MANGA REVIEW: My Instructor Won’t Yield is a Cozy, Complicated One-Shot

by Kara Dennison
July 27, 2025

Manga artist Deme Kingyobachi has more than a few manga under her belt. And her most recent, 2023’s My Instructor Won’t Yield, is getting an English-language release next month. Released in Japan as Chiba Kyokan wa Nabikanai (“Instructor Chiba Isn’t Flattered”), the one-shot BL story follows the awkward romance between a new driver and his instructor. But what happens when Chiba learns his student’s big secret?

This new release packs a lot of story into a single volume. And if you’re looking for a new BL manga in an unconventional setting, this just might be the title for you!

The Allure of a Driving Instructor

My Instructor Won’t Yield, at least in its first pages, hinges on a single concept: it’s easy to crush on a driving instructor. They are, after all, a source of comfort and stability during a very difficult process. Their job is to encourage you and help you feel confident. So there’s an allure there… according to this manga, at least. And according to Yaotome, Chiba’s attractive but awkward new mentee.

The most awkward part is that Yaotome calls Chiba by a seemingly random name as soon as they meet. The reason for this eventually becomes clear. But it definitely causes more problems before it solves any.

A Shoujo Manga Romance

One half of the main couple of My Instructor Won’t Yield is, obviously, a driving instructor. But Yaotome is a big manga fan and works from home. Put the pieces together, and soon it becomes clear that Yaotome is a well-known shoujo manga artist! That’s all well and good, until Chiba starts catching feelings for Yaotome and discovers that one of their cute interactions has become inspiration for a recent page.

Considering Chiba’s own past troubles with love, he’s understandably a bit untrusting. Does Yaotome really care for Chiba, or is he just mining their blossoming relationship for inspiration? The answer is a bit more complicated than even Chiba bargained for.

A Certified Happily-Ever-After

Not to give too much away, but rest assured My Instructor Won’t Yield actually does have a positive outcome. The half-life of a misunderstanding in fiction is relatively short, and it can get awkward when those misunderstandings are artificially drawn out. Fortunately, both parties get to speak their truth: Chiba about his past relationship, Yaotome about his surprisingly long-standing crush. The volume ends, as all good BL one-shots do, with an adorable domestic epilogue.

Even in its short chapter count, this manga covers a lot: how we personify people we don’t truly know, the fear of not being taken seriously in love, and the boundaries that need discussing. “Student falls for driving instructor” may sound like a very one-note plot, but it’s so much more. This is a great read for fans who prefer their BL less explicit on the page and more focused on the road to an eventual relationship.

My Instructor Won’t Yield goes on sale August 19.