Cheeky Brat = Namaikizakari [Full Manga Review]

Author: Mitsubachi Miyuki

Genres: Romance. Shōjo. Life. Sports.

Name of the Series: NamaikiZakari. Cheeky Brat. (Japanese: なまいきざかり。, lit. “Full Bloom Cheekiness”)

Number of Volumes: 23

Date Published: November 2013 – December 2021

So, not ready to let go! But I finished reading the whole manga. 🥲🥹😍💘

Too many emotions.

Hello, dearies! Welcome to this full review of Namaikizakari.

It was the best ending for this romance/sports manga. Yuki and Shō are really my favourite.

I can’t remember when I first started reading it but I do remember that after that first chapter I had to continue.

I had stopped reading it for like a year because not all volumes were translated but recently I picked up again since I knew there were a few volumes left for me and it took me a couple of week but I finished the manga.

And as those chapters were slowly building up to the ending I felt a sense of achievement, sadness, and nostalgia because Namaikizakari was ending. I almost cried, not because of anything in particular but because of how well it wrapped up. It was neat.

Some spoilers from here on if you have not read the manga.

About the Manga

I loved that Fuka stood by Suwa-san and he realised how she complemented him. And also that Usami-kun was finally in the scene at the same time as Fuka so that they would know they were family (The Basketball crew).

The “sad” part could be Shizuka. Poor guy didn’t stat to move on until he really realised that Yuki was head over heels for Naruse. Like she to cry and reject him for him to get it. He was not my favourite character but I still felt a bit bad for him.

But in the end, Shizuka was Naruse’s childhood friend, more than rival and the guy in-love with Yuki.

After all of that, it all slowly fell into place:

Yuki graduating. Accepting her ultimate feelings.

Naruse being more mature that her in some aspects while remaining a Cheeky Brat that always does as he wants.

Naruse becoming a professional basketball player while Yuki works diligently. It all fit into place.

You can read Volume 1 on Kindle without issue, or so I hear, I personally have the paperback. Either way, grab your copy of Cheeky Brat Vol. 1 below:

No spoilers from here on…

The sports part was never something that got in the way of reading the manga for me. It’s more of their journey than anything else, even college it was not the main thing, although, there were a lot more players there they were not all in the scene all the time.

Here are some of the characters in the Manga, if I can remember them all.

Namaikizakari Characters

• Naruse Shou
• Machida Yuki
• Usami Fuka (Yuki’s neighbor and university friend)
• Hakamada Shizuka (Naruse’s childhood friend and rival)
• Suwa Takumi (Yuki’s co-worker at her part time job. Basketball Player. And known ladies man)
• Naruse Hitomi (Naruse’s older sister) who married an exotic Spanish man
• Himeno Himiko
• Noda
• Usami

There is also Yuki’s big family, the triplets, all boys a year younger than her (Koushirou, Shintarou, and Kenjirou). And the twin girls (Rin and Sae), two years younger than Yuki. Her mother and father. Her dad we rarely see because he works abroad.

It really is my favourite in this genre. 5 stars without a doubt. ⭐

100% recommended. I cannot get tired of it and once I have all 23 volumes in my bookshelf then my collection will be fully complete and beautiful. I only have up to vol. 5. For now.

So, that’s all for this one. It was a bit short, but full of my deepest gratefulness for this manga and author because it kept me going for years and if I would have started when it came out in 2013 I would have followed to the end without a second thought.

It’s been a while since I give such a heartfelt review, it’s nice. 😍

But have you read this manga? If you have not, go ahead! You won’t regret it if you love romances, oh, and from the middle of it onwards, it’s 18+ so keep it in mind.

That’s all from me, thank you for reading with me, dearies. And for keeping up with my rambling. 💓

Don’t forget to share, like, and follow the blog for more recommendations. 📖

Side note: If you are wondering, didn’t Sela already did a review for this manga? I did, but I was about 50% done with it. That unfinished review is here. 🌸

Update Nov 2024

The podcast version of the review is now available:

2026 Note

Is Cheeky Brat (Namaikizakari) Getting an Anime?

As of 2026, we are still waiting for an anime… but no word, yet. So, I did some digging online, Japanese and English news alike, to see if there was an anime for Namaikizakari (Cheeky Brat) in the works, but no luck. No official announcement has been made for this awesome shojo manga, while popular in our circulars, and I think one of the best out there, it has not been picked for an anime.

We will wait eagerly for it, and I will update you, dearies, no worries. Meanwhile, enjoy the manga is still good.