S.L.H - Stray Love Hearts

Status: Ongoing

Ah, don’t we know this set-up well. Cutesy girl Kozue Hiyoki enrolls in prestigious boarding school, lives in a dorm filled with bishies—nay, ikemen bishies (that’s how hot they are)—and, well. Et voilà - it's drama-time!

This story has got a little twist by adding in a supernatural element though; Hiyoki’s heart was literally stolen when she was sixteen, in a dream. All she knows about the thief is his platinum hair and the crest tattooed on his chest; the same symbol as the school crest.

Determined to find her thief, she goes on a hunt at her new harem boarding school, to find the culprit. Meanwhile, she lives in the infamous S-Hall (where all the bishies reside), and has to share a room with each one of them for a certain period of time! To top it all off, Hiyoki can see into people’s dreams... so you can guess things are about to get ugly. (Or as ugly as it can get when you’re mentally singing Hallelujah at the sight of all those bishies...)

Art – 10.0 +++/ 10.0
Oh, wow. Just... wow. I knew what I was expecting when I saw that this manga had been created by Shouto Aya (also mangaka of one of my all-time-favorites, Barajou no Kiss), but she really exceeded her abilities with this one. I don’t think I’ve ever seen such gorgeous shoujo art, period. Even though there are so many bishies, each one of them are unique in their own ways.

From the dark loner Reizei to the flirty heartbreaker Kitoh, they all have this special quality about them that even separates them from their phantom stereotypes in Barajou no Kiss. Sure, there are similarities between Reizei and Mutsuki, or Asukai and Seiran, but it’s just the stereotype mold. When it all boils down to the actual story, their quirks make them so different that the expressions and styles wind up almost completely different, hence making them unique in the way they’re drawn.

Plot/Concept – 9.2 / 10.0
I’ll have to say I’m pretty surprised by the small amount of loopholes. Sure, there are a few strange occurrences here and there—like the compulsory school events, or whatnot—but the overall plot in itself is quite solid. Even the things that seem cliché and stereotypical are explained if you just connect the threads of what you’re told and what is happening. I can’t say the storyline blew me away, but it’s interesting in the way it unfolds. And I think a dream-seer is a first when it comes to supernatural abilities in shoujo.

Characters – 9.0 / 10.0
Ever the element of surprise, I know. I’m really impressed with Shouto Aya this time around. Wherever Barajou no Kiss failed to deliver in its character building, SLH picks up the dropped ball and keeps things running. There isn’t a particular character I’m in love with, so there’s still something missing—but I like the entire cast, and I know for one that that one is new. The heroine might not be as strong-willed as I would have wanted her to be, but she’s not just a whiny crybaby, either.

Also, the interrelationships between the bishies themselves are quite fascinating, as the mangaka puts emphasis on them in this, as opposed to Barajou no Kiss where all the friendships remained at a quite superficial level. I love the dynamic between them as well as the overall realism about the characters: even though there’s nothing particularly impressive about them the way that Kurosaki blows me away in Dengeki Daisy, all the characters remain likeable and you can see the explanation behind their actions if you bother to read between the lines. This, coupled with the amazing art, makes a fabulous combo that’ll leave you—or, at least, it left me—breathless, waiting for the next advancement forward in both plot and character development alike. (And did I by the way mention that the guys are hot?)

Romance – 8.4/ 10.0
Like with the characters, there’s the doki-doki factor missing in the romance as well. While I absolutely adore the scenes between the guys and Hiyoki (mostly because of the art, but whatever), there’s nothing quite like a romance that can make your heart race. But I’m not rooting for any character in particular, and instead I remain clinically curious who she’s going to end up with and why. (Although it’s starting to become increasingly obvious, but you never know—hopefully, Shouto Aya can still maintain that element of surprise and give us a huge plot twist someplace.)

I like how the plot is actually interweaved in the romance in the way that it’s not a romance with the plot as a side-dish, but rather, things are explained by how the storyline progresses and ties the different events together neatly instead of just being an excuse to set the characters up for more romantic scenes. And besides, it’s rather tough rooting for a character in particular, when you like all of them. (But hey, regardless of whoever Hiyoki ends up with, I’m more than willing to take the leftovers...)

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Least to say, I’m eager for further advancements. I wish I could say more, but then I’d be spoiling that pleasant surprise for you. So enjoy your read—I know at least that I did mine.

Overall Rating – 9.4 / 10.0

Credits for the scans: Turtle Paradise