the other characters hilarious, but often muffles her laughter out of embarrassment. In contrast to Yamada’s dimwittedness, Nishi overthinks everything regarding conversations, leaving her with social anxiety. Despite her insecurities, she slowly builds confidence and eventually starts dating Yamada.
- Shuji Taira (平 秀司, Taira Shūji)
- Voiced by: Wataru Katoh[7] (Japanese); Mauricio Ortiz-Segura[4] (English)
- A cynical and self-deprecating student with a downer demeanor, who works part-time at a nearby convenience store. He is highly self-conscious and views everyone as being on a social hierarchy. He and Azuma are from the same middle school. Throughout the series, his and Azuma's overall relationship is explored, including the positive effects they have on each other.
- Shino Azuma (東 紫乃, Azuma Shino)
- Voiced by: Miyuri Shimabukuro[7] (Japanese); Sarah Roach[4] (English)
- A friendly girl who often overthinks looking cool in front of others, usually leading to awkward situations. Her past romantic situations usually took a turn with the boy being a bad person. She and Taira are from the same middle school.
- Aoi Sato (佐藤 葵, Satō Aoi)
- Voiced by: Konatsu Hirabayashi[5] (Japanese); Cassie Ewulu[4] (English)
- One of Suzuki's best friends whom she has known since middle school along with Yamada, and was in her first year class. She tends to be a more serious member of the group, second only to Tani.
- Manami Watanabe (渡辺 真奈美, Watanabe Manami)
- Voiced by: Yuna Taniguchi[5] (Japanese); Hannah Alyea[4] (English)
- One of Suzuki's best friends whom she met in their first year. She is incredibly lively and mischievous, while also being airheaded like Yamada.
- Rikako Honda (本田 梨花子, Honda Rikako)
- Voiced by: Tomori Kusunoki[6] (Japanese); Cheyenne Haynes[4] (English)
- Nishi's best friend who is in the same class as her. She has a habit of sucking in her lips to keep herself from smiling. She and Yamada were in the same class the previous year, and thus helps facilitate his and Nishi's relationship.
Media
Manga
Written and illustrated by Kōcha Agasawa, You and I Are Polar Opposites was initially a one-shot published on Shueisha's Shōnen Jump+ app and website on January 7, 2021.[8] It was serialized in the same website from May 2, 2022,[1] to November 25, 2024.[9] Eight tankōbon volumes were published from July 2022 to March 2025.[10][11]
In June 2022, Shueisha began releasing the series in English on its Manga Plus platform.[12] In October 2023, Viz Media announced that it licensed the series for English publication.[13]
Volumes
| No. | Original release date | Original ISBN | English release date | English ISBN | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | July 4, 2022[14] | 978-4-08-883125-1 | May 7, 2024[15] | 978-1-9747-4376-6 | ||
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| 2 | October 4, 2022[16] | 978-4-08-883275-3 | August 6, 2024[17] | 978-1-9747-4639-2 | ||
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| 3 | March 3, 2023[18] | 978-4-08-883395-8 | November 5, 2024[19] | 978-1-9747-4938-6 | ||
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| 4 | July 4, 2023[20] | 978-4-08-883630-0 | February 4, 2025[21] | 978-1-9747-5202-7 | ||
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| 5 | November 2, 2023[22] | 978-4-08-883697-3 | May 6, 2025[23] | 978-1-9747-5482-3 | ||
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| 6 | March 4, 2024[24] | 978-4-08-883858-8 | August 5, 2025[25] | 978-1-9747-5551-6 | ||
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| 7 | August 2, 2024[26] | 978-4-08-884143-4 | November 4, 2025[27] | 978-1-9747-5910-1 | ||
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| 8 | March 4, 2025[11] | 978-4-08-884294-3 | February 3, 2026[28] | 978-1-9747-6206-4 | ||
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Novel
A novel written by Shunto Saiba, titled You and I Are Polar Opposites: Sunny & Rainy, was published in Japan on November 2, 2023. It chronicles the events of a single day from the perspectives of three groups.[29][30]
Anime
