Ranked #5759

...Curtain (Manga)

While I'm not a huge fan of the artwork in this story, both the characters are much too middle aged looking for shoujo, the premise somewhat demands it, so I'll let it slide. Overall, there is very little character development, and it's exceedingly obvious characters do something because they're "supposed to".

Koutaro and Ema work in the same research facility and it's clear Ema is suffering from quite an infatuation with the serious and disinterested Kou. Ema has also recently been fascinated with playing the piano and she's planning on performing for an audience soon, only her teacher who was to accompany her has injured herself. That isn't the real kicker though. What really sets the stage (and is completely impossible except in shoujo world) is that Kou is the instructor's BROTHER, that Ema has never seen him at her house before and she knew nothing of his very hightened musical or teaching abilities. Of course!

Anyway, the plot is thin, the story is too short, it's not intimate or well executed. Everything plays out like clockwork... initial attraction and flat out rejection, chance meeting, growing feelings, sudden urgency to distance from each other, unexpected climactic arrival, kiss. Ugh. If you're a fan of the mangaka from 7 Kiss or Love Lover (which were a lot better than this one!), you may read this, just out of curiosity, but other than that, you're not going to gain anything out this one. read more