Zenbu Choudai

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It really isn't bad, but if you've read either Special A or Kaichou wa Maid-sama, this is a poor copy of the two. It had some potential, but it really ends up feeling like something of a shameless crib - without any of the strength of character that made SA and KWMS so memorable.

The trouble is that the female character is very hard to sympathize with. She's good at everything, of course, but her problem is that not only does she know it, she flaunts it... for herself. I found it hard to think of someone who expects everyone to worship at her feet as ... human - plus she repeats her catchphrase every three pages. She does grow on you though, since Ren pushes her past her 2D comfort zone, and towards the end she started to actually feel like a person.

Ren, the male character, is rather hard to sympathize with as well. The mangaka doesn't seem to know whether to make him an all-out sadist or a Jerk With a Heart of Gold... so he ends up kind of being a slight tsundere. :(

Overall, however, it is an enjoyable, rather sweet manga. No one weeps and wails all over you every chapter, which is refreshing. =)

It's alright for alight read, but don't get too excited. The story is fairly typical the guy and girl don't get along, and then they fall for each other.
As its short there isn't much room for development, especially character wise.
The girl is flaunts her good looks, calling herself queen and although we do briefly see a kinder side of her we ultimately feel a bit dissatisfied with the protagonist. No development. Similarly the guy she dates doesn't actually ever say why he fell for her, and doesn't change much throughout the manga. His character as a general is under developed.
Art is alright, ... it's well drawn but the guys all look pretty similar.
What is good about the manga, the girl is refreshingly bold and doesn't cry. At all, so whether this is to your liking....
Overall didn't take me long to read, and a manga I'd recommend to those having just finished an incredibly long manga series for a short break.

In short : For people who are unfamiliar with most keypoints of this genre and want to "study" them or for lovers of the genre.

Origin :

I was told this manga was really good and different from the usual one. I'm not exactly a fan of the genre, but I still wanted to try it out.... And....I had hoped for the first few pages....and then it crashed down....


Story :

As classical as it can get. What you have here is a sped up love story, a single chapter can contain more than one keypoint. The main issue with it is that they are way too close from ... one another, not letting enough "air" for the reader (or "space" for the story, there's a feeling of arcs almost overlaping on each other). Another issue is the lack of mastering when it comes to ellipses (especially troublesome when you want to write a fast paced story). You don't always know how much time passes, or it can lack coherence with the on-going events. Most of the time, instead of a clear box dedicated to it, you'll have to realize it through the strip, which can lead to temporary confusion. (That too plays a role in the feeling of arcs overlaping with each other)

The quickness of it makes a lot of situations as surreal as hilarious...and can also be extremly annoying. Most things feel unnatural and forced.

Surprisingly enough, this manga is also able to feel draggy. Without the heroine's (forced ?) denial and forgetting self (I don't know....she's able to forget something her love interest told her a single box ago....Alzheimer at that age, such a tragedy) I'd say the manga could have been closed in 5-6 chapters instead.

Lastly, I would add that it continues the traditional "woman is male's property" and "forced situations" patterns ; I know it pleases some people, and it's good for them, but it personally pisses me off. So if you're like me, short or not, it's better to keep far away from the manga. Patterns which are actually surprising if you actually see what type of chara the female should have been, but oh well....the strenght of fanservice ?


Characters :

I shall admit....the female protagonist is new to me as she bares some traits usually reserved for males and I think that's what pleased most readers, and also explains why I have been told it was "different". However, the potential was rapidly wasted and she falls in the classical romance heroine role and submission quite quickly.I also question her definition of "perfect" be it for males or females as I did not see it in either of the protagonists.

She isn't quite consistant overall, neither is her love intersest, but both could be amusing at times. Like....3-4 times throughout the eleven chapters.

Male protagonist also could have had an interesting potential, but, samewise, became as classical as it could get.

The others ? They are background characters, some portrayed as friends of the protagonists but, be it through design or dialogues, shallow and not even properly used.

I could mention the "rival" who was introduced as "bad omen" for the main pairing, but....he disappeared almost as soon as he appeared, I'm not even sure he lasted an entire chapter (too lazy to check, yup). Which is sad considering that aside the main charas he was the only characterized character--- no ! wait ! there was a teacher who---- well....he just disappeared, though he lasted a bit longer than the "riva"l.... Do I have to voice out the issue here ?


Art :

It is....nice ? It isn't my style, I must say, but it isn't bad, safe for some proportions issue here and there, but nothing dramatical. What bothers me more when it comes to the art is that the display of the boxes and strips on the pages are sometimes confusing.

And I would also add the lack of characterization of some characters, but that would be repeating myself, no ?


Overall :

I do like the idea of what this short manga could have been if it had exploited the specificity of the heroine correctly. But in the end this specificity seems to be nothing more than a bait-trait to attract readers with "fake originality".

I do not know the making conditions of this manga. Was it an ordered short story ? I'm wondering because it could explain the pacing, even if it wouldn't excuse most issues.