Details
Title:
Cupid is Struck by Lightning
Pierwsza miłość Kupidyna
キューピッドに落雷
Author: Minta Suzumaru
Artist: Minta Suzumaru
Volumes: 2
Publishers:
Dango (Polish, 2023)
Seven Seas (English, 2025)
Tokyo Mangasha (Japanese, 2017)
Teenage Love Story Strikes Twice
4.0 out of 5.0 stars
As I decided to try to tackle my backlog in the order of ‘select one BL from my shelf -> read all manga by this author that I physically own’, there is a worry in me that I will quickly burn out reading similar work one after the other. On the other hand, it would be fascinating to see how authors improve through their career, so my goal is to read all works I own by a chosen author. So let’s continue with Minta Suzumaru! While “Darlin’, give me a break!” didn’t really steal my heart, it was cute enough for me to look forward to more works from the author.
“Cupid is Struck by Lightning” is a two-volume BL manga in a high-school setup. Nagata Shingo is called the school’s cupid as he gives good advice to girls on what their love interest may like or enjoy. One day, he is asked to investigate what happened to an aloof and distanced student, Ao, who has a huge scar on his forehead.
The premise is very simple, yet you almost get immediately sucked in. It is because all of us are nosy by nature: what did happen to Ao? Was it a nasty car crash? Did he get into a fight? What kind of drama was it? This particular flavour of school gossip is familiar to us all, and there is something in us that draws us in to such small mysteries, even though it may be disrespectful or sometimes even rude. Nagata is a himbo in the making, which makes his attempts to befriend and find the reason behind the scar kind of disarming. It was cute to see their relationship change and open up.
As is often the case in similar situations, the scar isn’t due to a horrible or super dramatic past event, but rather something very simple: a tile falling from a roof during a storm. For a small kid, it still must have been traumatic, and constant invasive questions in your adolescence must have been very annoying. It is an interesting contention to have as a focal point for the story, and the two volumes allow for a good flow. The trauma and attempts to overcome your fears are explored, and even though not very deep, I think the topic was handled pretty well overall.
At some point, a third party is introduced. Takeo is a fellow student who gets entangled with the main duo. While most of his interactions are based on bickering and trying to figure their relationship out, there is a tiny little hint that he may be feeling something for Ao. Takeo quickly realises he has no chance and decides to not pursue anything. I really liked his character, I can relate to him with his perplexed “what the fuck is going on with those two?”. For his troubles, he gets an entire sequel where he is the centre of affection this time. It is yet to be published in English or Polish, and I hope it does at some point!
For the physical release in Polish, Dango never disappoints. The pocket-book size with crisp white paper and very solid lettering is all I could ask for from a physical manga. The English version is being released this year in October by Seven Seas. All the BL manga I got from Seven Seas is in a bigger format, sometimes with a better paper quality too, so I wonder if Cupid will get a similar treatment.
If you’re looking for a charming high-school romance with an aloof, mysterious boy and his sun puppy, Cupid should be right up your alley. It’s one of my favourites from Minta Suzumaru, and I hope even more of her works get translated!
