What an absolute delight this manga is.

I have to admit, I picked this one from the review pile on a whim. I only had the title to go on, and in the lull between seasonal reviews I thought I'd give it a whirl. If I had known the premise beforehand I probably would have been jumping at the chance to cover this title, and now that I've read it, I could not be more thrilled.

There are several factors that make Love After World Domination such a terrific little title, but first and foremost is that it delivers on its core premise. It is a romantic comedy that is both genuinely funny and sweetly romantic. The comedic beats range from the usual fare of miscommunication and exaggeration to slightly more elaborate scenarios, but the primary comedy hinges on the fact that the Gelato Force and Gekkō Organization are both still actively fighting one another. As such, Fudo and Desumi have to keep up the act of “fighting” one another whenever anyone else sees them. Complicating this is the fact that they are seldom able to be alone with each other except during these superpowered battles. This sets up a very satisfying comedy loop: weekly zany battle breaks out, Fudo and Desumi pretend to solo-duel one another and so they can be alone, their lovey-dovey scenes get interrupted by others walking in on them, and they separate until the next battle breaks out.

The romance half of the equation is well done, too. Fudo and Desumi are both high-schoolers who are getting into their very first relationship. As you would expect, they are both clumsy and awkward, trying to learn the basics of something they desperately want—a committed relationship—but have no idea how to actually navigate that. Fudo turning his obsession with fitness training into a themed first date, Desumi's feeling torn between how she is seen and how she sees herself—it's all a great mix of character-specific quirks in relatable molds. Given that there is very little in the way of supporting cast in this first volume, it's critical that the leads are sufficiently engaging, and Love After World Domination knocks it out of the park with these two.

Last but not least, the superhero side of the story is not only unique but also well-executed. Obviously, the primary influences are various tokusatsu superhero television shows. Gelato 5 is a not-so-thinly-veiled reference to Super Sentai with the numbered rangers arranged by color. Gekkō Organization draws heavily from the original Kamen Rider villain group Shocker. But these are more than mere superficial trappings; they have a genuine charm all their own. I particularly like elements such as the Gelato 5 helmets evoking Koji Kabuto's helmet from Mazinger, the very Shōtarō Ishinomori-esque flair of the Gekkō organization suit designs, and an evil bear with shoulder cannons is just a terrific design for a kaijin. The main plot even evokes the romance between Zonnette and Kyosuke in Gekisou Sentai Carranger, which was itself a comedy-heavy season of sentai. But I think that even if the premise does not appeal to you, it will still win you over with its terrific cast.

The art is superb throughout as well. The characters all have a great expressive range, from exaggerated comedy beats to more quiet moments of youthful pathos and pining. I think the more intense moments between Fudo and Desumi have a terrific energy and sense of affection where the detail really shines through. Aside from looking stunning in general, the volume also has wonderful comedic framing—such as Fudo close-up examining his first cup of bubble tea.

Really, I can't think of much to complain about other than I wish there was more to read at the moment. I can't recommend this release highly enough, and it's one I'm eager to have for my own collection too.