Ranked #2336

Koakuma Lion (Manga)

Koakuma Lion is basically a romance between two childhood friends - and we all know how messy those types of romance can get. Enter Uno, the first half of the couple, and Leo, the hot-model-guy, and you have yourself a very nice - albeit very light - read. It's pretty much a compressed version of shoujo manga... minus the hate, the drama, and all the interesting bits.
Included below are also mini reviews of Renai@Home and LIFE+B.

Story: 6/10
It's not bad, for something three chapters long. In fact, it does explore what being in a relationship is like. However, feelings such as jealousy is pretty much a main theme. I don't dislike it. I just feel like there was more that could have been done. Sure, it moved fairly fast - but I guess it's good to keep in mind that the main manga itself is only three chapters long. It's not too heavy on the drama. As I said, it makes for a very nice light read.

Art: 7/10
I like the art! However, the girls' eyes seemed to be a little too big for my liking. The mangaka, however, does a good job drawing Leo and meeting the high standards of him being a model. The lines are elegant but I feel there should have been at least SOME focus on background and such.

Character: 6/10
I don't dislike them so that has to be a point in itself. They're not complex or anything - as expected from a manga of this length. They're likable. Certainly, Leo's hotness has rubbed off on me, that's for sure. I would have liked some deeper emotions to have been shown from them though. A little too much sweetness in their personalities ticked me off. At the end, I found myself thinking: "So everyone's nice in this story and no one's a bad guy with an ounce of spite for the average-not-so-fabulous girl to get the model boyfriend or whatever? I know this is a romance... but whoa!"

Enjoyment: 6/10
I didn't find myself sitting at the edge of my seat as I was reading. To be honest, the plot was so-so to the point that I couldn't care less if another chapter was released. They got their happy-ever-after, blah blah blah. It's all very bland, straightforward and boring. It's not heavy on anything - no drama, no jealous side-girl, nothing. In all honesty, if you're looking for a light straight-forward romance, then here. Read this.

Mini Review: One-Shot: Renai@Home
It's nothing much to talk about but the plot idea is very cute. At first, I thought Ai was a boy though, considering she was lacking in the chest area! The characters are likable and the entire situation Ren and Ai have been put in, with the arrival of Cocoa, is slightly cliche and ridiculous but fairly enjoyable to read. What? It was cute! The end also provides a fairly nice twist. I didn't even expect it!
Rating: 6/10

Mini Review: One-Shot: LIFE+B
I read the first few pages of this one-shot and instantly thought: "Hey! Kaichou wa Maid-sama!" Yep. Some aspects are fairly similar to that manga-turned-anime. It's definitely nothing compared to Kaichou wa Maid-sama though, considering as it IS a one-shot - and fairly bland and predictable. The characters are likable. Although the main character, Mio, I found somewhat... annoying. You can't blame me. She's supposed to be all "cool" and well... If you read it, you'll see. I loved Tomoki though, hahaha.
Rating: 5.5/10

Overall: 6/10
If you're looking for bishounen and light, romantic reads: this is definitely for you. read more