Strobe Edge

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Strobe Edge is a story, which starts off as a seemingly normal story, a typical shoujo, but because of its superior story pacing and character development, it is able to become something special and unique.

The mangaka decides to start the story off with a very familiar situation. Ninako, a girl who is very naïve towards love, falls in love with one of the popular guys in school, Ren. At first, all seems good, but we soon find out Ren actually has a girlfriend. Then the manga introduces another boy called Andou, who loves Ninako, and thus the typical love triangle is formed.

Well, ... the plot itself isn’t exactly deep, but it’s developed extremely well. For example, the mangaka leads you to think that Ninako and Ren would make the perfect couple but then decides to throw in a flashback story of Ren and his girlfriend and how deep their relationship really is. Continuing this, she makes it seem like Andou might end up with Ninako, but manages to keep Ren in the triangle stil. I’ve never read a story that there wasn’t a couple that I supported, but I’m actually neutral towards this love triangle. The story makes you feel that, whatever couple happens, it won’t be a happy ending still.

This story is really good at showing unrequited love. It shows the true aspect of love, love is not always happy. Even if you give your lover to someone else, there won’t necessarily be another Prince Charming to come and pick you, because love is not easy to get rid of/change. It tackles the question, if I love someone, but that person doesn't return the love back, should I continue loving this person or should I give up? Also, the way it makes romantic situations is very praiseworthy. The manga especially reuses the “train love incident” a lot, where Ninako and Ren are alone in the train. Still, every single time this happens it’s still very interesting as Ninako has different feelings. The love in this story is realistic and it’s developed well.

I feel that the only really well developed characters in are Ren and Ninako for now but I’m sure the mangaka is going to focus a bit more on Andou later on.

Ren – At first, he seems like a grown up, your typical overprotective boy that most girls like. He doesn’t seem to talk much, so it seems like his character is very mysterious at first, but slowly we see that he is a very confused character. He knows he loves his girlfriend, as the history/bond he developed with her is very strong, but his overprotective character takes the best of him as he starts to care for Ninako, and realizes it too late, that he has feelings. While in the beginning, we see him as a strong character, he further develops into one of the weakest characters in the story.

Ninako – A typical shoujo main character, a girl with love problems, but isn’t able to really understand love yet. But don’t underestimate this, as Ninako gets smarter. Yes, she gets smarter, unlike so many other stories I’ve read, Ninako slowly, but surely, starts to become more experienced. Furthermore, Ninako only loves Ren, no matter how hopeless it seems to her, she still chases only after Ren. We may see that she’s very selfish, to be trying to steal a guy who already has a girlfriend, and Ninako knows she’s selfish. She finds herself questioning if its right for her to keep loving Ren so much, but she realizes, no matter how wrong it is, she still loves him too much. I love her determination, and with this trait, even if Ninako looks very weak, she's probably the strongest character in the story.

I’m probably thinking too much here, but since the art is very shoujoish, I always feel that the art greatly enhances the effect of a typical setting. As if, it wants us to realizes that she’s using a typical shoujo setting and turning it into something new.

I love this manga. Honestly, I think it’s probably my favorite shoujo manga. It’s enjoyable, well developed and each chapter is worth the waiting. This is one of the only mangas, where after I finish reading one chapter, I want a chapter right away, even if there is no cliffhanger. I’m happy to have touched such an amazing story, and it’s been worth every single second of my time.

I will end this review with this.
Love is not that simple and will always hurt someone.
And Strobe Edge has depicted this better then any other manga I've read.

I suppose that this is a usual technique for writing 'credible' reviews, but let me tell you now that I am, in fact, a considerably jaded romance shojo (I'll be talking about 'romance shojo' in particular for this review) reader. I read any shojo title with the initial thought: "I'll drop this once it gets boring." This is because I've read quite a lot from this genre and in fact, I started my love for anime and manga with shojo.

Why, then, out of all of those titles, have I decided to leave a review for this seemingly ordinary and cliche, been-there-done-that shojo?

This ... is because Strobe Edge managed to get that spark running again for me.

But before I go into that, here are the basics.

STORY

Strobe Edge’s story is nothing that deviates from the usual. Ditzy, clumsy, awkward girl falls in love for the first time for the most popular guy in school. A love triangle ensues with the girl, the popular, lead guy and the guy's bestf friend. Nothing new.

What I like about Strobe Edge (and what I’ve read from Sakisaka Io-sensei so far) would be the way she handles cliches. She handles them – for the lack of a better, more accurate term – sincerely. She puts nothing complicated out – no extreme characters, no denseness, no ridiculous plot twists, because first love is already complicated enough.

