Love Me, Love Me Not (2020)

Love Me, Love Me Not is a shoujo romance that understands how messy, funny, and quietly aching first love can be, and it treats those feelings with a gentle confidence that’s easy to fall into. The film’s charm comes from the way it balances four very different romantic temperaments—dreamy, practical, clueless, and opportunistic—letting their chemistry spark both comedy and real emotional tenderness without turning anyone into a cartoon. Its animation is clean and harmonious, with cinematography that lingers on small gestures and a music track that knows when to swell and when to simply let a moment breathe. If you want high-stakes melodrama, it may feel too grounded, but if you’re craving a warm, well-made coming-of-age romance with an honest pulse, it’s an easy yes.

Love Me, Love Me Not is aiming for a gentle, coming-of-age romance where four teens fumble toward understanding love from very different angles, and it does capture that wistful “first feelings” mood. The problem is it leans hard on familiar shoujo beats, so if you’ve seen a few high school romance stories, you’ll likely predict the turns well before the characters catch up. It’s also a slow-burn in the strictest sense—more lingering glances and internal monologues than big plot jolts—so the pacing can feel sleepy if you want momentum. If you’re in the mood for soft, pretty animation and low-stakes emotional growth, it’ll work; if you want sharp surprises or a faster rom-com rhythm, this probably isn’t your night.