Kakkoyoku Naritai

Kakkoyoku Naritai is a foundational manga title written and illustrated by the influential shōjo artist Wataru Yoshizumi. Released during the early 1990s as the artist was gaining significant momentum in the genre, the story serves as a hallmark of the era's romantic sensibilities, blending earnest emotional conflicts with the polished, expressive character designs that became Yoshizumi's signature style.

The work was produced at the height of the shōjo magazine boom, specifically appearing in the pages of Ribon. It is characterized by the thematic focus on personal growth and the navigation of adolescent relationships that defined Yoshizumi’s career. While perhaps less widely known globally than her later blockbuster, Marmalade Boy, Kakkoyoku Naritai is frequently cited by enthusiasts of the period for its nuanced dialogue and its role in establishing the aesthetic templates that would dominate shōjo storytelling for the remainder of the decade.