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I have a very low tolerance for annoying characters and over-used clichés. This story has both in spades and I can’t put up with it anymore. I was initially drawn to this series because it was about government censorship and I liked the anime a lot so I figured I would love the manga. Well I don’t. Why? Because despite this being about an adult woman in the military, Iku is your typical shoujo heroine: socially awkward, air headed, clumsy/not good at anything (well except for physical fitness), damsel in distress, and a complete crybaby. She is practically crying every other chapter and is being ... comforted or rescued by her tsundere commanding officer, Dojo, who bullies her (and even hits her multiple times) because he wants to teach her a lesson so that she can succeed-- oh and we can’t forget that he also does it to cover up the fact that he likes her *rolls eyes* Their relationship and physical characteristics (tall girl/short guy) reminds me of Risa & Otani from Lovely Complex, but unlike those two who are teenagers, Iku & Dojo are adults who behave in an immature way that is not at all endearing or funny.

SCORE BREAKDOWN

**Characters: 2/10**
Stereotypes all over the place! I’ve already talked about the leads, so let me go through the supporting characters…

Shibasaki- bishoujo roommate who is calculating and seemingly unable to fall in love… of course this will change and I’m sure you’ll be able to predict who her love interest will be.

Hikaru Tezuka- the kuudere rival of Iku who becomes somewhat of a brother figure later on.

Komaki- smiling, laughing nice guy who turns out to be a pedophile (yeah, I knew he was too good to be true!)

Marie- a shy, hearing impaired teenage girl who has been in love with her neighbor Komaki since she was a little girl. Of course she is victimized (well all the female characters are actually-- that way they can be rescued).

I do like two characters though: friendly, bear-like Captain Genda and the sly megane Satoshi Tezuka. I wish they were featured more because they are far more interesting than the others!

**Story: 5/10**
This manga is very good when it's focusing on the serious themes of government censorship. Unfortunately the other half consists of the rom-com “love story” of two completely unlikable characters. I find it ridiculous how long it took Iku to figure out who Dojo was too.

**Art: 7/10**
Typical shoujo style with big eyes for the girls and spiky hair for the guys. It has comedy elements so of course you will see some exaggerated expressions, chibi faces, and bandages on heads after someone (usually Iku) gets hit. The men are muscular since they're in the military so at least there's some eye candy when they're not in their uniforms.

**Enjoyment: 3/10**
For me, characters are actually more important than the story. I’ve enjoyed many series that don’t have a complicated plot as long as I care about the characters and love reading about their lives. Since I only like 2 people in the Toshokan manga, that pretty much kills any enjoyment I could get from it.

**Overall: 5/10**
There are very few stories out there about female characters in the military. If you’re going into this expecting a strong and capable female lead though, you will be disappointed. There are far too many elements that can already be found in shoujo's like Lovely Complex and Skip Beat. This manga would be so much better if it focused more on the dystopian government... but I guess that would make it josei and obviously they didn't want that. *shrugs* I guess it just comes down to personal preferences. If you like rom-coms and don't mind weak females, then give this one a try.

**Story: 10/10**

This manga has everything I love; great characters, complex themes, plenty of conflict, and a mystery to uncover.

The story features social misfits who have found a family within each other. The main theme is forgiveness; forgiving yourself and being forgiven by others. The characters develop throughout and have to overcome their past in order to live in the present. While there are some comic moments, this is a serious drama that really speaks to the human condition. The message of friendship is an uplifting one though and the ending will leave you with a smile.


**Art: 9/10**

Natsume Ono is known for her unique style that ... can be a bit jarring at first, especially if you're used to reading series that have beautiful and pristine art. Her work is more sketchy than streamlined and she uses big eyes and wide mouths to convey the powerful emotions of her characters. Quite a few times I found myself tearing up because of how well she draws facial expressions. You can really feel their despair.

I particularly love the use of shading. There are a lot of black and gray tones used for the dim nighttime scenes. This creates a slightly sinister environment that matches the tone of the story.

The backgrounds are very well done and you can tell that Natsume Ono has paid attention to historical accuracy of the Edo period. I would spend a lot of time taking in all the details. Each chapter page is drawn using a thicker pen or brush so that it almost looks like a painting, which further lends a historical feel to the work.


**Characters: 10/10**

The story is about a kidnapping group, so the characters are morally ambiguous, but you still like them because Natsume Ono shows the motivations behind their behavior. Many of them have tragic pasts which makes it easy to empathize with them.

Main cast:

Yaichi- the anti-hero whose past is veiled in mystery. He is a study in contrasts; outwardly charming, but inwardly contemplative and depressed. Women are naturally drawn to his vulnerability.

Masa- an awkward ronin with a social phobia. He acts as the comic relief of the story, but he also says some pretty profound things due to his honesty. He’s a very loveable character and a personal favorite of mine.

Ume- an ex-gang member who got out of that life in order to raise his daughter Kinu. His bar is the meeting place of the Five Leaves. While he can be a bit brash, he has a good heart and takes care of everyone in the group.

Kinu- a cheerful teenage girl who serves the customers in her father’s bar. The Five Leaves was formed because of her, but she isn’t directly involved with the kidnappings.

Take- a former geisha who uses her physical beauty as a lure for the men they kidnap. She’s flirtatious and enjoys drinking sake. She has a past connection with Yaichi.

Matsukichi- a quiet man who serves as the spy for the Five Leaves. He used to be a solo thief, but is now an ornament craftsman. He feels indebted to Yaichi.

Ginta- a teenage boy who joins the Five Leaves as a negotiator of ransoms. Yaichi dislikes him because he comes from a similar background. He's the first to discover Yaichi’s past and true nature.


**Enjoyment: 10/10**

I ended up reading all day to finish the series and I loved every minute of it! This is something that I will re-read many times throughout my life.


**Overall: 10/10**

This is a true masterpiece that I can't praise enough. I felt so many emotions while reading and really connected with the characters.


Closing thoughts:

House of Five Leaves is licensed and can't be found online (except for a preview of chapter 1 on the the Viz site), so you will have to buy it. It’s absolutely worth the investment if you like samurai dramas, unique art styles, or character driven stories.

I rated this a 10 in every category (story, art, character, enjoyment, and overall). That doesn't often happen with me, but this manga has really impressed me! I'm a huge fan of stories taking place in historical kingdoms. What I found unique was the lack of magic. It made the story more simple, heartfelt, and realistic.

If I had to describe this series in one word it would be 'nostalgic.' That's the feeling I got while I was reading. The theme is friendship and there are a lot of flashbacks of when Setsu and Luca were children. The scenes were drawn so tenderly in Midorikawa ... Yuki's dreamy, light style that it made me remember childhood friends I had in the past. There are also some great quotes throughout the manga that help evoke this feeling.

The characterization was excellent. I really cared about Setsu, Luca, the King, Dori, and Kulea. Setsu was an incredibly strong female lead. I liked that she was androgynous and could pass for a male too. The story ignores gender completely and only focuses on the emotional bonds of the characters. I found it really refreshing that there were sweet scenes between two males, two females, or a male and a female without bringing a sexual element into the story.

While Luca is technically one of the main characters, he remains a shadowy person and the readers only see him through the eyes of Setsu or the King. This mystery is present until the end when we finally discover what happened to him. Sometimes you can see where a story is heading, but I was genuinely surprised. It could not have ended more perfectly. This is now one of my favorite mangas and I hope that it's printed in English someday because I would love to own this!