An anime television series adaptation was announced on November 25, 2024.[31] It is produced by Lapin Track and directed by Takayoshi Nagatomo, with series composition handled by Teruko Utsumi, who also served as animation producer, characters designed by Mako Miyako, and music composed by Tofubeats.[3] The series premiered on January 11, 2026, on the Nichi-5 programming block on all JNN affiliates, including MBS and TBS.[32][33][34] The opening theme song is "Megane o Hazushite" (メガネを外して; 'Lose the Frames'), performed by Noa, and the ending theme song is "Pure" (ピュア, Pyua), performed by Pas Tasta featuring Eriko Hashimoto.[34][35] Crunchyroll is streaming the series.[36] Medialink licensed the series in Greater China, South and Southeast Asia for streaming on the Ani-One Asia YouTube channel.[37]
Episodes
| No. | Title[38][39] | Directed by[a] | Written by[a] | Storyboarded by[a] | Original release date[40] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "You, My Polar Opposite" Transliteration: "Seihantai na Kimi" (Japanese: 正反対な君) | Takayoshi Nagatomo | Teruko Utsumi | Takayoshi Nagatomo | January 11, 2026 | |
|
Suzuki is an outgoing high school girl who sits next to Tani, a quiet and honest loner student. Suzuki has long been interested in Tani, admiring his honesty, in comparison to her tendencey to be a people-pleaser. After finding out they live in the same direction, she gets the courage to ask him to walk home together. She is flustered and their hands touch by accident, and Tani boldly decides to hold her hand. Suzuki is shocked, but he lets go before other people can see. Yamada confronts Suzuki the next day about whether Tani and her are dating after someone saw them walk home together, and she nervously says that it is not like that, which Tani overhears. Tani says after school to forget about yesterday, thinking it was a mistake on his part. After revealing to her friends that she is in love with Tani, they convince her to chase after Tani. She confesses to Tani that she loves him, and he reveals that he feels the same way, causing her to cry in joy. | ||||||
| 2 | "First Date!" Transliteration: "Hatsu Dēto!" (Japanese: 初デート！) | Moe Nakahara | Teruko Utsumi | Takayoshi Nagatomo | January 18, 2026 | |
|
On his way to school, Tani meets Yamada, who is friendly to him and reveals he knows about Suzuki's feelings for him. Suzuki asks to walk home together again, this time they struggle to make conversation. They decide to stop at a park, and after talking through their doubts, they feel more comfortable with each other. Tani asks if she is available during the weekend for a date, and they decide to go get burgers, something they discussed the first time they walked home together. Tani accidentally shows Suzuki his search history, revealing he looked up how to keep a conversation with a girl, causing him to become embarrassed. Suzuki comforts him by saying she finds it adorable and likes that he thinks about her. For their date, they get burgers and go shopping, before eventually going to see a movie. They get matching keychains of a character from the movie and discuss the film, revealing their different interpretations. Before saying goodbye, Suzuki asks to take a picture together as a keepsake, and when she checks it later, it shows that she made a funny face. | ||||||
| 3 | "Cute and Cool" Transliteration: "Kawaii to Kakkoii" (Japanese: カワイイとカッコイイ) | Minoru Yamaoka | Teruko Utsumi | Keiichi Hara | January 25, 2026 | |
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Suzuki talks with her friend Azuma, who is surprised to learn that she has a boyfriend now, revealing her boyfriend was sent to juvie. They meet with another friend, Taira, who is also surprised to learn about Suzuki dating Tani. He firmly believes there is a social hierarchy, and is jealous seeing them happy without regard to this notion. He confronts Suzuki about it later, and she says that she is attracted to how Tani is unwavering to his true self, despite their differences in personalities. Tani has to stay late to work in the library, and Suzuki decides to stop by, but is too shy to admit she just wanted to spend time with him. Tani eventually realizes and asks her to wait for him, which makes Suzuki happy. Tani grapples with what adorable means to Suzuki, because of the varying ways she uses the word. Tani asks Suzuki about it, and she explains it as an endearing feeling. Suzuki mentions he is excited to learn more about what he likes, and Tani pats her head calls her adorable, causing Suzuki to become flustered. | ||||||