For one, Strobe Edge isn’t exactly a biased manga - although we have a clear set of leads, Sakisaka-sensei made the journey towards the obvious end worth it, like they aren’t just going to end up together JUST BECAUSE they’re the lead characters, but because of what they - the main characters and the involved parties - went through to get there.

Strobe Edge is a manga that'll make you want to have your first love all over again.

CHARACTERS

I love Strobe Edge’s characters. They follow cookie-cutter patterns, but at the same time, they break away from them.

Ninako can be like any other girl out there experiencing the haplessness of first love. What made her stand out for me among the hordes of shojo heroines is that she is straightforward, honest and she just wants her friends to be happy . Ninako has been consistent so far: she is as awkward as she is sincere, and although she falls in love for the first time, she doesn’t really go out of her way to find it and be dramatic about it.

Ren is your typical heartthrob. Quiet, mysterious, not able to express his real feelings, and, well, really good-looking and smart. But something’s different: he’s taken, and he isn’t really all that willing to throw all those memories away just for the lead shojo character. Despite his attraction to Ninako, he loves his girlfriend not only because he’s supposed to, but because of the memories they share. In the end, he's just a regular guy, who doesn't know how exactly what's right.

There is the clear third party: Andou. Andou is Ren’s ‘best friend’. He is a happy, outgoing playboy who knows just the right moves. He falls in love with Ninako and changes for the better: that is, he decides to ditch his old ways and take on the path of true love. Typical. Now, onto what’s different: he loves Ren, as well. They aren’t really close as best friends are supposed to be. In fact, they both share a trouble-filled relationship. But for some reason, Andou is attracted to Ren and he treasures their friendship. This, however, doesn’t get in the way of his love. He doesn’t throw away either of them. He fights head-on and he says that he won’t give up until he has a chance.

The side characters (especially on Daiki’s side) are given proper attention, and they really just don’t blend in the background and act as characters who can be thrown out of the scene when it’s not convenient for them to be there anymore. Faceless roles are rare (actually, I don't remember any).

TECHNICALITIES

ART: Again, nothing really special here. Typical shojo style - good-looking boys, cute girls. What I love, though, is the pastel-y feel to it, even if it’s black and white, reminding me a bit of Honey and Clover (anime).

DIALOGUES: Quick, easy to understand, and pretty sincere and honest with what it wants to play out.

Xx

I began with Strobe Edge reeling from the disappointment that I faced with Ouran. I stayed for a whole different reason.

Getting back to my first point: What spark did Strobe Edge fire up in me, and how did it do it?

Strobe Edge is enjoyable because it doesn't pull off its story with flashy plot twists.  In fact, at its core, Strobe Edge is esentially a love story, and it doesn't try to become something that it's not.  While in that process, it still manages to effortlessly tap into friendship and growing up (among other things) because those are inevitably connected to love in the first place.

Strobe Edge is a manga that'll make you want to have your first love all over again.

I adore this title, and will definitely have it up in my bookshelf once it gets licensed in English.

Strobe Edge tends to be a bit overrated, if you ask me. It will be a good read for those who are interested in following a high school girl experiencing her first crush. If you are expecting an established relationship between the two MCs within the manga, you will be disappointed. Despite my boredom with this manga, the high rating is because of the manga’s accomplishment in disproving the popular saying “Love don’t die” and being realistic towards a girl’s first crush.

Story (7) / Characters (7)

“I swear I will make you love me” is how to approach this manga. Will the characters succeed? The answer ... is not given until the final chapter. You will spend the entire 42 chapters watching characters trying to reach this goal. Under the circumstances, the pacing was really good. The relationship is not immediate, especially since Ren has a model girlfriend named Mayuka. Then comes a love triangle that later expands to a love square. Emotions were expressed well as one struggled with unrequited love, rejections, and jealousy. The love triangle is solved in the last two chapters, but the other part is left hanging. One disappointment of the manga is the inability to show any hope for a character’s desire to escape unrequited love.

The manga was right on point about a girl’s experience with her first crush. Ninako is more like a lovesick puppy, stalking Ren in earlier chapters. Her monologues are all thoughts of Ren and her contemplation of the meaning of love. Ninako was incredibly immature in the beginning, but she became wiser by the 5th volume. Discussions with experienced characters opened her eyes to her feelings for Ren. Her monologues in the last three volumes were more mature, considering the events that occur.

The high school girls were annoying, always trying to get Ren’s attention by either screaming his name or “accidentally” bumping into him in the hallway. Ren was a laidback heartthrob, who just treated it as a normal thing after growing used to it. All of the girls in the class, except for maybe two or three, are after Ren, but Ninako believes she has a pure chance to make him love her. I found unrealism within Ninako’s large group of friends consisting of 5-6 girls. All of them, except one, fascinated Ren before Ninako. When Ninako revealed her feelings for Ren, they suddenly backed away and cheered for Ninako’s success without any sense of jealousy whatsoever.

