I Unintentionally Cured The Grand Duke’s Insomnia

awww finally got my Devin fix in today.  ❤❤❤ hope you had a great holiday season.

More chapters please.

Interesting blurb, Your concept of writing is nice too.. I will definitely follow up on this story.

"Suki" to Ienai is packed with shoujo charm that any shoujo enthusiast will adore. As one of the first manga I ever read, I once thought it was the "goddess" of shoujo manga, but after reading countless others, I now see that its storyline is quite typical. However, don't misunderstand me—the characters and plot are undeniably cute, which keeps me rereading it time and again. The narrative is both light and fluffy yet carries emotional depth, making this a shoujo gem you'll revisit for nostalgia's sake.  

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I've just finished this charming little one-shot, and since it took me around 6 minutes to read, I can confidently say it was worth the time. You shouldn't expect a literary masterpiece when diving into "Suki" to Ienai, as the classic tale of unrequited love doesn't always require extensive backstory.

As someone in a somewhat similar situation (though without the brother complex!), I can say it resonated with me a bit, eliciting a nod of recognition: "that's exactly how it feels." The suffering of the younger sister in the story struck a chord, which is why I enjoyed it so much. Anyone who has had a crush on someone seemingly out of their league will appreciate this one-shot.

That said, if scrutinized critically, this manga won't hold up too well. The art aligns with what you'd expect from a typical shojo manga, lacking originality, with many panels relying heavily on screentones. There's minimal attention to detail in either the artwork or the plot; this feels more like a concept or a girl's inner musings while lost in fantasy rather than a fully-fledged story.

Still, I'll be lenient given its brevity (and undeniable cuteness) and award it a 5. While there are certainly better shojo one-shots available, this timid romance between a young girl and her brother isn't the worst choice for a quick read.  

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It might just be me, but I get the impression this one-shot is overly appreciated by its readers. Oh, it's so "kawaii," cute, and sweet, among other things. Time to counterbalance that with a healthy dose of old-school cynicism.

This is a run-of-the-mill tale of forbidden incest that isn't really incest, with an ending so predictable that only a mastermind couldn't see it coming.

The design is identical to countless other one-shot shoujo stories—there are about a million of them out there. You know the type I'm referring to. Let's not mince words here—useless empty space filler.

The whole thing is utterly illogical and dumb. If you enjoy it, chances are you might be too. But let's not linger on that thought.

I'm genuinely astonished that works like this are still being published and that people actually derive pleasure from such trash. Kindly, consider reading something of actual quality and do your poor,可怜 tastes a favor—they need improvement.

There you have it, balance restored.

Shiina has feelings for her brother.  
Well, not exactly. It's not her biological brother. Kiri, the object of Shiina's internal turmoil, is adopted and completely unaware of it. However, due to an accidental discovery, Shiina found out the truth about Kiri's origins a while back, and she's been harboring romantic feelings for him ever since.  

"Isn't that still kind of awkward?" you might ask. Yes, it is. But this is the stuff that shoujo manga fantasies are built on—our protagonist couldn't be any closer to the man of her dreams, who isn't technically off-limits by law. So, does Shiina reveal the truth to Kiri, or does she keep quiet to avoid breaking his heart, even if it means shattering hers in the process?  

This is the central conflict in the one-shot "Suki" to Ienai (I Can't Say "I Like You"). There's not much more to elaborate on without spoiling the entire story. The artwork is pleasant, and the writing embraces all the unrealistic, gooey tropes that define the genre—loved by some, criticized by others. In summary, it's a decent, though not exceptional (and still somewhat unsettling) one-shot for shoujo enthusiasts seeking a brief indulgence.

Storyline: 3/10  

This one-shot feels like it was written by someone who took a giant pair of scissors and chopped up every "sister-loves-brother" story ever told. Sure, he's adopted, but how many times have we heard the line "gasp! I love him!"? Other manga series handle this trope so much better—take *De Capo*, for instance. This is just another iteration of every forbidden romance you've probably seen before, so there's no real reason to read this unless you're a hardcore shoujo fan or trying to pad your manga list. The ending wasn't even surprising—I didn’t expect her to plummet to her death at the end (though honestly, that would’ve been an intriguing twist). And let’s be honest, if the main character had died, I wouldn’t still be talking about this right now. Another baffling aspect was her random outbursts where she yells at her brother and then runs off crying. Is the writer attempting to convey “Oh my, she loves him so much it hurts!”? If so, it’s poorly executed.  

Artwork: 4/10  

Your standard big-eyed girl paired with your typical heartthrob guy. Nothing groundbreaking here—this style has been done countless times before.  

Characters: 4/10  

The characters scream "copy-paste." The most profound thing the protagonist says is "I can't say I love you," which admittedly made me crack a smile the first time I read it. But after the phrase gets repeated ad nauseam throughout the story, as Marlin from *Finding Nemo* might say, “Good feeling's gone.”  

Worth the Read?: Shoujo enthusiasts will likely enjoy this quick oneshot. Otherwise, I’d recommend reading it only to check it off your manga list, see if I’m just being overly critical, or if you’re genuinely into the overused brother/sister storyline.