Ranked #405

Strobe Edge (Manga)

Initially, I read this manga because I thought it was shonen because of the title. When I discovered that it was actually a romance manga - a seemingly cliche'd one, nonetheless! - I closed it at once. It just so happened that boredom struck me again that night, and I found myself not in the mood for my usual manga. So I went back and started reading and eventually found myself unable to stop.

[STORY]

The plot got 8 because, well, honestly, it was a cliched plot. Then again, as said by Shujin in Bakuman, the most amazing sort of mangaka is "someone who can make the most ordinary everyday things seem interesting". Strobe Edge played out a very common storyline in a way that made it grow on you. Rather than give you the idea that, "They must end up together" it gives you a wide range of options because it introduces characters fairly, and smoothly with the story.

[ART]

Hmmm... the art kind of reminds me of Bokura ga Ita (which I didn't watch but have seen pictures of) and Honey and Clover - it gives off the pastel-y kind of aura despite not being in color. The drawings are very simple, not too intricate and not too under-detailed. It's not something you'd get a headache with after hours of reading.

[CHARACTERS]

I'm a person who heavily focuses on characters. It's where I base my opinions on. The characters in Strobe Edge are characters I really love.

While Ninako is like most shojo heroines (occasionally spaced out, flustered around the person she likes), she is so adorable and (as of now), I find it hard to dislike her. What I like most about her is her honesty and her naivety and the way she makes you want her to be happy.

Ren is presented as the typical boyfriend-material perfect guy. The attitude in his character is really gary-stu-ish but underlying that perfect exterior is someone really weak - someone who's very dense regarding things about himself and someone who's unsure about things and people in general. I think that of all the people in the manga, he's the one who needs to grow up the most.

Andou is just lovable. He's your usual playboy who discovered that he needed to grow up after discovering love. Cheesy as it may sound, Andou's discovery actually revealed a lot about how innocent he still is, and how hopeful he is towards things.

Basically, the characters are still children mentally and it will make you feel nostalgic and warm.

[ENJOYMENT]

Needless to say, I enjoyed (and am enjoying) this series too much. I check for updates every single day and although the chapter pages are quite big compared to other manga, it feels like I've only read five.

I'm hoping that Strobe Edge will keep this up. read more

Personally I LOVE SE. The artwork & character designs are flawless. the story is adequate and not annoying. its about unrequited love and rejection. there is more than one love triangle in this series but the humor, artwork & storyline make up for it. did i mention the guys in this manga are BRUTALLY HOT?