Quick Answer
Yes, if you want a rom-com built on a clever, specific mechanic instead of generic will-they-won't-they pining, especially now that a 2026 anime has brought fresh attention to it.
Quick Verdict
“Turning 'I love you' into a game with a real loss condition gives this rom-com's tension a sharper shape than most childhood-friends romances.”
Best for: Readers who want a rom-com built around a clever, specific relationship mechanic rather than generic slow-burn pining.
Not for: Readers who want to binge a large backlog quickly rather than a story whose central hook was paced for weekly or monthly release.
| Quick facts | |
|---|---|
| Format | Manga, 9 volumes |
| Run | 2021–present · ongoing |
| Community score | AniList 7.9 · MangaUpdates 7.4 |
| Where to read | VIZ Media — official |
I Want to End This Love Game (Aishiteru Game wo Owarasetai) is an ongoing Japanese manga by Yuki Domoto, published in English by VIZ Media, with a TV anime adaptation by Felix Film that aired from April to June 2026. Childhood friends Yukiya Asagi and Miku Sakura started a game in sixth grade: say 'I love you' to each other, and whoever gets flustered first loses. Four years later, in high school, they're still playing, both secretly meaning it, both too afraid to admit defeat and end the game for real.
The game structure is what elevates this above a standard childhood-friends romance. Instead of vague long-running tension, every chapter has a built-in, repeatable stake: someone is going to flinch first, and the manga gets real comedic and romantic mileage out of finding new ways to almost make that happen.
Because the reader knows from early on that both Yukiya and Miku already mean what they're saying, the series gets to run on dramatic irony without needing either character to be oblivious. That's a small but meaningful difference from the usual one-sided-crush setup, and it keeps both leads feeling active in the relationship rather than one chasing and one being chased.
The manga also doesn't stall the pairing indefinitely. Miku's real confession lands partway through the run, and the story continues past it rather than treating the confession as an ending, which lets it explore a working relationship instead of just an extended approach to one.
The core 'I love you, no you flinched first' exchange that powers the earliest chapters can feel repetitive if read in a short binge rather than spread out the way it was originally serialized.
At over 70 chapters and still ongoing, some stretches lean on fairly standard rom-com filler between the bigger relationship developments, which is a common growing pain for any long-running series built around one central hook.
I Want to End This Love Game takes a simple, clever premise -- a confession disguised as a game -- and gets a genuinely fun, ongoing romance out of it. With a 2026 anime bringing new attention to the series, it's a good time to catch up on a rom-com that earns its hook instead of just repeating it.
Strengths
Weaknesses
shares a game-like structure applied to a will-they-won't-he romance
similar high school rom-com rhythm, especially after the central couple gets together
Nagatoro
another childhood-adjacent, teasing-based relationship dynamic between two leads
| Platform | Format | Pricing | Region notes | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| VIZ Media | Digital chapters and print/digital volumes | Free + Paid | Region availability varies | Open |
Yes, Miku confesses for real partway through the series and they become a couple, though the story continues past that point.
Yes, a TV anime by Felix Film aired from April to June 2026.
VIZ Media publishes it in English, both as free simulpub chapters and print/digital volumes.