The manga got better when it focused on other couples, giving you different individuals to root for. One-shots revealed some characters’ past experiences with love, and each story gives wise lessons that impacted the characters. It reveals the reasons for their current relationships with certain characters. Those characters tended to be more mature than the others, and each one had their own personality.

Art (7)

The art was cute and expressed characters’ emotions excellently. You can laugh at their reactions or feel the characters’ pain. Background design was mostly outlined, but the settings were still unique. The downside comes from the character design. Sometimes characters lacked detail with blank faces. Nearly all of the characters look alike, and I spent the entire manga confusing Ninako with two or three other girls. The worst part is that Mayuka and Ninako look exactly the same, except Mayuka had tons of makeup. The main difference between some characters is the hair length. The only character that stuck out was Ren, and Mangaka Sakisaka Io did a good job of making him appear attractive. Uniqueness towards Ren was needed, since he is every girl’s dream guy.

Enjoyment (5) / Overall (7)

In my opinion, Strobe Edge was a sheer disappointment and a waste of time. It totally contrasts with Sakisaka’s other popular work, Ao Haru Ride. I planned to drop it after five chapters because of the naïve characters, but I continued reading to expect excitement in later chapters. Eventually, I got bored and couldn’t wait until I completed it. I wanted a love story of the MCs sooner than just in the final chapter. The characters were unbearably naïve, and it took forever for the manga to pick up.

This Shoujo may not be intriguing for some, so I highly recommend reading both negative and positive reviews. Sakisaka delivered her message well and depicted high school life on a realistic level. However, it can tend to be unenjoyable, depending on what type of manga you’re looking for.

I'm about to finish reading this manga, so I thought I'd write a short review to let people know how overrated this manga is.
Basically this manga tells the story of a very clumsy girl who falls in love with a guy who already has a girlfriend. Instead of trying to steal the guy away or just repressing her feelings, she decides to treasure the love she feels for him. So, yeah a pretty average plot.
Regarding the characters, the male lead is someone you can relate to since he is someone who is constantly struggling to be honest with her girlfriend, while feeling attracted to Ninako ... (the female lead). What I really dislike about this manga is Ninako, she gets really annoying throughout the story, especially because she is the typical shojo girl with a really "kind" heart that compels her to cry for every little detail. I think that there is no chapter in which you can't see her shed some tears. What I mean is that if you like crybabies this is your manga.
This manga is far away from being a master piece. I don't even know why I bothered to read the whole thing. Well I do know, I kept on reading because of the supporting characters which have a really interesting back-story.

“It’s painful. Was it the apple I ate this morning?
I wonder if it was a poisoned apple.”

You like him. He’s confused and has a girlfriend, who’s gorgeous and a model. The model girlfriend has a brother who is your best friend and loves you. Oh, what a tangled web we weave. (I’ve been wanting to use that line all week!)

A girl who falls for a mysterious boy. A boy who loves his best friend A school where teachers are borderline extinct. All these things we will see in this manga and a lot of others out there making it pretty unoriginal in summary. Characters that ... are unpredictable and make their own history will make this manga as original as it can be while still keeping it’s charm as a slice of life.

I wasn’t going to review this one due to the fact that it’s a bit cliché at times but then the heroine did/said something that made me go WOW, not meaning World Of Warcraft but wow, as an exclamation of surprise in my part. The girl didn’t settle or played a guy’s feelings just to forget “the one” she actually liked. For someone who seemed childish and impulsive she acted surprisingly grown up and honest with herself. Making her a really exceptional heroine.

Ninako acts the way she looks, which is carefree and happy, just like a child. Never having been in love, she asks her friends what it feels like and after hearing them. comes up with the conclusion that it feels like a eating food gone wrong. One meeting, one guy, one train and a broken charm later she won’t have to wonder what love feels like anymore.

The story develops rather fast and slow at the same. There’s a moment where a character questions their love by asking how can she like someone she barely even knows anything about. It was at that time I realized this manga was indeed rare in it’s story and yet simple as can be. Love does take time,. Not a lot in some cases, but for it to be true love, it has been my experience that knowing more than their name will be a deciding factor. For me, all bets are off when they smile though, to each their own.
We see the ups and down and the moving on of a relationship and all of it with such delicacy you don’t notice until it’s over (the manga not the relationship). The beautifulness of first love, growing together and changing. Something I tend to forget when I’m submerged in romance shojo manga is that first love, though great and wondrous, it’s not always eternal. We all change and sometimes at a different pace and we end up growing apart.

