Ranked #1336

Heroine Shikkaku (Manga)

If the boy you have been crushing on for five years has suddenly started to date a girl seriously for the first time in his life, how will you react? Will you be supportive and try your best to move on? Well, in the world of shoujo, that is what we presume the heroine of Heroine Shikkaku by Koda Momoko, the mangka, will turn out to be.

Instead, we have a heroine who is unafraid to show her meanest. She is no wimpy girl who will cry by the sideline while watching her prince get whisked away by the ‘Wicked Witch of the West’. No. This girl is bratty, bitchy, spoiled, self-centered, blunt and just plain selfish. Sure, she carries the water works with her throughout more than half the story but with the pressure and pain she goes through, who won’t? And so, the main question still lies: why will anyone enjoy a story with a girl like this?

This story does not sugarcoat anything unlike most mangas I’ve read. Strobe Edge is one that pops up in my mind. It was a wonderful read but it lacks the selfishness and bitterness people have when it comes to unrequited love which is, perhaps, Heroine Shikkaku’s strongest points. Hatori, the main heroine, does not back down from what she believes in throughout the story. People may find her antics annoying and repetitive choices tiring but really, when you think about it, when you’re in love do you really have the sanity to think right? I think not and this is heavily displayed throughout the story. Other characters such as Rita, Hatori’s childhood friend and crush, are memorable as well…for their flaws that is. For example, Rita has his lack of understanding and communication that drives our heroine in confusion and circles. He is arguably the most annoying character but if you are in his shoes, you may find his decisions…agreeable.

This is also another thing to love about this manga and that is that it gives you the ability to think over a character’s actions. The story isn’t that deep for it to be hard to picture yourself in the character’s shoes. Hatori is already said but think over in Rita’s shoes. Being friends with a person for so long kind of obscures thinking romantically for that person. You know the person like the back of your hand that it’s impossible to date them which is one aspect I love about this unrequited love story. So his replies to the main heroine’s advances are understandable even if some of his actions are contradictory.

The art is subjective. It is certainly not the most displeasing to the eye but certainly not the best. Despite this, I like it a lot especially how the mangka manages to manipulate the character’s facial expressions to express certain feelings. Hatori’s expressions are the best from her crying to her being bitchy; it’s never a bore to see how she is feeling next.

I think this manga will be a breath of fresh air for most. The entire cast of the manga has near to no redeeming qualities but that doesn’t make them unlikable. It’s charming and that is what kept me reading the eight chapters that have been released. And believe me, reading manga on your phone takes a lot more time that it sounds...especially when you have finals next week. Ops. x)

(This is my first review to MAL. Any feedback on how to get better is appreciated! ^^)
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Once upon a time there was a ugly duckling unpopular goody two shoes girl at school. She met one of the most popular guys. The guy likes the naivety and cuteness of the girl and unlike the others he sees her true sweet self. The girl falls for his kindness. They fell in love for each other. They start dating each other. The guy changes for her because she is his true love and he stops being a playboy. You get that fuzzy feeling on the air. But then suddenly the evil bitchy rival who is a gorgeous girl, tries to steal the boy to the heroine. At the end of the manga and after millions of traps, attemptives, plans, made by the rival that were always all an epic fail, the couple finally gets to rest and live happily ever after and the rival is gone, or even becomes friends with them. Typical shoujo, replicated a thousand times. THE END.

But what if a manga chose to be told from the perspective of the…rival?
Welcome to Heroine Shikkaku! A cliché manga told in a non cliché way with a unique heroine.
So for the first time ever, we have the rival as the heroine of a shoujo. She is bitchy? Yeah. She is pretty? Yeah. She goes for looks? Yeah. She hates the goody girl and has a complex of superiority? Yeah.
Hatori is the typical girl that shoujo readers love to hate, that always gets on the middle of the main couple. The main couple is obviously in love and the main boy obviously does not love Hatori. But since the main guy is the male protagonist, he, of course, would have to possess typical male shoujo characteristics, like for instance the popular “ I don’t love you, but I do care about you, because iam a really nice guy”. But here, there´s not even a faint sparkle between them.
He does not feel jealous for her even if she is with other guy. Even after she tries to make him fall in love with her, he only has eyes for the goody girl. Even when she confesses and cries, he keeps his attitude unchangeable like any other shoujo leading guy rejecting the supporting character (aka, the rival of the heroine). And his relationship with the goody girl carries on filled with love and romance.
Now in most of shoujo, we love to see that happening. We always keep hope the rival will get lost and disappear. Because we hate her. And happiness fills us when we see the goody girl and the guy getting together after all the misunderstandings the rival created.

But what to do when you start to see “the other side”? The mangaka does an amazing job (at least until now) in portraying and conveying Hatori´s feelings, emotions and personality. Its so well done that its impossible for you not to like her, but you cant help to love her. She is more realistic than any heroine (she is not perfect!), and she is adorable in her own way, even being bitchy and selfish. You cant stop feeling terrible when you watch the main hero and his goody girlfriend in their own private dreamy world which the “villain” cannot break apart, and for the first time, you wish she would. The goody girl, Adachi, suddenly starts to annoy you (although you cant hate her because she is so kind). The main hero, Rita, starts to annoy you even more, because he is still the protagonist. And you start wishing he was replaced by another guy. But at the same time you secretly keep hope that someday somehow he will look at Hatori.

A manga filled with cliché situations? Yes. But all told from the perspective of the “looser” which makes it a breath of fresh air, truly refreshing I must say.
This manga made me certainly change my perspective of the “rival”. Perhaps next time I read another shoujo, I will look differently at the “villain”.

Im always looking forward to read new chapters of this manga. It is great comedy and plus romance. Who said a “villain” cannot be funny?! How said they don’t have feelings?! Hatori is a solid proof that even the “rival” deserves to be happy and to have her chance with the protagonist!

Overall this is great. I hope it keeps this quality. It would be such a waste if it doesn’t. It also has a cute art. I expect a good ending to this manga, and although it does not have hints that it might happen, iam still rooting for the rival to steal the protagonist´s heart and have her deserved happy end;D
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