Joyful Days?

Status: Complete

Meet Keigo Saitou, a young high school student who has had a crush on his classmate Arai for years. Sadly for him, though, Arai hasn't noticed a single thing, and only sees him as a close friend. She's trying to live the Shoujo Dream, but Saitou manages to crop up whenever she's hoping to find that One True HS Love. A cute little winter's tale, perfect for that waiting you need to do for a video to finish buffering.

Art - 6.5 / 10.0
Very standard. The boy isn't a bishie, but I guess that's sort of the point. The characters look realistic, as does the landscape. But it's your textbook shoujo when it comes to the style.

Plot/Concept - 7.6 / 10.0
Kudos for having a romantic shoujo told from a male lead's POV for once instead of a female's, but the plot didn't win any major brownie points with me. It was a very sweet and light read, but I have a feeling I'll forget it after another manga or two. Bonus points for no random love/hate/kiss-at-first-sight scenarios, though.


Characters - 7.7 / 10.0
Realistic, easy to relate to, but nothing special. Arai is a bubbly and happy-go-lucky girl with a positive outlook on life, able to find something entertaining about everything; Saitou is just your average guy (though maybe a tad smarter). No bishie stereotype here, so another plus for that -- but there's nothing anchoring you to the characters, so I feel little to nothing for them.

Romance - 7.5 / 10.0
Cute enough. Once again, emphasis on the realism. But hardly anything when it comes to the field of doki-doki action.

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Well, this was rather... short. I've read plenty of oneshots, but for a 50-page-turner, I'd at least expect a little more action than I was given. It was just the right balance between sweet and cliché, but that's about it. There's nothing negative about it, at least. If you've got time to spare, this is perfect. You can finish it in a matter of minutes. Other than that, there's nothing special.

Overall Rating - 7.4 / 10.0
Credit for scans: Esthetique

Gakuen Ouji

Status: Ongoing
Also known as: Gakuen Prince

Joshi High - a former all-female school that recently became co-ed, and at first glance, every man's dream. Due to strict lifestyle girls are forced to live, their lust towards men has grown to its peak and they throw themselves over any guy that enters through the school gates like starved animals... literally, starved animals.

Sadly for our main protagonist Mizutani Azusa, that seems to be the case. Being a bishie has never been harder when an army of fangirls are ready to rape you on your first day at school. Desperate for a way out, he does the only thing he can think of: he uses friendless megane girl Okitsu Rise as his shield and tells the whole school she's his girlfriend!

Art - 9.3 / 10.0
Say whatever you want about Azusa, but the boy is hot. This mangaka sure knows how to draw her bishies: say goodbye to the stick-like, femboys you've ever known and say hello to toned, tall ikemen that spend the majority of the series half-naked. And some facial expressions are just drawn perfectly. And the way the jokes are pulled off in this manga are awesome; the art is just the right balance between sparkly and non-sparkly. Because, as you know, sparkliness is what shoujo comedy is all about. (Half of it, anyway.)


Plot - 9.6 / 10.0
So here's the deal: either you're squealing right now in unison with me, or you're giving me a man-are-you-crazy-look whilst reading. Or you haven't read this manga at all, which you should do the second you exit this page, and make up your mind what you think about it.

Somebody at Baka-Updates called this manga a 'hit or miss' manga, and I agree to 100%. This kind of series isn't something for everybody. Also, all the readers seem to have different perceptions of it. Some of it love the delicious drama and eat it right up, sparkly or non-sparkly; others find the entire thing hilarious and laugh their way even through the serious panels. Yet again others find themselves disgusted by the set-up and refuse to read any further.

If you haven't read it yet, you'll probably find it's a combination of all three. You just have to see which side you prefer.

....Still got a hard time choosing?

As for me, I love the plot. Really. It's as ridiculous as it can possibly become, sometimes -- but exaggerations be damned, it's a shoujo. I get a handful of reality every single day, and as much as I love it applied to two-dimensional, black-and-white figures with too-big-eyes and always-perfect-hair, some exaggerations are allowed. After all, we're talking about the genre where it's a common occurence that gorgeous celebrity guys appear at your school and fall in love with you out of all girls fawning over him, and where it's considered normal that you trip over your own feet and have your first kiss with your archenemy (and soon-to-be love of your life). That's just shoujo, people. Get used to it.

