Shinta Harekawa's romantic comedy manga Akira Failing in Love (Momose Akira no Hatsukoi Hatan-chū) has reached a major publishing milestone, surpassing 1 million copies in circulation worldwide. The achievement was formally announced in the combined 42nd and 43rd issue of Shogakukan's Weekly Shonen Sunday magazine.
A Rapid Rise in Shonen Sunday
The series debuted in Weekly Shonen Sunday in August 2024 and quickly built a steady following through its comedic take on childhood crushes and mutual dense romance. Shogakukan published the first compiled book volume in December 2024, reaching its eighth volume alongside the circulation milestone. North American publisher Viz Media handles the English release, having issued the fourth volume earlier this month.
blockquote>Akira returns to the countryside for high school with a plan to win the heart of her childhood crush! They're both fools in love… because she's too dense to figure out he likes her back!
Before launching Akira Failing in Love, creator Shinta Harekawa established a presence across multiple demographic spaces. Harekawa introduced the BL series Senpai, This Can't Be Love! (Sempai! Danjite Koi de wa!) on Kadokawa's Comic Fleur in 2019, which later inspired a sequel and an eight-episode live-action television adaptation in 2022. Additionally, Harekawa authored the supernatural manga Three Exorcism Siblings (Tengu Barai no San Kyōdai) for Coamix's Web Comic Zenyon between 2021 and 2023.