| 4 | "Summer Night Vibes" Transliteration: "Natsu no Yoru no Baibusu" (Japanese: 夏の夜のバイブス) | Ryō Ōkubo | Teruko Utsumi | Ai Yoshimura | February 1, 2026 | |
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Suzuki is excited about going to a summer festival with Tani, but is brought back to reality with end-of-term exams approaching. Yamada and Watanabe are hopelessly underprepared, so they have a group study session in the library, and Tani helps explain some problems, eventually getting bibimbap afterwards. Suzuki checks out a new convenience store near her house, running into Yamada. They meet Taira who is working there, and later Watanabe who rode her scooter. Suzuki is surprised when Tani also shows up, running away because she is embarrased for wearing casual clothes, but Tani catches up to her on his bike anyways. He expresses jealousy for her friends who have known her longer, wishing she felt as comfortable around him. Feeling more relaxed, she rides home on the back of his bike. Suzuki wears a yukata for their summer festival date, and Tani says she looks beautiful. They get food and play games around the festival. Tani surprises Suzuki by taking them to an overlook to watch the fireworks. After dropping her phone they almost kiss, but her shyness causes her to pull away, despite actually wanting to do it. | ||||||
| 5 | "Someone Who Thinks and Someone Who Doesn't" Transliteration: "Kangaeru Hito, Kangaenai Hito" (Japanese: 考える人、考えない人) | Kyōhei Ishiguro | Yoshiko Yoshida | Kyōhei Ishiguro | February 8, 2026 | |
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Nishi is a quiet girl from a different class who struggles to make conversation. Nishi is talking with her friend Honda when Yamada, who is friends with Honda, joins them. Nishi holds in laughter as Yamada and Honda talk, and it is explained that Yamada is attracted to seeing people laugh who he wouldn't expect to see laugh, being drawn to the common sense of humor despite their differences in personality. Yamada starts coming more frequently, using his friendship with Honda as an excuse to see Nishi, which Honda realizes. Yamada decides to ask for Nishi's contact info, saying he wants to get to know Nishi better. This surprises Nishi and Honda, but Nishi agrees, hopeful that she will feel less nervous texting. Suzuki and Tani make plans to study at the library during summer break. When there are no seats, Tani suggests they study at his house since his parents are gone. She gets to see his room and Tani is surprised when it seems she is leaning in for a kiss, but she was just excited to see Tani's cat. As she is leaving, Tani's grandma catches them and Tani decides to reveal that Suzuki is her girlfriend. Tani's grandma is excited, and Suzuki also reveals to her mom that she has a boyfriend. | ||||||
| 6 | "Cultural Festival!" Transliteration: "Bunkasai!" (Japanese: 文化祭！) | Yoshiaki Kyōgoku | Teruko Utsumi | Yoshiaki Kyōgoku | February 15, 2026 | |
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Suzuki asks Yamada how texting with Nishi was over the summer, and he describes how it was still awkward and that they did not make any progress. During the school festival, Tani and Suzuki walk around together. They check out the photography club display, which is managed by Nishi. Despite being awkward at first, Nishi ends up being able to hold a conversation with Suzuki and Tani. She is happy after that interaction, until she suddenly bumps into Yamada in the hall. The story jumps back to Suzuki and Tani, who bump into Rihito, a friend of Suzuki from middle school and her first boyfriend. They were pressured by people around them to start dating, but they realized quickly that dating was not right for them. Despite trying to go back to being friends, they both felt guilty and it became awkward. They say their minds and work things out, but Tani is unsure how to feel and says he needs time to think. Suzuki is worried, deciding to go after Tani and she hugs him from behind. Tani describes a feeling of guilt for being jealous, thinking that Rihito is more her type, but Suzuki tells him that she loves him as he is. They then shyly call each other by their first names. | ||||||
