Haimiya Is Scary Cute

Haimiya Is Scary Cute
First tankōbon volume cover, featuring Mio Haimiya
灰宮先輩は怖くてかわいい
(Haimiya-senpai wa Kowakute Kawaii)
GenreRomantic comedy
Manga
Written bySumu Kamiyama
Published bySquare Enix
English publisher
  • NA: Square Enix
ImprintGangan Comics Up!
MagazineManga Up!
Original runNovember 6, 2025 – present
Volumes3

Haimiya Is Scary Cute (Japanese: 灰宮先輩は怖くてかわいい, Hepburn: Haimiya-senpai wa Kowakute Kawaii; lit. 'Haimiya-senpai Is Scary but Cute') is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Sumu Kamiyama. It was originally posted as a series of illustrations on Kamiyama's X and Pixiv accounts, before beginning serialization in Square Enix's Manga Up! web service in November 2025. The series has been compiled in three tankōbon volumes as of August 2026.

Plot

Ao Kurose, a member of the health committee, gains the attention of his upperclassman Mio Haimiya. Haimiya, who has a flashy gyaru-like appearance, is notorious in school for having a scary demeanor. However, Haimiya develops an interest in him, even treating him with kindness. Kurose, having no other friends and spending his days helping out at the infirmary, develops a bond with Haimiya, with the two becoming friends. With time, Haimiya finds herself falling in love with Kurose, but is frustrated at how oblivious he is.

Characters

Ao Kurose (黒瀬)
A high school student and a member of the health committee. He has an introverted personality, leading to him not being a member of any clubs nor having any friends. However, he gains the attention of his fellow health committee member Haimiya, who sheds her usual scary personality whenever he is with her, though he is completely oblivious to her growing crush on him. He has an older sister and a younger sister.
Mio Haimiya (灰宮 美桜, Haimiya Mio)
Voiced by: Yūko Natsuyoshi (PV)[1]
Kurose's upperclassman and a fellow member of the health committee. She has a reputation in school due to her scary appearance full of piercings and with a wolf cut. However, she really is a kind and caring girl with a good heart, and acts especially sweet around Kurose. She quickly falls in love with him after they become friends, and does her best to win his heart, to no avail as he is completely oblivious. She speaks bluntly with a Kansai dialect that makes her even more intimidating, and is seen as someone who looks down on others and often even as a delinquent.
Ms. Aya (あや先生, Aya-sensei)
The school nurse, whom Kurose and Haimiya help with.
Sora Kurose (黒瀬 そら, Kurose Sora)
Kurose's 20-year-old older sister.
Umi Kurose (黒瀬 うみ, Kurose Umi)
Kurose's 14-year-old younger sister.
Touya Tanzaki (丹崎 搭弥, Tanzaki Tōya)
Kurose's classmate and a member of the basketball club. Despite being seatmates, the two had barely interacted prior to a certain incident. However, the two become friends after Kurose offered him a sandwich. After the two become friends, Haimiya becomes jealous of their relationship, something Kurose does not notice.

Development

Sumu Kamiyama originally planned to create a one-shot manga featuring a senior and an underclassman. In the original draft, Kurose was the upperclassman while Haimiya was a junior, and Haimiya was intended to be male. However, being unsatisfied with the draft, Kamiyama swapped their roles, with Haimiya now being female and the senior, and Kurose being the underclassman.[2] Kamiyama gave Haimiya a Kansai dialect because they saw Kansai women as tough, but also because the Kansai dialect had a reputation for being intimidating.[3][2] They also wanted Haimiya to have the contrast between being intimidating and cute, with the dialect itself adding to that feeling.[2]

Publication

Kamiyama originally began posting the series as a webcomic on their X and Pixiv accounts on May 14, 2025.[4][5] After going viral on social media, it was picked up for serialization by Square Enix, which began serializing it on their Manga Up! web service on November 6, 2025.[2][6] The first tankōbon volume was published on February 6, 2026;[7] Three volumes have been released as of August 2026.[8] A promotional video featuring Yūko Natsuyoshi as Haimiya was posted on YouTube to coincide with the volume's release.[1]

The series is published in English on Square Enix's Manga Up! Global app and website.[9]

No. Release date ISBN
1February 6, 2026[10]978-4-301-00313-7
2May 7, 2026[11]978-4-301-00508-7
3August 6, 2026[8]978-4-301-00692-3

Reception

The series has been nominated for the twelfth Next Manga Award in 2026 in the web category.[12]

References

  1. 1 2 "GCUP!『灰宮先輩は怖くてかわいい』PV【CV：夏吉ゆうこ】". YouTube. February 6, 2026. Retrieved March 17, 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Aoki, Keisuke (February 7, 2026). 【漫画】コワモテ関西弁ギャルがデレるとどうなる？ 『灰宮先輩は怖くてかわいい』のギャップに悶絶. Real Sound (in Japanese). Retrieved March 17, 2026.
  3. ↑ 学校で怖い先輩女子がなぜか自分には優しい…ギャップに翻弄される男子高生に「ニヤニヤ止まらん」【漫画】. Web The Television (in Japanese). February 5, 2026. Retrieved March 17, 2026.
  4. ↑ @sumutemu_ (May 14, 2025). めっちゃ怖い先輩がなぜか自分にだけ優しい (Tweet) (in Japanese). Retrieved March 17, 2026 – via X (formerly Twitter).
  5. ↑ めっちゃ怖い先輩がなぜか自分にだけ優しい. Pixiv (in Japanese). May 14, 2025. Retrieved March 17, 2026.
  6. ↑ めちゃ怖い先輩が自分にだけは優しい、保健室掃除から始まる怖キュンラブコメ. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. November 6, 2025. Retrieved March 17, 2026.
  7. ↑ ピアスはバチバチ、関西弁…いつも怖い先輩が僕にだけは優しい、怖キュンラブコメ (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. February 6, 2026. Retrieved March 17, 2026.
  8. 1 2 灰宮先輩は怖くてかわいい 3 (in Japanese). Square Enix. Retrieved July 29, 2026.
  9. ↑ Mateo, Alex (June 17, 2026). "Manga Up! Global Adds Haimiya Is Scary Cute Manga". Anime News Network. Retrieved June 17, 2026.
  10. ↑ 灰宮先輩は怖くてかわいい 1 (in Japanese). Square Enix. Retrieved March 17, 2026.
  11. ↑ 灰宮先輩は怖くてかわいい 2 (in Japanese). Square Enix. Retrieved April 26, 2026.
  12. ↑ 【次にくるマンガ大賞2026】、ノミネート作品発表 6/26よりユーザー投票開始. Billboard Japan (in Japanese). June 26, 2026. Retrieved June 26, 2026.
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