Also, it isn't that unrealistic, if you think about it. Remember that whole Dionysus party thing in Ancient Greece? Where all these cooped up women who were forced to abide by the strict rules of society let loose and tore apart wild animals with their bare hands and ate them raw? Yeah, it's sort of like that, in a modern version. Besides, I used to have an idol-like guy at my high school. If the girls hadn't been half as oversexed as they already were there, it wouldn't have surprised me if they pulled off some stunts depicted in the manga. (Then, of course, there are some things that are just plain crazy, but yeah.) /rant

My musings about the realism of this series aside, I think the plot twists are pretty damn good here. It keeps me hanging, wondering what is going to happen next. I just wish it could proceed forward a little bit faster and more naturally, because the pace they're going at right now is Shounen Jump-esque. We have long arcs depicting one single day, and then the days suddenly fly by and you don't even know how long time has passed. But other than that, I think it's awesome.


Characters - 9.4 / 10.0
It's like the series itself: either you hate 'em or you love 'em. There's really no in-between. As for me, I love the protagonists. Mizutani is neither your stereotypical moron, happy-go-lucky guy or bad guy. He's just a guy, with all his faults and good sides, and that's what makes him so special. The same goes for the girl, Okitsu: she's strong, but in a different way than your usual shoujo heroines. (Although she does have a healthy dose of tsundere à strong heroines...) The dynamic between them is remarkable.

However, there are some characters that just don't make sense - the villains are too two-dimensional, too evil. There's no motif, no anything. I know there are just plain sadistic people in this world, but somehow it just feels like an excuse to throw the protagonists into scenarios where they can either a) show off skin or b) have moments of lublub.

Romance - 8.6 / 10.0
Well, it's definitely not your stereotypical light-hearted first-love shoujo, that's all I can say. As this manga leans towards the smuttier kind, it's also leaning towards a more rough, violent kind of romance à Kyou Koi wo Hajimemasu. The good part is that it's not your fave bishie doing the nasty shit, but nonetheless, there are quite a few scenes that will just outright awaken your disgust or incredulity. Even so, the protagonists themselves have really cute moments. I think the romance is developed at a natural pace (I know I put so much emphasis on this, but I hate love-at-first-sight stories), and you can relate to it somehow, despite its unnatural set-up.

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To be honest, I don't really know whether I should recommend this or not. Gakuen Ouji in my opinion is brilliant - plotholes galore in some areas, too much ecchi in some others, but brilliant nonetheless - but if you're the conservative kind, you're better off sticking to your innocent male leads like Ren in Strobe Edge or Kazehaya in Kimi ni Todoke. But if you enjoyed Kyou Koi wo Hajimemasu, or would like a more sexified version of Toradora! with a bunch of crazy fangirls, then go ahead. You'll enjoy this one. I know at least I did.

Overall Rating: 9.5 / 10.0

Credits for scans: Esthetique and NOIR

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

3 Years

Status: Finished

At first sight, Asaki China is like any other manga heroine you've ever known: a loudmouth tomboy enrolling into high school, living the Shoujo Dream: what else but fall in love, yadda yadda. But of course, as she is more reminiscent of a monkey guy than she is of a girl, her chances of getting that love is close to nil. Until she meets her new classmates, the class clown Haruka and the intimidating giant Shindou anyway...

Bored already? Don't worry, so was I. But there is a reason this short story on four chapters made me bawl a river in my room, and it isn't because of the ugly art.

Art - 0.2 /10.0
Whatever praise you're expecting me to say about this manga, it doesn't extend to the art style. My first impression was that China looked like a pig, and the two male protagonists a bear and a weasel. And I don't know about you, but bestiality isn't really my thing. Either way, I sucked it up and kept reading. And that's when we get to the good part...

Plot/Concept - 9.7 / 10.0
I love, love, LOVE the simplicity of 3 Years. I can tell you what it isn't: it isn't a intricate plot with some innovative, imagination-rocking idea; it isn't a rollercoaster drama where you keep holding your breath all the way. It isn't even original, or unique, and maybe that's what makes it so goddamn special. This story is as real as it can get when the main characters all look like animals, and anybody can relate to it. This is a story about growth, and regardless of if we've already been there or are on our way there, we still know what the mangaka is trying to tell us. And the message, in stark contrast to the way it is drawn, is hauntingly beautiful.