| 7 | "Fluttery Confusion" Transliteration: "Dokimoya" (Japanese: ドキモヤ) | Minoru Yamaoka | Yoshiko Yoshida | Minoru Yamaoka | February 22, 2026 | |
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The story flashes back to the school festival when Yamada and Nishi bumped into each other. Yamada apologizes to Nishi, feeling he has been too pushy, but Nishi explains that she was just afraid to make mistakes. Yamada says she should make mistakes and be honest with him. Back in the present, Taira is in another self-deprecating loop and we see a traumatic flashback of a girl saying she did not like his personality. He puts on loud music to drown out his thoughts, until Suzuki and Tani surprise him. He complains that they only go to the convenience store when he is working, and they say it is more fun when he is there, which makes him happy. Nishi ends up walking home with Yamada, Suzuki, and Tani after their library shift. She gets flustered talking with Yamada, starting to realize her feelings for him. Suzuki asks Tani about Nishi in a suspicious way, confusing Tani. Taira suggests maybe she is jealous, and Tani has conflicted feelings. After school, Tani and Nishi meet up with everyone as they pass the time with bubbles. Tani is about to talk to Suzuki, but she instead runs up to Nishi (who freezes upon seeing Yamada) and hands her a bubble wand, setting her up since Yamada is holding the soap. It is revealed that Suzuki is not jealous, but is actually just trying to get Nishi and Yamada together after realizing that Yamada likes Nishi. Tani is relieved, but also embarrased for overthinking. | ||||||
| 8 | "This Autumn..." Transliteration: "Kotoshi no Aki wa..." (Japanese: 今年の秋は…) | Moe Nakahara | Teruko Utsumi | Takayoshi Nagatomo | March 1, 2026 | |
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Tani and Suzuki go on a uniform date where they get sweet potato desserts and take pictures at a sticker photo booth. Azuma gets a message from an ex-boyfriend, and she feels down because of it, so Watanabe suggests they go bowling. At bowling, Taira notices a group he knew in middle school gets stressed, but Azuma tells him they will not disturb them. Later Taira asks Azuma about their old friend group, and she says it is awkward because she dated one of the guys and was talking to another, and they are now dating other girls in that group. She gets a text from one of the guys and Taira says she should be mad. She says she can never hate someone she liked before, but Taira points out that people mistreat her because she accepts being treated that way. The following morning, Azuma approaches to thank Taira for opening her eyes to disrespectful attempts of communication, but Taira puzzles her by apologizing, feeling he arrogantly spoke out of line on how she should feel about others. Suzuki's brother and father are away, so Tani comes and meets Suzuki's mom, who is nervous and talkative like Suzuki. They are nervous and struggle to make conversation in Suzuki's room, but eventually hold hands and hug. Suzuki's dad comes home unexpectedly and is surprised that Suzuki has a boyfriend, asking Tani many questions. | ||||||
| 9 | "Surprise!" Transliteration: "Sapuraizu!" (Japanese: サプライズ！) | Shingo Kaneko | Yoshiko Yoshida | Risako Yoshida | March 8, 2026 | |
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Tani's first birthday since they started dating is approaching, and Suzuki wants to surprise him, asking Taira and Yamada for advice. Tani can sense that Suzuki intends to surprise him, but worries that his response will underwhelm her. Taira remembers his birthday, where only Azuma remembered, giving him a sticker that he keeps on his wallet. Suzuki calls Tani at midnight the day of his birthday, wishing him happy birthday, thinking he fell asleep, she says "I love you", and Tani sleepily says the same thing back. His friends all give him gifts, and later Suzuki and him buy cakes from the convenience store, also giving Taira a belated birthday gift. Suzuki asks Tani to decide their next date, and he chooses the Natural History Museum, which starts out rough as the special exhibit hall was crowded. The rest of the museum was better, but again they have trouble finding a place to eat, eventually settling for a food truck. Tani feels like nothing went to plan today, but Suzuki says that she does not really care what they do, as long as it is together. As they are saying goodbye, Suzuki pulls him in and closes her eyes, with Tani giving her a hug and saying goodnight , but as he pulls away, Suzuki pulls him back in and gives him a kiss before embarrasingly saying goodnight and running home. | ||||||
