Week 1 俺物語! ・ My Love Story! 🍰 (Absolute Beginner Book Club)

[mgevaert]

Welcome to Week 1 of 俺物語!! ・ My Love Story!!

Learn more about the Absolute Beginner Book Club here
Visit the home page for My Love Story!! here

Remember to set this thread and the My Love Story!! home page to watching to receive notifications!

Week 1	September 6 2025
Start page	3
End page	9
End phrase	帰ろ
Next week	Week 2
Home Thread	俺物語!!

Page numbers may differ between digital and physical copies.

Last panel

Vocabulary

Vocabulary list (Google sheets)

Please read the guidelines on the first page before adding any words.

Discussion Guidelines

Everybody should feel free to post and ask questions–it’s what makes book clubs fun! But please do not post until you are familiar with Spoiler Courtesy!

Spoiler Courtesy

Please follow these rules to avoid inadvertent ネタバレ. If you’re unsure whether something should have a spoiler tag, err on the side of using one.

1. Any potential spoiler for the current week’s reading need only be covered by a spoiler tag. Predictions and conjecture made by somebody who has not read ahead still falls into this category.

2. Any potential spoilers for external sources need to be covered by a spoiler tag and include a label (outside of the spoiler tag) of what might be spoiled. These include but are not limited to: other book club picks, other books, games, movies, anime, etc. I recommend also tagging the severity of the spoiler (for example, I may still look at minor spoilers for something that I don’t intend to read soon).

3. Any information from later in the book than the current week’s reading (including trigger warnings that haven’t yet manifested) needs to be hidden by spoiler tags and labeled as coming from later sections.

Instructions for Spoiler Tags

Click the cog above the text box and use either the “Hide Details” or “Blur Spoiler” options. The text which says “This text will be hidden” should be replaced with what you are wishing to write. In the case of “Hide Details”, the section in the brackets that is labelled “Summary” can be replaced with whatever you like also (i.e, [details=”Chapter 1, Pg. 1”]).

Hide Details results in the dropdown box like below:

Example

The “Blur Spoiler” option will simply blur the text it surrounds.

This is an example of the “Blur Spoiler” option.

Posting Advice

• When asking for help, please mention the page number, and check before posting that your question hasn’t already been asked. As the threads get longer, it becomes more convenient to use the Search function, which is located in the upper right corner of the forum. It is the magnifying glass which is near your profile picture! The best way to search is usually to type part of the sentence you are confused about, and select “in this topic”. This will show you all posts within the current thread which has that string of text.

• Be sure to join the conversation! It’s fun, and it’s what keeps these book clubs lively! There’s no such thing as a stupid question! We are all learning here, and if the question has crossed your mind, there’s a very good chance it has crossed somebody else’s also! Asking and answering questions is a great learning opportunity for everyone involved, so never hesitate to do so!

Proper Nouns

Name	Reading	Image	Notes
剛田 猛男	ごうだ たけお		Main character
大和 凛子	やまと りんこ		Main character’s love interest
砂川 誠	すなかわ まこと		Main character’s best friend

Discussion Questions

What surprised you about the reading this week?

Participation

Will you be reading along with us this week?

• I’m reading along
• I have finished this part
• I’m still reading the book but I haven’t reached this part yet
• I’m reading this book after the club has finished
• I’m no longer reading the book

[ChristopherFritz]

When reading native material, there’s more than just grammar and vocabulary to know.

Consider the first full page of text we encounter in 「俺物語!!」.

Here we see our lead character, Takeo.

The first thing to notice is the dialogue balloon.

Comics often add a tail to the balloon, pointing to the speaker. You’ll soon find that 「俺物語!!」 commonly omits the tail when the speaker’s mouth is open, and no one else has their mouth open.

In this case, as Takeo’s mouth is not open, it’s suggested that someone else is speaking.

The dialogue reads as:

• Japanese: 「猛男(たけお)！」
• English: “Takeo!”

The exclamation point gives the sense that someone out of view is calling out to Takeo.

Before we move on to the next panel, take note of the background. There is a sign with the text:

• Japanese: 「卒業式そつぎょうしき」
• English: “Graduation Ceremony”

It’s common in manga for some characters to cry at a graduation ceremony (especially if some of their friends will be going to a different school, but some characters just get emotional during the ceremony), thus a character crying in the background.

One more thing to note before leaving this panel. Although we don’t know it yet, Takeo is the main character’s given name, not his family name. A couple of observations of the dialogue:

1. Japanese manga and anime have taught me that classmates often refer to one another by their family name. Takeo is being referred to by his given name.
2. There is no honorific, such as さん or くん, appended to his name.

