Can you learn to love by treating a relationship like a research project?
In short: When Miwa Inuzuka enters university, she agrees to date her polar opposite, Saeko Sawatari, not out of romance, but to discover what a relationship actually entails. This premise drives the manga How Do We Relationship?, a nuanced exploration of queer identity, social expectations, and the messy reality of human connection.
Created by Tamifull, the series began as a doujinshi before its serialization on Shogakukan's MangaONE and Ura Sunday platforms from August 2018 to March 2025. The story centers on Miwa, a shy, bass-playing college student who has never been in a relationship, and Saeko, an electric guitarist with a complicated romantic history. Their dynamic is complicated by their differing motivations: Miwa seeks to understand the mechanics of intimacy, while Saeko navigates the lingering shadows of her past experiences with both men and women.
The narrative extends beyond the central pair to include the broader social ecosystem of their music club. This includes a drummer who struggles with unrequited feelings for Miwa and a vocalist who acts as an early confidant. The series is notable for its commitment to authenticity, employing an intimacy coordinator and an LGBTQ supervisor for its upcoming eight-episode television drama adaptation, which is scheduled to premiere in September 2026.
Since its debut, the manga has gained significant recognition, including a 13th-place finish in the digital category at the fifth Next Manga Awards in 2019. Viz Media began publishing the series in North America in 2020, eventually moving to simultaneous digital releases. By focusing on the awkward, often unglamorous process of learning to be with someone, the work challenges the standard tropes of romantic storytelling, offering a grounded look at how two people negotiate their needs, insecurities, and the desire to be 'normal' in a world that rarely makes that easy.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: How Do We Relationship?
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