Nisekoi

Before I say anything else, I'd like to say that a 6/10 score doesn't mean this manga isn't worth reading. 6/10 is "fair" and that is exactly what this manga is at this point. Secondly, I feel like I really have to give two scores for Nisekoi:

For the first 45-50 chapters:
Genuine plot progression and character development, decent romance, and the feeling that the story was building upon itself. This part of Nisekoi is highly enjoyable and is the section currently being covered by anime Shaft is producing. It's a rom-com at its finest and gets a solid 8/10.

The problem starts after that....unless you like 60 chapters of filler. Gone is the character development, gone is the hilarious approach to love, in is an ever-growing harem of girls we know won't win and the abuse of gags. What starts as a truly entertaining love triangle blossoms into a nauseating dodecahedron with all the depth of a bath tub. It's like the manga is an airplane that has stalled and is now plummeting downwards, getting closer to a wreck by the week. With the latest girl added to the harem: the onee-san ninja chinese gangster who Raku happens to know, it is obvious the author is suffering from PSOOYA disease, a terrible conditions many writers suffer from. That is, "Pulling Shit Out Of Your Ass" My current score for chapters 55-current(118) is about 4/10, and that's being generous to say the least.

To understand why Nisekoi's plot and beauty jumps off a cliff and is replaced by bland moe-cuteness on a weekly basis, you have to understand two things. First; this is a manga that is published in Shonen jump, where long serialization is more important than development. Second: the demographic reading it doesn't give a shit. The popular vote for favorite character is very telling to the kind of people reading this in Japan, but I'll get to that later.

Story: 5/10
Starts off with an unoriginal but fun premise and is, for the first part at least, very well done. It would have a higher score if it had progressed an inch in 60 chapters.

Art: 8/10

While the art in Nisekoi can vary slightly, it always seems to get its point across perfectly. As much as I hate what has been drawn recently(moe,moe,moe!) it always does a very good job at representing characters and their emotions. No complaints here.

Characters: 5/10
"Five out of ten in a series based off its characters! Sacrilege!" is probably what the die hard fanboys are thinking right now, but with no development whatsoever in any character apart from Chitoge that is what they deserve. For starters, let's look at the MC.

Raku: Typical dense MC. Is at his most interesting/least cliche when dealing with Chitoge, but becomes a flat character when dealing with just about any other girl. Has a case of convenient amnesia.

Chitoge: First girl bias, incoming. A lot of people brand her as the "typical tsundere/bipolar" but to be honest for a good part of the series this is her job. She hates Raku at the beginning but is forced to act all lovey-dovey when others are around, so she comes across as bipolar. She's the only girl with some proper backstory and that has some level of depth to her character, but perhaps more importantly she's the only one that went through non-contrived development.

Onodera: Fan-boys are going to flame the crap out of me for this, but she iis your run of the mill cutesy girl character. A lot of people prop her up as "pure" but the truth is she's annoyingly indecisive and mind-numbingly boring. If you have a hard-on for shy girls and have never been in any sort of relationship in your life she's going to be your favorite character because that is her entire character.

Ruri: Best female character? Maybe. It seems side-characters are the only ones with heads on their shoulders in this series and in Ruri's case this is extremely apparent.

Shuu: Best male character? Definitely. He isn't dense and he's generally extremely fun to watch.

The rest of the harem: You'll fall in love with Marika if you like creepy stalker girls who hold onto a love from when they were five years old and are ready to rip couples apart to get it back. "She deserves Raku the most" bleet a few sheep who think the fact that she wants someone so directly is the best, but the truth is she doesn't know jack-shit about the current Raku and none of us know anything about her apart from the fact that she's pretty, talks like a redneck, and wants to marry Raku. She's meh at best. Tsugumi plays her role well but her character development was contrived as it gets "he called me cute, character 180 time!". I'm not even going to get into the others, because we don't know enough about Chinese-teacher-don-nee-chan yet and I don't even want to get started on the little sister.

The 'fake love' between Chitoge and Raku is really the highlight of this manga.

Enjoyment: 6/10

For the same reasons as I put on "story", 8/10 for the first half and 6/10 for the second half, respectively.

Overall: 6/10

If within the next 20-30 chapters there is a sign that this manga is once more moving towards an ending it will go back up to a 7-8. At this point in time I don't recommend reading it because I'm not sure how the authors going to do it, but I can guarantee to you if you hear that Nisekoi got a "harem end" it's NOT worth the read.
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I actually was enjoying this manga a lot when it first came out, and after trying to stick with it so long I have to say, I'm thoroughly done with the same THING OVER AND OVER. Literally, it's a repeat of the same ''jokes'' and ''problems'' in every other chapter. The ONLY reason I'm keeping up with it is to find out who Raku ends up with, but at this point it's gotten so annoying to me that I might not even stick around to find out.