The speaker is likely a friend rather than simply a classmate.

Three boys come up to Takeo. Context suggests the speaker from the first panel is one of the trio.

The first big dialogue balloon doesn’t indicate the speaker, but due to proximity, we can assume it to be the boy with the buzz cut hairstyle. The font for his dialogue may be a bit difficult to read, but it has a purpose: it conveys the sadness in his voice as he fails to hold back his tears.

• Japanese: 「高校(こうこう)別々(べつべつ)なんて寂(さび)しいぜー」
• English: “Going to different high schools is so lonely, man.”

There’s a separate dialogue balloon fitting itself into the middle of the first. Although it’s not specified who the speaker is, it soon will become clear that Takeo is often a man of few words.

• Japanese: 「そうか」
• English: “I see.”

The boy continues:

• Japanese: 「おまえと同(おな)じ高校(こうこう)行(い)きたかったぜー」
• English: “I wanted to go to the same high school as you!”

Vocabulary and Grammar: Wanted to Go

I’m mostly avoiding writing about grammar or vocabulary in this post, but 行(い)きたかった is a fun one. It involves the verb 行(い)く, meaning “to go”.

To express a desire to do an action, you add たい to the end of the verb. This gives us 行(い)きたい.

When a verb ends in たい, it acts as an adjective. To make an adjective become past tense, the い is replaced with かった, giving us 行(い)きたかった.

Takeo’s reply makes it clear this time that he is the speaker due to the dialogue balloon’s tail:

• Japanese: 「そうか」
• English: “I see.”

Another of the trio speaks. It doesn’t really matter which boy is saying which line, but I’m placing this one as the dark-haired boy in the back.

• Japanese: 「でんわとかしろよおまえー 会(あ)いにいくし」
• English: “Give me a call or something, man. I’ll come see you!”

Takeo’s replies remain brief:

• Japanese: 「おう」
• English: “Yeah.”

Notice that both boys have referred to Takeo as おまえ, another sign of their closeness. In other contexts, referring to someone as おまえ is considered rude.

The panel ends with another shout without an identified speaker:

• Japanese: 「猛男(たけお)先輩(せんぱい)！」
• English: “Takeo-senpai!”

Japanese has a concept of “upperclassmen” and “underclassmen” or of “senior” and “junior” that doesn’t translate cleanly to English.

The term せんぱい refers to someone who has been at school longer (in a higher grade) or worked at a company longer. The person at a lower school grade or employed at the company for less time is the こうはい. These terms are relative to two individuals, so someone in the second year of school is せんぱい relative to the first year students, but is こうはい relative to the third year students.

The first two panels suggest that these three boys are in the same grade as Takeo, so they would not refer to Takeo as “senpai”. The off-panel speaker this time is likely an underclassman, one or two grades below Takeo.

Although Takeo’s classes would include only classmates in the same grade as him, an after-school club would have him interact with first- and/or second-year students in the club.

Another possibility is a younger student who saw Takeo in a club competition and became a fan. This one is less likely, as calling him by his given name would be overly casual. On the other hand, it wouldn’t be unusual for a club member to be on a given-name basis.

This is another scene where you can’t tell who’s talking, but considering it’s a group of random こうはい, it doesn’t matter who’s specifically saying which line.

• Japanese: 「たまには部活(ぶかつ)に顔(かお)出(だ)して下さい」
• English: “Please drop by club practice once in a while.”
• Japanese: 「これ部員(ぶいん)からです」
• English: “This is from the club members.”

The dialogue confirms these are underclassmen from the same club as Takeo was in (or one he occasionally helped out in).

I’ve translated 部活(ぶかつ) as “club practice”, but it’s closer to “club activities” as it can refer to the activities of any club.

The next dialogue balloon doesn’t give any visual indication of who the speaker is, but looking at the second word makes it clear this is Takeo, the recipient of the gift:

• Japanese: 「おう ありがとう」
• English: “Yeah. Thanks.”
• Japanese: 「今年(ことし)は全国(ぜんこく)行(い)けよ！」
• English: “Make it to nationals this year!”

The final panel of the page is a mix of Takeo’s friends calling out to him as he heads off (another indication that the ceremony is over).

• Japanese: 「猛男(たけお)どこ行(い)くんだーーー」
• English: “Takeo, where are you going—?!”

Takeo:

• Japanese: 「ちょっとな！」
• English: “Just somewhere!”