As a reader there is very few thing that are worse than not knowing the characters you want to understand. Luckily for us, that isn’t the case here making it a really sweet ride.
All information comes thoroughly and systematically for our pleasure. We get to know the characters and judge for ourselves their choices based on their story. As the pages pass not only does the story flow beautifully but we see how the characters we have grown to love, change and grow up.
Ninako is never frustrating or plain. She is sweet, caring and funny and warms her way into the coldest of hearts while still being klutzy and a crier. She surprised me as I mentioned above, she is as Ren calls her, “weird.” She doesn’t do what you’d expect, most of the time I think she even surprises herself (so to speak).

I’d be lying if I said that my favorite character was the protagonist.
Ren is mysterious and good looking and that alone would have made him predictable had the mangaka not given him an edge and a serious and tenacious personality. All that and he was still caring and thoughtful. But Andou was so great of a character I was actually rooting for him more than Ren (sometimes) just because he had “that role” that you know will not end well but you love him so much you hope it changes. His character comes alive and he ends up reminding you of all the other great guys who didn’t get the girl (by the way that is by no means a spoiler just a fact).

The art is nothing overwhelmingly amazing. Ninako looks fragile and petite and it’s emphasized more when she opens her mouth, fitting into her role. Ren reminded me a little of Kimi ni Todoke‘s Kazehaya. It could have been just me though but he is so well drawn and yet there is nothing ostentatious about him. Makes you wonder what you like about him, but I dig the mysterious, so well… There are some awkward times when the characters look too tall/long but nothing to make you cringe away.

This is actually the review of the second time reading it. I remembered a certain scene that stayed with me and was surprised this manga doesn’t get as much hype as it deserves. It’ short and definitely sweet both characters and story. It’s not a perfection personified but it’s pretty beautiful nonetheless.

Ao Haru Ride is becoming pretty big but the story sounded like any typical shoujo so I was reluctant to start it. Yet at the same time, I wanted to give the author a chance to pull me into her storytelling, so I started with her completed work Strobe Edge.

How should I describe this manga?

…Meh.

Story: 7

There are plenty of clichés to point out, but ultimately, Strobe Edge covers what it feels like to fall in love and the heartache you’re bound to feel when it happens.

... Art: 7

It’s shoujo, but the eyes are especially big in this one. Other than that, everything’s decent.

Character: 6

I’m not going to say something stupid like I couldn’t connect with them because to me, characters don’t need to be relatable in order for me to like them. However, the characters in this manga are likeable. The protagonists aren’t annoying and the side characters have their reasons for doing whatever they’re doing.

But in all honesty, everybody was sort of bland. I didn’t really fall in love with any of them and neither did I cheer them on. Considering the fact that most shoujos have annoying heroines and “I’m too cool and cocky for you” love interests, these characters were more chill, so I give them a 6.

Enjoyment: 6

Okay, so far, it may sound like I didn’t really enjoy the manga. That’s…sort of true? I guess?

Look, this isn’t a bad manga. By no means is it a bad manga! It’s decent! Believe me, it is! But this is MY review of Strobe Edge, and ultimately, what I feel about it. So here’s MY issue with this manga:

It’s the emotions. When I read this manga, I felt like the author was trying too hard. That may sound harsh, but that’s what I felt when I read it. The emotions just felt stiff. When something sad happened, I felt as if the author was nudging you with her elbow and saying, “And THIS is what you’re supposed to feel! Do you feel it? It hurts, right? Right? Do you feel that? It’s the heartache. Right?”

Ummm……….riiiigghhht…….

The appropriate thing to say is “show, don’t tell,” which is really ironic since this is a manga. I guess one of the issues is the constant internal dialogue. The characters repeat their feelings over and over again internally that it becomes annoying.

And the author has her characters—especially the main character—say every single detail they're feeling about their love-life (internally of course). To some, that may not be an issue, but to me, it’s as if the author’s treating me like a fool. It’s as if she’s assuming I won’t be able to understand the emotions she’s so heavily trying to draw out of her characters and their situations unless she literally draws them out for me to read.

But the thing is that the author’s milked the emotions so much that now I have no use for them. I get it, their actions bring up consequences and those consequences affect their emotions that they don’t know what to do with. I get it! Do you really have to repeat the process over and over again, as if I didn’t get it the first few times with the first few characters?

Overall: 6

Strobe Edge is on the border between bad and good for me, leaning more towards good, but unfortunately, not there.

Now, will you enjoy this manga? If you enjoy shoujo tropes, then it’s VERY likely you will. Did I enjoy it? Not really, but I do acknowledge that it’s definitely a decent manga. There are deeper emotions to experience besides girl falls in love with boy, boy already has a girlfriend, yada, yada, yada, other teenage angst.