Characters - 9.5 / 10.0
Okay, none of the guys had me squealing, and I didn't cheer the heroine on as if she was my best friend. But these characters are stunningly realistic, and that's what makes you like them. They're not gorgeous or even remotely close to being perfect in any way, but they're people, not just characters on paper. You either are one of them or could have been. You might even know somebody just like them. Regardless, they're not your stereotypical shoujo characters -- they're actually real.

Romance - 9.8 / 10.0
I clicked, I saw, I cried. No, really. I usually don't sit around sniffling my way through mangas, but this one had me in tears with only four chapters worth of pages, to boot. I don't want to spoil anything, so I'll tell you: just read it. You won't regret it.

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This is one of my all-time favorite manga, even despite how ugly it is. I love coming-of-age stories, but this one is definitely the cherry on top of all the coming-of-age manga I've ever read. It may not be for anyone, because it's rather serious and brutally honest: it's not your usual ditzy shoujo. But if you're ever in a mood for a story that actually speaks to you, this one is going to break your heart. That I can swear.

Overall Rating: 9.8 / 10.0

Credits for the scans: Perfect Illusions

Strobe Edge

Status: Finished

Already in the first pages of the manga, we’re given a sneak-peek of our heroine Ninako: naïve, kind-hearted and, all in all, a complete moron. The guy? Try to hide your shock when you find out he’s the most popular boy of the school, few-worded and stoic. (And with an awesome name to match: Ren.)

We’re introduced to the happy-go-lucky childhood best friend who harbors a crush on the heroine within minutes, and the plot was as predictable it could get; girl has zero experience, meets beatific boy waaaay out of her league, falls in love, oh-no-what-to-do-now-fretting ensues.

With my experience in shoujo manga, I thought I had it all figured out, that I knew every nook and turn the plot would take. (Unless it spun way off-track and became some hybrid of B.O.D.Y., where obviously everything is possible.)

... Boy, was I in for a surprise.

Art – 6.1 / 10.0
It’s bordering on almost-ugly. Not really my kind of style, and a bit too sparkly for my liking. It’s only excusable because Ren is so freaking adorable. Every time I see him in a panel, I wish I could reach into it to pinch his cheeks. Yeah, that’s how cute he is.

Plot/Concept – 8.4 / 10.0
Now here’s where the bombshell drops. A few chapters in on the manga, everything I predicted steered off-course. Sure, the drama factor was still a bit too high, but it was acceptable for a shoujo. Most of the events kept a natural course, rather than odd plot twists thrown in just to keep readers engaged. But what really stood out about this manga was its…

Characters – 9.0 / 10.0
Ninako annoyed me in the beginning, yes. With her cutesy, brainless personality and my-world-centers-around-my-crush ideal, I was pretty sure I’d keep feeling that way about her. But surprisingly, despite the flaws in her character, I found that she grew on me. Or maybe it was an effect of it all—that she was so perfectly human but still likeable. The same could be applied to Ren; he wasn’t shut off or cold, just simply rational and a bit less keen on expressing what he feels. Both characters are genuine, honest people, and maybe that’s what attracts me to them; in either case, I found myself growing increasingly more fond of them during the span of the series.

The other characters, albeit not winning any major bonus points like the protagonists, were also pretty well-rounded. I was torn between wanting to throttle the second guy or giving him a hug. Most of them seemed to severely lack in communication with each other, but I guess it’s all pretty acceptable considering how this is, after all, set in high school.

Romance – 8.7 / 10.0
Obviously, the romance also got a high rating as a result of this. The development was realistic and plausible; albeit Ninako’s feelings were terribly rushed in the beginning, it is shown that she gains increasing understanding of Ren’s character, and she therefore falls deeper for him, and vice versa.

I felt really bad for (SPOILER!)Ren’s girlfriend, but I’m not here to judge morale; things like these happen in real life, too, especially when you’re a teenager. It’s not like he didn’t try fighting against it. Actually, I find his struggling quite admirable. He really looked out for his girlfriend, even in the end when he knew he didn’t feel that way about her anymore. He still cared and respected her enough not to do anything with Ninako, which is more than you can say about most shoujo characters.(END SPOILER)

Ren and Ninako had an amazing chemistry and as a couple, they worked beautifully together. Rather than some pairings that I’ve seriously questioned if they lasted after their happy ending, I can definitely tell the two of them would proceed perfectly fine with each other even beyond our final impressions of them after the end.

Overall Rating – 9.0 / 10.0

Credits for the scans: Houkago Scanlations and Bikkuri

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