[Chimmsen]

Thoughts on the first weeks reading

I’m wondering what kind of club the MC was in. Since they talk about a nation wide competition and since the MC is named “big man full of energy” it’s probably something sport-related

Also that was some rude rejection, wasn’t it?
“あんたのこと ぜんぜん 好きじゃない”.
Bet he gets way to much love confessions and knows to crush them early, so they don’t try again.

[additionalramen]

week 1

I love the anime adaptation of this manga and have read some of it in English! I’m so excited to experience the story fully in Japanese this time around.

It’s so sweet that the manga starts off by highlighting the friendship between Takeo and Suna. They really are the beating heart of this story.

One thing I didn’t get: when Takeo is running off to confess to Satou, he says, 「卒業したい！」 Does he just mean, like, he wants the ceremony and all the goodbyes and stuff to be over and done with so he can talk to Satou?

[Chimmsen]

Summary

@additionalramen

Does he just mean, like, he wants the ceremony and all the goodbyes and stuff to be over and done with so he can talk to Satou?

I thought it was about that he wanted to graduate in order to confess. But I’m not sure about the grammar actually working like that. That’s how I interpreted the から before “I want to graduate” part.

[ChristopherFritz]

@additionalramen

One thing I didn’t get:

This one reads a bit awkwardly in English, but he's saying...

…that he wants to confess to her before he graduates.

We don’t know if they’ll be going ot the same high school, but since his feelings are expressed in the past tense (すきだった), it’s likely they’re going to different high schools and he knows it. Thus he’s accepted that they won’t be able to be a couple, but he still wants to express his feelings to her.

「伝えてから卒業」 uses the て＋から grammar which gives a sequence of events, saying once he confesses then he’ll graduate, which in English would be a roundable way of saying one wants to confess before he graduates.

Edit: Adding to this, the て form of a verb is used to give a sequence of actions (verbs). Including から emphasizes that the first action must occur before the second.

[Kelsyy]

Going to give my attempt at working through some of the sentences! Never seen nor read this before.

Page 3

こんな like this

オレ達が us

なぜ why

友達 friends

なのか the way it is question

Why are we friends like this?

Page 7

高校 highschool

別々 seperate? different

なんて things like

寂しいぜー lonely

We will be lonley going to another highschool without you. ?

Sentence

おまえ you

と to

同じ same

高校 highschool

行きたかったぜ have gone

You should have chosen to go to the same highschool as us.

でんわ phone call

と to

かしろよ to give

おまえー you

会い to meet

に direction

いくし to go

I’ll call you guys to meet up. ?

たまには部活に顔出して下さい

Once in awhile show your face at club activities please! (I assume they are his club mates from middle school)

これ部員からです

You are member afterall.

おうありがとう.今年は全国行けよ！

Oh, thank you. This year get to nationals! (Sports club?)

Page 8

ずっと always

委員会 comittee

で at

一緒だった together

Always together at the committee…

笑顔 smile

の possession

やさしい kind

佐藤さん Kitou-san

に direction

Kitou-sans kind smile…

好きだった always liked

こと verb to noun

を direct object

伝えて to tell

から because

卒業 graduation

したい! to want to do

I’ve always liked you and want to tell you now because we are graduating!

前から砂川くんのことが好きだったの

Since far back, I’ve liked you Sunakawa-kun.

Page 9

Fumble of the century fr.

[ChristopherFritz]

Page 7

@Kelsyy

行きたかったぜ have gone

You should have chosen to go to the same highschool as us.

行きたかった breaks down into:

• 行く = to go
• 行きたい = want to go
• 行きたかった = wanted to go

Rather than referring to a choice of high school that was made, he’s saying he wanted to go to the same high school as Takeo.

I don’t know what all goes into high school selection for students in Japan. I’m uncertain if students have autonomy in selecting a high school, but if they do, they would still be limited to scholastic achievements and likely by physical distance (unless they have easy access to long-range public transportation). This is just speculation on my part!

@Kelsyy

これ部員からです

You are member afterall.

Here, the sequence of words is:

• これ = “this” (referring to the coat with messages written on it)
• 部員 = “club member(s)”
• から = “from”
• です = (replaces だ in polite speech)

As this is simple sentence (single clause, etc.), the words can be assembled simply as: “This (is) from (the) club members”. Likely everything written on the coat are messages to Takeo from his (now former) fellow club members.

Page 9

@Kelsyy

Fumble of the century fr.

---

Writing on the Coat

The coat can be difficult to read in the Japanese digital release…

…so here’s from the English release:

[WeepingWeeb]

I wrote reaction notes for this while reading it a while ago so I could send to the club when it happened but I didn’t note page numbers so now I’ll have to take a guess at when to post them based on my insightful bullet points like “omg no way”

[ChristopherFritz]

Makes for a good excuse to re-read the material =D

[kelitt]

@additionalramen

One thing I didn’t get

I was confused about this one too! I could tell it was A then B but couldn’t tell which one was first

Page 3

@Kelsyy

Why are we friends like this?

