Chocolate Christmas

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Chocolate Christmas is an adorable romantic comedy that feels in tune with classic rom coms such as You Got Mail and classic Christmas movies, while also having that delightful Takeuchi touch. Reading this is a real treat, considering it was her first published work.

The two leads are actually in love with eachother without knowing it. After spending a lonely Christmas eve listening to the radio Ryoujo happens to catch the debut broadcast of a lonely hearts style show, Choclate Night. Learning that the DJ, Choco,a lso feels alone and that it's his birthday, she decides to deliver a Christmas cake to him and proclaims ... herself his first fan. Over the next year l, she regularly listens to his program and sets out to bring love to others, much like him. The story then picks up with her getting a job at the same radio station as him, hoping to meet him. She has fallen on love with the man herself, and her cake and declaration last Christmas ignited the same feelings in his heart. Without knowing it the two are drawn together, both in their everyday school life and their life at the station, all without initially realizing who the other person is.

Does this mysterious type of love ring any golden bells?(read the story for the reference!) That's right it plays out similarly to the initial love story of Tuxedo Mask and Sailor Moon! If you're a fan of the dynamic between Uasagi and Mamo them you'll probably be a fan of this story. Much like how sailor moon begins with them bickering, yet being drawn to eachother, so too does this love story.

Their status as the person special to the other, isn't revealed at the same, leading to some great romantic tension as they impact eachother in significant ways. Ryouko and Choco (real name Keiki) continue to influence eachothers behavior and build eachother up into better versions of themselves. By the end of the series, they have both developed a new found appreciation for eachother, Christmas Eve and the Chocolate Night program.

What can I say other then Takeuchi truly has that special gift to write a compelling romance. Its a shame she hasn't released a true blue long running rom com. This is a great holiday read and is sure to illicit feelings of satisfaction in her eternal fanbase.

Her art is as stellar as ever, and her character designs attractive and fashionable. There's not much to dislike in the story that gave this book its name.

I do recommend reading it carefully though. The fan translation available on mangadex is a little shaky in some spots and I think the dialogue was switched for the two leads on page 53 of one of the abailable translarions. At least it appears to be in the wrong word bubbles to me. I also recommend temporarily switching to a alternate translatiom due to the fact page 5 is missing from one, and instead features a page from near the end of the manga in its place. However I believe the fan translation is overall better on on the other. I would say the sites hosting the translations I recommend using but I don't think that's allowed.

Fingers crossed that we one day get an official release or an anime movie!

Now to briefly mention the second story in this vollume release. Wink rain is a fun bonus but I honestly don't have a lot to say. It's not bad, but it didn't really resonate with me personally. Part of my issue with it is the 2 fantranslations I found for it both appear to have a fair amount a faults. Or maybe it's just the way the story unfolds that sometimes makes things a little confusing. I found it less rom com, more teen angst over being the third wheel ina. Friend group after two parties get together. There is a love story unfolding for the main girl but it kind of ends anticlimactically. Or it felt that way to me due to the fan scanlation.
It's definitly worth a quick read though. It has great art as usual and cute characters!