I actually went and reread the manga to see if my feelings about it had changed over the few months that passed since I finished it. I couldn’t handle it and skipped some (many) chapters, but I still shrugged most of the time and pursed my lips as the author spelled out every emotion possible. (Maybe this is why many people enjoyed it. Everything’s spelled out in front of you so you’re not confused as to what’s going on. But that just wastes time in my opinion. If this were a novel, I’d say there were too many unnecessary details). As you can see, my view of Strobe Edge remains unchanged from then ‘til now.

Again, if you’re into shoujo, give it a chance. You’ll most likely enjoy it. If you’re not into shoujo, the choice is up to you. A warning though: Strobe Edge is 10 volumes long, so you’ll be using up a good amount of time to finish it as a whole.

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?

If you are someone who seeks more on insights and inner emotions of characters rather than superficial actions, read Strobe Edge.

Strobe Edge, a typical shoujo manga that one may read. The story starts off simple, readers may not be expecting much from this series at first sight. Because it seems cliche, a guy having a girlfriend (being so popular in school), and a normal high school girl. However, this manga touches on the inner feelings of these characters more than the development of the storyline. The story proceeds pretty slowly for something that can end quickly. There was nothing much to dwell on this cliche ... storyline but the inner emotions of the characters.

This is what makes Strobe Edge a more unique manga than the other series that have similar storyline. The details of the characters feelings are greatly shown in the art of the characters' facial expressions and actions. Short and insightful lines delivered by Ninako each time as she struggles with her feelings for Ren give the manga a greater and deeper meaning. This is because the author strives to teach her readers the feeling of love.

The art is what you will typically call - pretty boys art. Actually the male characters look quite alike with their features, only slight difference, and with a different hairstyle and hair colour. In short, if you fit the hairstyle of Ren on Andou you will still see the character as Ren. So goes for the girls, even the sideline female characters look pretty. (Can't believe that they are normal high school girls). If you go for pretty art, this is what you should see.

I have re-read this series many many times, and every time I find it enjoyable to feel for the characters within the manga. The author puts in quite a lot of effort in making the story a meaningful one so it will only do justice if we, the readers, read it extra tastefully. Strobe Edge is a manga that can touch your hearts if you do try to feel for the characters. The best part is that no character is actually the real antagonist, which is quite different from normal shoujo manga. It's a rare opportunity that I get to enjoy a manga series without flaring up at any character particularly.

Another gem of a shoujo manga and that is Strobe Edge. Sakisaka-sensei did something so enlightening here. Something that explains why some works while others don't.

Again, typical story - girl meets boy, fell in love first, confession and rejection. Or maybe not typical as it seems to be. Strobe Edge have much more to offer and things to ponder.

Admittedly, the characters were not the reason I was drawn to it. Protagonist Kinoshita Ninako is not a strong character to be begin with. Innocent and bubbly. Easy to get along with and a good friend. She fell in love with the silent Ichinose Ren, a popular ... boy in their school when they happen to rode the same train going home, at least it started there. There's Daiki, best friend of Ninako who confessed to her and rejected at once and being confessed to by another friend of Ninako, Uehara Sayuri. While the boy in question has a girlfriend Mayuka who happened to be Daiki's onee-chan! To make things more complicated, Ren's best friend Andou Takumi fell in love with Ninako. It's tangled! Teehee. xD

Basically, it's a love war. Clashing of emotions, holding on to a promise, unspoken feelings, accepting changes, letting go and starting anew. That's where you'll find Strobe Edge's strength. The story is so compelling because it's so real I can feel the agony of working so hard and yet in the end you have no choice but to accept the fact that there are things that will change no matter how you try to stay the same. It's inevitable.

This is actually the first time I couldn't wholeheartedly support the main couple. Probably because it meant accepting that there are feelings that really do fade in time. It must be fate but who knows. Although one thing I really do like about Strobe Edge is that in the end they have no regrets because they gave it all. Each have done their part. Good job.

I cried, I laughed, I fell in love, got hurt and fall in love again. It's almost magical. Oh, love. xD

Lesson? It's good while it lasts. Have the courage to move forward. Embrace change and fall in love because it will be worth it.

I started Strobe Edge thinking it was another typical shoujo manga, and honestly, it was at first. Nothing seemed to be out of place. They had your seemingly nice male protagonist who performs chivalry and your curious, ignorant teenage girl fresh in the usual high school setting. After a few encounters with Ren, Ninako quickly comes to realize she has fallen in love with his rich kindness and caring nature. Though, before I realized it, I couldn't keep myself from wanting to know what happened next.

What shoujo manga tend to lack that Strobe Edge strongly holds is that real sense of development. Most of the ... time, the mangakas have the male characters save the female in typical situations, and only then does she gain confidence to stand up for herself and others, but in this story, Ninako goes through self-discovery and develops from the hardships of unrequited, first love by herself. I personally feel that female protagonist make too many cliche mistakes by deciding to go with an easier, less painful route in predicaments, which is why I love Ninako so much. She follows her heart and doesn't let others persuade her to think otherwise.

