Review: Fated NOT to Meet, Volume 2

Hello hello. I come with more manga, more boys' love, more romance and drama in a volume that surprised me in all the right ways. After I read the first one, I gave Fated NOT to Meet, Volume 2, by Ei Eijo, a chance, and I'm so glad for doing it because this one was so much better! I mean it when I say that this was a more mature approach that's easier to enjoy. As always, many thanks to the publisher for the review copy!

• Print Length: 232 pages.
  
• Publisher: TokyoPop.
• Publication Date: March 31, 2026.
• Genres: Contemporary, Drama, Gay, Manga, Romance.
• Rating: 4/5 stars.

Izumi, the sales ace with excellent grades, good looks and great communication skills, has someone he absolutely cannot lose to.

His name is Sendo, the most unlikable man who took the top spot from Izumi.

After a fateful app encounter, Izumi and Sendo fell hard for each other—now they’re next-door neighbors, savoring the honeymoon phase from opposite sides of a shared wall!

But when Izumi is tasked with mentoring an ambitious new hire, the newcomer’s rapid rise triggers his competitive streak—and his anxiety. As Izumi pushes himself harder and harder to reclaim the #1 spot, he starts to buckle under the pressure… just as his enigmatic older brother, Hayato, unexpectedly returns to Japan.

So why isn’t Izumi happy to see him? And how did he wind up working himself to the point of collapse? Determined to help, Sendo seeks out Hayato in hopes of understanding the "baggage" Izumi has been carrying. Whatever the weight of his burden, Izumi doesn’t have to bear it alone—if he’ll let Sendo in.

The story picks up pretty much where things were left at the end of vol. 1. We're not missing anything essential. However, this volume comes with two new characters, shows us that there's more to Izumi's competitiveness, his self-worth, how Sendo perceives everything from the outside... Boy oh boy did I like this! There's so much drama in this one that I had to force myself to take it slowly.

Something that I also liked was the character development. Fated NOT to Meet, Volume 2 was much more mature, as I mentioned, and not only because Ei Eijo touches on heavy subjects such as family trauma, work, social expectations, but also because the narration is generally more balanced. There's also more tension between Sendo and Izumi, which the art reflects with a precision that surprised me. Hayato was a great addition as well, leading the characters into important scenes that shaped them.

While there were moments much more balanced, I felt the pace slowed more than necessary at some points. This, along with the heavier topics I mentioned earlier, made me want to take my time with this volume, so I'd suggest you do the same when you get a copy. That's my only real complaint, so big improvement by comparison with the previous volume.

In general lines, a much, much better result, so I feel confident when I tell you to give this series a chance. Fated NOT to Meet, Volume 2 is a significant improvement in tone, style, and script. Even though the reading might take you longer, you will enjoy it much more, especially if you like genuinely troubled characters and family dynamics. Here goes to hoping Ei Eijo decides to do a third volume!

Connect with me on Instagram and Twitter!