Full House Kiss

Status: Ongoing

Orphaned, broke and living in a house of bishies as their live-in maid. Fruits Basket sans its curse, anyone?

And at first, Full House Kiss may seem that way. Its main character, Suzuhara Mugi, resembles Tohru close enough: kind-hearted, hard-working and strong. Except that Tohru had no living family yet, but Mugi still has her sister, who went missing prior to her parents' death, and the reason why she wants to enter Shoukei High so badly -- the only connection she has left with her.

But then the plotline takes an 180 degree turn and we're left staring blankly at the page as Mugi is announced as Shoukei High's new art teacher, a favor done by the leader of La Prince (aka the House of Bishies) in exchange for her becoming their maid.

Stop there for a second, and take this into account before we continue: Mugi is 15 years old and has never attended high school.

...Yeah. WTF-plot-twist indeed.

Art - 3.6 / 10.0
I've never liked the 90s style of manga drawing. Sure, there's always the touch of nostalgia, but you rarely see me squealing over it the way I do about modern, post-CG art. The female leads haven't changed much over time, but the bishies from the 90's either look like girls with short hair or cardboard paper versions of Barbie's Ken. And the latter is exactly what the guys in Full House Kiss look like: flat and out of fashion. I can't say I like that style much; S.L.H or Barajou no Kiss is more down my alley.




Plot/Concept - 9.0 / 10.0
I have to give kudos to the mangaka for her plot, because if there's anything that keeps me reading, it sure is that. Per classical shoujo, there are several plotholes -- like that whole teacher-thing, and also, (SPOILER!) it's just weird that nobody has discovered she lives with the bishies yet except that one journalist. If La Prince really does have such a huge fangirl base, you'd think they'd at least stalk outside their residence like normal fangirls, if there ever are any such. (END SPOILER) But all in all, the plot moves forward in a really interesting way and you never really know what's going to happen.

Characters - 8.8 / 10.0
I love how the characters are shaped in a way that they fulfill their stereotypes but still break their molds; it makes the story refreshing and new, despite the age-old scenario of innocent-girl-lives-with-a-handful-of-bishies. The main girl is like a carbon copy of Tohru from Fruits Basket, but I had never had a problem with Tohru, so that's fine.

However, despite the fact that I do like this manga's cast, I can't help but feel that there's something missing. Maybe it's the interactions between the cast itself -- even though the whole best friends/brothers competing over the same girl cliché is getting old, I can't help but feel a tinge of disappointment at the lack of bromance. (I'm a sucker for that -- there's a reason why I keep reading Naruto, and it's not because of the lame hark-the-next-Hokage jutsus.)

Also, the characters don't really seem to go through any significant development. Then again, we're only 21 chapters into the story, so that might change. Regardless, I can't feel anything for the characters just yet, and as a result, I feel very little for the story as well.


Romance - 8.1 / 10.0
I've been complaining about the lack of doki-doki action in some popular shoujo manga as of late, but at least here, Full House Kiss doesn't disappoint. The moments are, more than often, unexpected and perfectly timed, as opposed to the clumsy and highly predictable way they usually occur in normal shoujo. The romance develops at a normal pace and there's no sudden spur-of-the-moment love as it is in even one of my favorites, Reimei no Arcana. Nor is it torturously slow like Perfect Girl Evolution, leading you to question whether or not it really is a romance shoujo.

Sadly, due to my lack of being able to sympathize with the characters nor particularly liking the art, the romance scores lower than it should have had the circumstances been otherwise. Also, I can't seem to find a character I want to root for, since I feel equally detached to each one of them.

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I like this manga, regardless of what impression I might have given you during its review. But as with its cast, there's just something missing. I hope that that something will be replenished in chapters soon to come, or I'll lose the interest I have. As of right now, all I have is the same clinical curiosity of wanting to know what's going to happen next the way it is for me and Five.

Overall Rating: 7.9 / 10.0

Credits for the scans: Aerandria

S.L.H. - Stray Love Hearts (Final Review)

Status: Finished

...Wait, what? It ended? Just like that?

That's just lame. No, it's beyond lame. It's like Ichigo's-endless-whining-sessions-in-Bleach lame, and that is the epitome of lameness that can be humanly reached.

I realize I might be exaggerating a bit here, but after the fangirlism I indulged in over this series just a few hours prior, I was least to say surprised to find that Turtle Paradise had released the scanlation for the final chapter. What the heck? I thought. In my opinion, the story had just officially begun.

So I was already doubtful when I clicked the link to their online reader, but after reading that final chapter...

Yeah.

It was like Aishiteruze Baby all over again. After a fabulous series, fantastic cast and gorgeous art, I just feel emotionally robbed as I sit staring at those last few pages, thinking in incredulity, That's it? That's all we get as a final goodbye? It's like somebody giving you toilet paper for a farewell gift: maybe it might not be the worst present in the world, but it's still impersonal and just stupid.

I still love this manga, though. Up until now, it was plain amazing. The ending was too abrupt and (SPOILER!) what the hell was up with that confession? I actually cringed at the corniness. Cringed. Not to mention... WHAT ABOUT REN?????(END SPOILER)

I still recommend this series for its beauty and its characters, but you should at least be prepared that the ending will suck. Bigtime. If that bothers you too much, don't read this. But if you're willing to give up your hopes of a breathtaking finale for the sake of those out-of-this-world bishies, go ahead.

You can read the final chapter (as well as the others) here.

Final Overall Rating: 8.9 / 10.0

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