Ren was also an interesting character. It isn't until much later that we find out why he is the way he is, and because the backstory's not overly dramatic like most pasts we see, it's simple yet heartwarming to the point where it's easily relatable. He seems like the mysterious type in the beginning, but the small twist in this story make it perfect for steering his real personality progressively throughout the manga without losing our attention completely.

In truth, there's no character I thought was unnecessary. Every chapter, every subplot seemed to fit itself perfectly and weaved into a very charming manga that's perfect for those who are looking for a romantic classic to read. I highly recommend it for first-time readers of manga, as well, to try out this page-turning read.

It is not because i am an odious or ridiculous girl
It's just that the story seemed like a total crap
The protagonist is a complete idiot and stupid, I had not seen such a repugnant character in my life
I Hate the female protagonist from start to finish
I also detested the male protagonist too because he was a pathetic boy and he was unfriendly and disgusting, totally disgusting
I only liked the girl named Maya, the development of her character was the best in all of history
That's why I didn't like the story at all
Because it was a complete shit from start to finish

I don't have much experience in reading or watching shoujo genre manga/anime. All the anime I've watched are the popular ones: Kimi ni Todoke (which I found cute), Lovely Complex (which made me cry), Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun (which I thought was adorable), and Kaichou wa Maid-sama (which makes me laugh so hard). I've only read parts of Hibi Chouchou and read/watched up to episode 19 of Ouran Koukou Host Club. Heck, Fairy Tail doesn't count as shoujo.

So that's why you probably shouldn't take my opinion seriously, but I'll put it here anyway.

Strobe Edge is the most realistic romance manga I have ever read (not that ... the others weren't realistic, but I found this the most realistic). The characters have their own strengths and flaws, and though the plot can sometimes seem a bit cliche, it's enjoyable and relatable. Ninako's struggle in love is painfully heart-wringing, and I must admit I nearly cried when Ren finally confessed to her. Andou-kun is a loveable character as well, and at times, I felt like he was a better match for Ninako than Ren was (but that was before the ending). The secondary characters add humour and fluff to the main plot, and I especially love the bonus chapter about Gacchan. I was trying so hard not to cry when I read the last page. Overall, even if you don't like romance, I think you would enjoy it.

Strobe Edge is one of the most emotional, heart-wrenching manga I've come across. There are moments that make you want to slap the characters, cry your heart out, or smile so hard your face hurts. I would recommend it to anyone who has time to read it, so please consider doing so!

*Review contains spoilers*

Story 5/10
So, I do not want to call the story boring, but...nothing really interesting happens. There are no "wow" moments or any storyline that keeps you interested for long. With that being said, there were a couple of things that prevented me from giving story a lower rating:
1-nice twist having the love interest of main character have a girlfriend and initially rejecting main character. This sort of thing usually happens near the end of the story for climax.
2-even though they tried, no love triangles really start! the main character's feelings remained loyal to her initial love interest and she never led on Andou, ... despite his many confessions to her. (I have to add though that I did find annoying and sometimes couldn't understand Ninako's fixation with Ren at first, when nothing had actually happened between them).
3-no characters were annoying or felt like extra.
4-love story develops gradually, which makes it believable.
5-The story doesn't only focus in romance, but it has a strong theme of friendship.
On the things I didn't like:
1-Total cliche of main character being wildly popular and seeming "unattainable", when he wasn't even that cool.
2-Again, why was Ninako so fixated with Ren when the guy barely talked to her at first?
3-The story doesn't really take off.

Art 7/10
The drawings were nice and I really liked how some scenes were played out through the drawings (for ex. Ren and Ninako's confession).

Characters 6/10
I am going start by saying that even though all characters were likeable, none of them really stand out...maybe Andou and Manabu (my favorites). I still don't understand why the entire school had this infatuation with Ren...I mean he was nice and all, but he wasn't "out of this world" for all the hype girls had about him. Even Andou was better drawn that he was. Ninako was very very clumsy and should really get her balance checked by a doctor!! That girl couldn't walk 2 steps without tripping and falling.
Andou was very funny since the start and I often found myself wishing Ninako would chose Andou instead. Even by the last chapter I kept my hopes up that she would take Andou instead. Andou was definitely more interesting and proactive than Ren. Andou's story was actually more developed than anyone in this manga, which sometimes made me feel he was the main character, not Ren. I also enjoyed how easygoing and straight forward Manabu was.

Enjoyment 5/10
This wasn't a pain in the butt, but I didn't drop it because I am that type of person that would only quit reading or watching something if it is too horrible. There were some good scenes (like Ren and Ninako's confession, Ren confronting Ninako about her feelings).