This is a nitpick, but this translation sounds to me like the friendship itself is weird.

I understood the “like this” to be referring to the two of them, rather than to the friend part, so more like “why are people like us friends?”, meaning they are very different people so it’s strange that they’re even friends in the first place.

Grammar question:

Page 9

帰んの

I guess this means “are you going home?” because of the reply, but I don’t understand why - ichi.moe didn’t break it down very well

Did anybody try reading the author’s note? I didn’t even get past the first sentence, it took me so long to decipher the kanji for お邪魔します and then I gave up because how tf is doing a squiggle for the middle part of the kanji readable (I guess it’s a common enough phrase that people will read it, but I definitely can’t)

[Chimmsen]

page 9

@kelitt

帰んの

I guess this means “are you going home?” because of the reply, but I don’t understand why - ichi.moe didn’t break it down very well

の can be a casual question marking particle when it’s at the end of a sentence. Not sure about the ん, though. But I guess it’s just a casual contraction overall of a longer and more formal question. I don’t think it’s used as an explanation marker in this case.

[Chimmsen]

p3

@Kelsyy

Why are we friends like this?

I think it makes more sense to also look at the next sentence.
“けっこう謎だ”. It’s quite the riddle.

The word order in japanese sentences is oftentimes the opposite of what you would use in english. And for manga with its short snippet sentences, sometimes the sentence order might feel unnatural to us.

Taking both sentences together, you get:
It’s quite the riddle why people like us are friends.

[mgevaert]

I think that’s right - の can be used as the casual form of んですか, so my guess is the ん is still there to indicate that it’s “seeking explanation” んだ: Japanese Explanatory Form (んです/のだ/のです)

[mgevaert]

It’s not useful in every case but I sometimes use the app Shirabe Jisho to identify kanji - it lets you draw on the phone touchscreen and presents a bunch of options for what kanji it could be.

[Avengerzanna]

Thanks for all the great posts so far. They’ve been really helpful. Two questions about the sentence でんわとかしろよおまえー 会いにいくし on page 7. I saw the English translation in the first post, but I am still struggling with:

1. The とか in the first part. I understand でんわ and am assuming しろよ is do!, but what does とか do here?
2. The し at the end of this phrase: 会いにいくし on page 7. Is it another particle? (I just learned about ぜ in the last panel)

This is my first time attempting a book club/reading native material… quite an endeavor!

[ChristopherFritz]

とか

@Avengerzanna

but what does とか do here?

If the friend said:

「でんわしろよ」

It would be telling Takeo to call him sometime.

“Give me a call!”

Adding 「とか」 makes it so でんわ is just one of multiple options.

“Give me a call or something!”

The underlying request is for Takeo to keep in touch. It doesn’t have to be by phone. He can send an e-mail. He can stop by his friend’s house. The exact method of contact doesn’t matter, but calling is presented as one option.

し

You are correct on し being a (conjunctive) particle. It’s used to give a reason.

The friend tells Takeo to give him a call (or something). Then gives the reason that he’ll come and see Takeo. This gives a sense like:

“Give me a call sometime, because I’ll come and see you.”

I’m not good at explaining this one, so hopefully someone can provide something more helpful!

[mgevaert]

I was just looking up し because I didn’t know either, but it has to do with parallel structure: 〜し for "Not Only…but Also…"

Edit: Oh it even says “giving a reason” " 〜し FOR INDICATING REASONS/CAUSES"

[ChristopherFritz]

The tricky part of this construct is that it’s typically written as:

「ReasonしStatement。」

In this situation, し is joining two clauses and giving them a specific relationship (where the first clause is the reason for the second).

But in this week’s reading, we see it as:

「Statement。 Reasonし。」

The statement is given first, then the reason.

Using Togufu’s example:

「雨あめが降ふるみたいだし、違ちがう日ひにしない？」

“It looks like it’s going to rain, so why don’t we do it another day?”

If we reverse the order (without changing the meaning), we get:

「違ちがう日ひにしない？ 雨あめが降ふるみたいだし。」

“Why don’t we do it another day? Since it looks like it’s going to rain.”

This week’s reading material reads as “Give me a call or something! Since I’ll come on over.” But if the order was “normal” (swapping the two sentences, with し in the middle), it would go “I’ll come on over, so give me a call or something!”.

[Avengerzanna]

Thank you! This is very helpful.