| 10 | "Class Trip (Part 1)" Transliteration: "Shūgakuryokō! (Zenpen)" (Japanese: 修学旅行！(前編)) | Yayoi Takano | Yoshiko Yoshida | Kyōhei Ishiguro | March 15, 2026 | |
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Tani and Suzuki are awkward around each other the next day, discussing plans for the school trip. Yamada helps Nishi and Honda with some prep work, and Yamada asks Nishi to tell him when she will be free so they can be together during the trip. The next day, they are supposed to split into groups of three, and Azuma worries she will be the odd one out, but Suzuki asks for an exception so they can all be together. The school trip begins, and Suzuki meets Nishi at their sweets class. After learning what they will be doing tomorrow Suzuki realizes Yamada was influencing their groups plan so he could see Nishi. At their ryokan, the groups take turns using the onsen, and Suzuki talks with Azuma how she wants to do more romance things with Tani. They get out of the onsen and Suzuki finds Tani, surprising him. Tani describes how he was fine being solitary before, but is also happy now getting to experience many new things. Suzuki calls him by his given name and says she loves him, but gets too embarrassed and runs away before he can respond. | ||||||
| 11 | "Class Trip (Part 2)" Transliteration: "Shūgakuryokō! (Kōhen)" (Japanese: 修学旅行！(後編)) | Yoshiaki Kyōgoku | Yoshiko Yoshida | Yoshiaki Kyōgoku | March 22, 2026 | |
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Nishi and Yamada end up at the same spot at the same time, but she is initially hesitant because he is with his friends. After some encouragement from Honda, she goes and talks with him, getting to take pictures with him and Suzuki. Later that night, Yamada asks to meet with her at the hotel, but Nishi is worried about other people seeing them together, so Yamada takes them to a quiet place. Before they head back to their rooms, Yamada asks Nishi for a date after the class trip, which she agrees to, realizing her true feelings for Yamada. Despite his bad experiences in the past, Taira realizes he is enjoying himself, but his self-doubt still holds him back. Tani is car sick from the bus ride, and he asks Suzuki stays outside with him before dinner, causing Suzuki to blush. On the last day they are free to explore, so Tani and Suzuki have a date at an amusement park. They want to buy souvenirs, but Tani is self-conscious and holds back. When they meet with the rest of the group, they all have panda hats, including Taira, and Tani regrets not letting loose, with Suzuki saying they should come back someday. | ||||||
Reception
In 2022, You and I Are Polar Opposites was nominated in the Next Manga Awards in the Web Manga category,[41] and ranked second out of 50 nominees.[42] It ranked 34th on the 2022 "Book of the Year" list by Da Vinci magazine.[43] The series ranked ninth in the 2023 edition of Takarajimasha's Kono Manga ga Sugoi! list of best manga for male readers, tying with Midori no Uta: Shūshū Gunfū.[44] The series ranked third in the 16th Manga Taishō, tying with Onna no Sono no Hoshi;[45] it ranked seventh in the 17th edition in 2024.[46] The series ranked twelfth in the National Bookstore Employees Recommended Comics of 2023 list;[47] it was also ranked second in the 2024 list.[48] The series ranked sixth in the 2023 Tsutaya Comic Award.[49] The series, alongside The Strange House, won the Men's Comic Prize at NTT Solmare's "Minna ga Erabu!! Denshi Comic Taishō 2024" competition in 2024.[50]
The manga has been well received by critics. Louis Kemner of Comic Book Resources positively compared the series to My Dress-Up Darling, noting the similarities in the lead characters' chemistry and the story's use of the "opposites attract" romantic paradigm.[51]
See also
- The Ramparts of Ice, another manga series by the same author
Notes
- Production staff information is taken from the ending credits of each episode.