Overall 5/10
So, this manga is just OK. I think it is overrated. If you like reading, then do it for the sake of reading something. If you are looking for an interesting, good story, look somewhere else.

As an Ao Haru Ride fan, this one is a big no for me. Normally I don't usually quit reading/watching something this easily, but this one tests really well. :D I just couldn't stand this shallow and silly main character.

One day she has this so-called crush Daiki, and the other day she suddenly fell in love with the most popular, good looking guy in the school. Like, she can't be more obvious. And confessing someone that already HAS a girlfriend?? And she would just still go after him, eventhough she was rejected. :'(( Girl where is your manners... I can't stand this.

The art ... was okay, clean and easy to understand, like we used to in Io Sakisaka's other works. But the plot, definitely could've been better i swear...

Ok, so I found this manga while looking around something new to read. Overall there is a reason I dropped this manga. Although I did go though a pretty good portion wanting to see how this turns out {out of curiosity}.As I had heard of this manga...
I will be going over the story, charters and art.

Story:
The story follows Ninako Kinoshita in her high school years..it is basically a story of her "first love" (which is the overall theme). She falls for Ren..who (surprise, surprise) is the most popular guy in the school. The only problem with this is that Ren has a girlfriend.
The story is ... cute but is sometimes overly sweet...like a tooth ache. Some parts are just overly cheesy and unrealistic.

Charters:
There are many charters in strobe edge but the main 2 are Ninako and Ren.
Ninako-Is the main character of our story. She is very childish and an airhead. Which is meant to be charming but come off as annoying. Which you can tell straight away when she buys sour apples because of what some clerk said who was just trying to get rid of the merchandise. She is contently tripping and falling over. Also she gets stuck to a tree because of piece of her hair gets stuck. How gullible and useless can you be? Especially, for a high school student.

Ren-He is the main charters main love interest. He is also suppose to be the cool, mature, mysterious popular guy. Although in the beginning it comes off as him just being cold. I really do not see the whole appeal of him. I also do not buy the connection between him and Ninako
Although the fact that he tried to stay faithful to his girlfriend give him some points. He does have a strong moral compass but overall he seems very unemotional.

I saved the best for last
Takumi Ando- A.K.A the second guy who appears to complete the love triangle for Ninako, who never had a chance at the main girl to begin with. Also the best written charter in the whole darn manga with a well rounded personality. He starts off as a player (after having his heartbroken by his first lover) then develops into a pretty okay guy. He tries to do the right thing and be honest with himself as the manga goes on- to bad he never had a chance.
All the rest of the charters don't really get developed and are just there for body decoration(except for Sayuri and Daiki who are just demoted to a side story).

Art:
The art for the manga is fine and clean at the start. I admit I am not a fan of the whole "duck face" look some of the drawings but I got over it. What I couldn't handle though was how every girl looks the same along with the guys.

Overall I find this manga to be very overrated it's ridiculous. the story is unrealistic, the charters are annoying and/or unemotional, and even though the art is nice all the charters look the same.

There is something special about strobe edge that's hard to put into words. I am not a fan of dramas with love triangles, unresolved feelings, and hesitant relationships, which strobe edge has them all. Most of the time I find those things more irritating than sad, probably because they aren't executed well. When a character says or does something that's for the sake of character development or when a story progresses for the sake of creating complexity, I can't get myself into those sort of storylines. However, if a story can be as natural as it is progressive, like strobe edge, I won't be able ... to stop reading till the very end.

Strobe edge isn't very long, but there is a lot packed into one chapter. It's not a shoujo manga with filler development. Sometimes it's incredibly sad and other times it can be very funny. The contrast flows naturally out from the characters. Another thing I really like about strobe edge is that the main girl isn't just kind and bubbly without much behind her character. Another way to put it is, she feels both real and special. Other characters around her too feel real. I'm not usually into a playboy paired with a quiet lone wolf as possible love interest because it's a bit stereotypical for shoujo manga, and honestly, those types don't even go togethe as friends or enemies. They are usually created for the sake of the main girl, or just fan-serving, but strobe edge feels different. They are there and they are friends/enemies because they have to be. It's that sort of presence and relationship I sense, so I guess the only way to describe it is that the characters and their relationships are in the right place. Of course, I don't mean I like the situations they are in since I honestly dislike reading things like love triangles.

Overall, I enjoyed strobe edge a lot even though it's heartbreaking and simply sad at times. Even if you are not into complicated relationships or stereotypical high school love lives, I still would recommend you give it a try. Strobe edge is a superb example that even with subjects that have been reused and recycled billions of times, they can still be as good as they should be because, if we have been reusing them for so long already, it must mean that they have great potential to be something even more amazing.

Stupid Ren. Stupid Andou.

