Gokkun! Pucho
Pixie Pop: Gokkun Pucho

Edit

What would you like to edit?

SynopsisBackgroundAlternative TitlesPictureChapters/VolumesPublishing DatesRelationsTypeExternal Links  

I think Gokkun! Pucho is one of the most underrated shoujo series out there because it is very good and different from other shoujos I read. This one focuses a lot on how it is NOT easy to make someone fall in love with you. Just because you try doesn't mean that it'll be an easy road. I'm amazed by how persistent Mayu is in pursuing the person whom he likes (and has rejected her once). I can kind of relate myself to her. I really like Mayu and her mature attitude despite all the hardship that she has to go through. I also like ... Amamiya's realistic character. There are indeed a lot of guys who don't really care about anything besides themselves, so they need a girl to really open up their hearts and freeze their cold attitudes.

First review time...

Pixie Pop centers around Mayu Kousaka. She's down in the dumps after being rejected by her crush, Amamiya-kun, especially when she finds out he's in the same class as her on her first day of middle school. Embarrassed and crushed at her rejection, Mayu returns home to drink some pop and forget about Amamiya...but after drinking a strange concoction left out on the bar of her mother's café, Mayu discovers the drink fairy Pucho!

Pucho says that what Mayu drank was her "Seven-Color Drink", which Pucho needed to turn into an adult...and now whenever Mayu drinks something, with the exception of water, her body ... will transform!

At first Mayu doesn't believe it...but when she drinks cold milk and grows almost too big for her house, it starts seeming real.

This manga is very short, only three volumes - but each one is wonderful to read. The art is pretty, especially the characters' extraordinarily oversized eyes, and the sugary-sweet shoujo colors on the front of each manga volume.
The story doesn't particularly draw you in, but it reads lightly and easily, like a refreshing sip of soda after a hot day. In every chapter, our poor heroine Mayu transforms into all kinds of wacky characters - melon makes her popular, green tea turns her into an old lady, and pork soup...well, that one was a disaster.

The main love story is also not particularly engaging - a long game of will-they-won't-they and he-loves-me,-he-loves-me-not ensues between Mayu and Amamiya - but Mayu is refreshingly sweet and supporting characters like Mayu's best friend Nazuna and Amamiya's friend Ryouta make for an entertaining side story, aptly titled "Desserts".

All in all, definitely recommended for those who want a short, light and sweet read. Probably won't satiate you if your desire is for a long-running series, but good to grab and read on the go. It won't take you long to finish, and you'll be sad when you do.

Pros:
-Cute art.
-Well-developed characters.
-Interesting plot idea.
-Quick and easy to read.
Cons:
-Not a very deep plot
-Could be too short for some

Recommended? Yes!

The idea for 'Pixie Pop' is cute, but it could’ve been a whole lot more. This potentially could’ve been a magical girl series if there was more effort with the plot. There are so many ideas that could be made for so many liquids and transformations, and it could affect multiple characters, not just Mayu (FMC). There was only one other character affected by a magical drink, but that’s about it.

The romance between Mayu and Amamiya (MMC) was completely forced with no chemistry to build upon it. If the plot focused strictly on the partnership between Mayu and Pucho (a fairy character) rather than ... Mayu chasing Amamiya for his “love”, it would’ve been a stronger story. No romance would have more impact honestly. Mayu is so fixated with Amamiya that it comes across very unhealthy throughout the time reading this.

'Pixie Pop' is just ok. I do give this manga credit for Mayu and Pucho's relationship. It was fun to read their duo dynamic and it genuinely made me laugh. It’s also nice re-reading Ema Toyama’s debut and seeing how far she’s progressed as a story writer and artist. I definitely recommend this series to compare her other works!