Honestly, it was fine I'd say the first 100 chapters, but even after that it got way out of hand like the author just got bored and decided to repeat a lot of the same material. Raku, is an idoit. Period. I don't see how any of these girls could want him, especially Odonera. She's been liking him this entire time, and not ONCE has she had the nerve to tell that boy that she likes him. And if she did, there was always some sorry ass excuse for it. It's sad.

Chitoge is probably the only one I will count that is pretty cliche but has somewhat some development, and that's because in the beginning she hated Raku, but then grew feelings for him. Reason being...? I don't know. He's not even cute anymore (and I thought he was). He's a complete airhead, worse than your average blonde and doesn't even consider or notice ANYTHING ABOUT THESE FEMALES. It's like he's blind...or a twelve year old boy with no kind of thought proccess on what ''love'' is. And the sad part is all of these other girls STILL cling to him...like he's the ONLY good looking and nice boy around.

I don't even CARE about the REST of the girls, because what was born as a love triangle turned into a complete mess of a harem. It's sad, this manga had SO MUCH POTENTIAL, and the author just threw it down the toilet. I'm not even gonna lie, I haven't even been reading it since like..the 100th chapter, because it's just boring and hard to get through a chapter. I only pay attention when something happens between Chitoge and Raku, because I have a feeling the author is gonna end it with those two. IF he ever does end it..


long story short, do NOT read this manga if you want a somewhat decent love story, because you'll end up as pissed as I am about how sorry it turns out the more you read it.
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This manga's title, Nisekoi, means "False Love". However, it should also have a second meaning: "False Genre".

Naoshi Komi's Nisekoi is deceiving. At first, it starts off with a genuine low-drama love triangle, in which the story is based around solving the mystery behind Raku Ichijou's childhood lover. It is never doubted for any moment that comedy is the main focus of this manga; however, it also has a great amount of romance. As the plot thickens and the story progresses, it becomes increasingly difficult for the reader to predict which girl the male protagonist will end up with. (And that's what all romance manga should strive for: unpredictability). Unfortunately, Nisekoi could not take the momentum of its great start and carry it throughout its entirety.

After the end of the anime adaptation, I (along with MANY others) went to the manga seeking a continuation of this enticing love story. I wanted to find out more about Raku Ichijou's past. I wanted to know how his relationships with the various girls would be resolved. Did I get what I was looking for? Not quite. What I did get, however, was a continually-growing harem that seemed to solidify the fate of Nisekoi, which is that Raku Ichijou will never choose a lover. As the chapters progress, the main premise of Nisekoi becomes increasingly muddied, to the point where you forget that it even had a plot. It simply becomes a never-ending slice-of-life manga with dashes of romance here and there. Nothing too major though, as its premise has changed to pleasing the male demographic with more and more beautiful girls instead of providing a solid romance story.

Nisekoi is listed as belonging to "Romance, Comedy, and Shounen" genres. While that is absolutely appropriate for its beginning, it does not stay that way; it can only be seen as a harem manga as it progresses. Every single girl that is introduced in the manga eventually falls in love with the main protagonist, Raku Ichijou, who is even initially "bland" and "unappealing" in the eyes of said girls. Clearly, this is not an element of the standard romance manga.

Perhaps Nisekoi's one claim to fame would be its characters. Their extremely appealing personalities and mannerisms are clearly reflected in the occasional character popularity poll. Just the fact that so many people are willing to express their support of their favorite character shows how likable each and every one of them are. All of the girls act cutely and are lovable. Any one of them have the potential to become one of the reader's favorite characters; that's how appealing they are. The same can be said even about the side characters, like Kosaki Onodera's mother or the various members of Raku Ichijou's gang. No character ever comes off as being bland (which is ironic, because the "bland character" Ruri Miyamoto actually serves to provide some of the funniest punchlines).

Overall, Nisekoi will appeal to readers who enjoy watching characters interact with each other in a slice-of-life fashion (with hints of romance) and those who do not mind a stagnant plot. However, if you are one who absolutely despises a genuine romance manga being ruined by the addition of a harem element, steer clear of Nisekoi. You know best what type of reader you are.
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First impression: I hadn't laughed that much since Seto no Hanayome. This manga is really hilarious, and by what is seen on its One Shot it will get more action as the story keeps moving forward.

Story: Is some sort of reversed Romeo and Juliet story style, since here two rival families, a yakusa and a gangster one, leaders' want to settle a peace treatment by joining their respective heirs; a guy and a girl than can't see each other with out beginning a ruckus... but that somehow managed to maintain the masquerade to prevent a war between the families.

Art: I can't give it a 10, but it's really good quality and fits perfectly the story.

Characters: The chemistry between then is awesome...

Enjoyment: ... What do I say... I'm still laughing.

Overall: This is a great manga that you surely will enjoy.
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