Strobe Edge was a really fun and well written series. I love how the author shows that love can grow and change. Love can have lots of outcomes. Liking someone doesn't necessarily mean they'll like you back. Liking someone also doesn't mean you should or need to disrespect romantic relationships you've already built. Most importantly, love needs time to grow.

What's really great about Strobe Edge is that there are so many fun friendships. Sometimes you don't even know how strong a friendship is and how much you need those bonds. I think all of the characters learned a lot about love ... and relationships.

I enjoyed all of the characts. They were funny, sweet, relatable, and realistic. Ren, Andou, Ninako, Gaachan, - all of the characters added layers to the story.

I loved the art. My only complaint is the size of Ninako's eyes. That bugged me. Other than that, the art was awesome and the panels were very easy to follow.

Strobe Edge is the one story I will always end up drifting back to.

To start off, we are handed a typical setting in which there is a shoujo heroine, who is ditzy and childish, and her love interest, who is the school's stoic idol. Typical.

And then something not-so-typical happens when, as we read, all of our (admittedly low) expectations quietly detonate. Left behind is this gem.


*Story*
I've often seen The Story neglected, given way to tropes and cliches that are much easier to manipulate, as opposed to weaving together something unique and precious to the readers. Strobe Edge does not disappoint. It is ... NOT handed over to draw-from-a-pile-of-trash 'plot twists' that are stretched so thin they're transparent.

Strobe Edge instead offers something completely different. It offers sweet, subtle turn of events that will gradually wrap fairy fingers around your heart and squeeze. The slice-of-life is strong, but it does not plod through the character's daily life, it flows at this gentle pace that pulls you in piece by piece until you're completely immersed in the character's sugary-yet-believable world of heartbreak and first love.

*Art*
This is very much a shoujo manga, yet the mangka's art style remains unique amongst others. Ninako's shoujo heroine design in particular stands out. The characters are all distinguishable - even Ninako's group of friends (otherwise, the side characters) are given distinct features that separate them from simply being a faceless, nameless gaggle of girls surrounding the main character. Very sweet and expressive. Flawlessly captures the more subtle exchanges between Ninako and Ren.

*Character*
This, above all others, is where Strobe Edge excels and truly shines. I cannot shower enough praise. The characters, each of them, the side characters as well as the mc's, rope you into their lives until you're entirely invested. We are given characters who think, who have friends that they care about, who are driven by morals, self interest, love, friendship, happiness, heartbreak. We are given 'characters' who are 'human' in their frankness. And we are given two characters, a boy and a girl, who find themselves becoming incredibly fond of one another, and gradually discovering the truth about love.


(This is a quick review and quite messy! I apologize! But I hope my enthusiasm for the series encourages you to give it a shot! I adore the manga, I figured it would make a good spot to try my first review. Thank you!)

Enjoyment: 5 it's simply boring. I started reading Strobe Edge because it's highly recommended (and overrated!). it's in several tops when it comes to shoujo manga and I enjoyed reading Haru Ride, which has written by the same author. But, despite the story unfolding so fast, I didn't feel any emotion or enthusiasm in the first 6 chapters and I started to find the main character irritating.


character: 6 - The way Ninako (the main character) fall in love with Ren and confesses is very hurried and poorly developed.
she's a naive girl who does not know what love is and She's the typical good girl ... who only wishes the happiness of her beloved without looking at her own happiness. In addition, she cries all the time (which I found very irritating because I prefer strong female characters).

Art: 7 - it's good. the girls are all very similar and the eyes are slightly large.
I thought the male characters were better drawn.

Recomendation: for those who like to read a light and more pleasant novel, I recommend the author Yamamori Mika: Tsubaki-chou lonely planet or my favorite - Daytime shooting star.

All hail Sakisaka Io-sensei! Sasuga desu ne~. I gave this manga a 10/10 score simply because it was such a masterpiece.(tears)

Although it exhibits a common plot for shoujo mangas – cute girl falls in love with the coolest guy in school, it was a lot more than I expected. Our heroine here, Ninako, suffers from an unrequited love for Ren who is, unfortunately, committed in a long term relationship with his first love. Being in an unrequited love is such a pain in the ass. You know the feeling when you just want to rush to that someone and then you realize that you just ... can’t? Or better yet, you know you shouldn’t. That is how Ninako’s everyday life turns into a drama. The other characters too have their own stories to tell.

Although I’m a beginner when it comes to love, after reading this, it feels like I’ve undergone all the heartaches and dokidokis in the world. It depicts that falling in love isn’t just about flowers and butterflies, but it is experiencing pain to appreciate happiness.

Other than the ultra mega i-don’t-know-how-to-describe-how-beautiful-it-is art of Io-sensei, the whole story is heart-warming and you’ll see yourself glued to your computer chair until you finish the whole manga. Warning: This is ADDICTIVE. Happy reading then! Ja ne~