Web comics are something I haven’t read much of in recent years, but I have been really excited to see stories on WebToons getting printed in manga or graphic novel format (and in color no less!). My first introduction to this new book trend was Catch Me! Fight Me! Love Me! While I am not fully sure if this work by Sharean Morishita was a WebToon originally, it is how I came across her work in the first place! Catch Me! Fight Me! Love Me! is such a fun story centering around Oriana and Jae-hwa. In the beginning, the reader finds out that these two characters plan to act like a fake couple for a new video series. However, they are told that the number one rule during the filming of this video series is that they cannot fall in love at any point during the production of it. While they both proclaim that neither are interested in relationships or that they don’t care, they nonetheless both pique each other’s curiosity and one even thinks how they want to “test that.” The more they interact and learn about the other, the more they start to enjoy the other’s company. Maybe that curiosity will actually lead to something more in their “fake relationship”?

ADVENTURE: Part of the adventure of this story is knowing that our two main characters have to pretend to be a married couple while being filmed. This is a trope that I have super enjoyed in the past and found I especially enjoyed it in this story because both characters grew in their own ways separately, but also as a “couple.” Add in how they both want to “test” the other at different things to see if they really don’t care and/or aren’t interested in relationships, there is an excellent use of “pushing buttons” that made me have to smother my laughter as to not wake up my family when I read this at night.

ACTION: This is a fairly light story. For at least 75% of the book, I found myself laughing when reading every chapter. There isn’t much physical action, but seeing both Oriana and Jae-hwa occasionally in adorable illustrations as a detective and a bear really did “liven up” things a little bit in their everyday lives. It’s where you see the characters’ actions in a different light and it brings an element of humor I absolutely loved. I think all readers should prepare to laugh or smile with these two shenanigans!

ROMANCE: Something I didn’t realize when starting this story is that it’s not a “one-shot” or standalone as I originally thought it was. This does mean the romance aspect was not “wrapped up” the way I was expecting, but it did not affect my deep enjoyment of this story any less. I think while this is a romantic story, it is much subtler in the overall scheme of things. We don’t see either “confessing” their feelings, but since they pretend to act like a married couple, there are a few times where we see them be almost like an actual couple. These moments are usually laced with humor, but there are also some very heartwarming and sincere moments where it leads me to believe that there is something much deeper than just pretending between these two.

FINAL THOUGHTS: I originally picked up this book because I wanted a story that would make me laugh as well as wouldn’t be a long-time commitment of reading a series. I would say Catch Me! Fight Me! Love Me! really delivered and more! It’s not often that I have seen in manga or WebToons (that I am familiar with) where there is an interracial relationship and it is something I definitely really want more of! The chapters are short, the characters witty, and the storyline interesting. It is a romantic comedy I would definitely recommend!

(Note to the Reader: This is a very clean story, but there is one line of sexual innuendo. It is the only line throughout the whole book.)