Ranked #3349

Cyboy (Manga)

There wasn't a review, but I think it's worth it, so I wrote this. Spoiler-free.

Cyboy. Short for Cyborg Boy, it's about a guy who strives to become the perfect man. "What a ridiculous name", you may say at first, but that's the point. The guy who came up with that is an "uncool bookworm", in his own words, who wants to hide this "uncool" self to become a better person - one that girls would swoon over, that is able to help others, but more importantly, that wouldn't have to be rejected by his peers or the person he likes.
So I started reading this because it sounded funny. The kind of pick up artist thing-funny, good for laughs and some heartwarming feelings. The story wasn't anything new, the art wasn't either, and the name was just ridiculous, and we tend to judge a book by its cover.
And that's the whole point of the story - never judge a book for its cover. Also, that sometimes we like "uncool" things, sometimes we don't like "cool" things, and all of that is fine too.
I have to say I cried reading this. It can be a slap on your face if you're willing.

Story: [7.0]
Boy is a loser. Boy gets rejected (and by rejected I mean humiliated) by the girl he likes. After that, boy decides to be the very best that no one ever was. Nothing new or unusual there. In fact, the story was my reason for almost not picking it up. For the first 4 chapters or so, it's a bit like "enemy of the day", too.
And then the story picks up. "Picks up" for a shoujo, that is, meaning we get lots of feelings. And plot twists. And more feelings.

Art: [6.0]
If you ask me, it gets fairly better, but never crossing the line of "generic shoujo style". The bishounen succeed at being pretty boys, yes, you don't mix up the characters, and all-in-all, it gets its point across. On the downside, it's a bit annoying how some characters remind you of other characters too much (for instance, the female lead is exactly like Haruhi from Ouran Host Club).

Character: [9.0]
I guess this is where this really shines. This is not getting a 9.0 for amazing insight on human psychology or anything. It doesn't pay any attention to irrelevant-but-interesting details, either. But what is sweet is how the characters are portrayals that stand true in real life. The good-hearted "loser" who "breaks down" and decides to improve and be likeable is one of them.
I like how nobody is unidimensional (except for secondary characters, of course, because there's only so much you can develop in two volumes). There is a lot of attention to everybody's feelings and backstory. They're easy to warm up to.

Enjoyment: [9.0]
It's dynamic, comedic, heartwarming at times. It is short, has a nice pace. There are cliches, but likeable ones. The themes are easy to relate to - attachment, peer pressure, judgmental habits, appearances... So, even if the parts aren't that great, the enjoyment factor ends up high.

Overall: [8.0]
Cyboy isn't lifechanging, highly creative or artistically inspiring. But it is very sweet. I'd say it's great for a quick, uncompromissed read, to bring out a few laughs and smiles when you need it.
If you're just procrastinating and don't feel like doing anything much - go ahead, give it a try! It can't be that bad. :) read more