Hanazakari no Kimitachi e
Hana-Kimi: For You in Full Blossom

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Just wanted to sidenote: The two one-shots - Cage of Summer and Thirsty Moon - I actually want more of those. I was hooked, and love the characters. I'd like more stories like those. It is kind of a shame that the "info"/page for each of them is really just the detailed info for Hana-Kimi, because they were captivating enough in their own right.

Since I'm here, tho. Hana-Kimi. I actually really love/like all the characters. The "bad guys", the side guys, all of 'em. They're all endearing and entertaining. It's honestly difficult to choose or root for any one favourite. That says a lot, in ... my experience, because it's not often I feel that way.

I should also mention I really did not enjoy the ending. I felt like it was rushed, abrupt, and it didn't really feel satisfying *at alll*. Almost enough to kind of negate the enjoyment of the entire series for me. There was all this build, all this development, and then poof, end.

Enjoyment (10):
I don't think this manga has the best story or characters, but it really does get your heart beating! It's manga comfort-food, and if you like romance, you will fall head-over-heels for Hana Kimi.

Art (8):
The art style in this manga is pretty "shojo." It's usually well done, and the characters are all expressive. Most importantly, when the manga wants a character to look cool or cute or excited, they do. However, there were minor anatomy flaws and it's not exactly my style? So personally, I'd rate it an 8. I never noticed the panelling, which means it's doing its job, but the page ... layouts never blew me away. (As a point of contrast, I've often been impressed by the panel layouts in Fruits Basket and Blue, Clean.)

Character (8):
All the characters are really likeable and have fun dynamics with one another, but they aren't super deep (which is OK for a light manga like this). Though I love Sano (so much), Mizuki was pretty dense. I know they comment on it in-universe, but... It's a little frustrating? But she kind of had to be dense because...

Story (6):
...The show must go on! The story does wrap up in a satisfactory way, so this isn't an eternal rom-com, and it deals with all the sub-plots nicely (in my opinion.) That being said, I thought that the Sano/Mizuki relationship conclusion could have been more emotional/dramatic? You may disagree, though. One of my gripes with the story is that, sometimes, important moments are interrupted with fluffier stuff. It totally kills the mood! So, Mizuki being oblivious+OK conclusion+mood-kill=lower story-score. There are a lot of really tense, fun, and endearing moments in Hana-Kimi, but some of the more dramatically important ones fall flat.

Overall (8):
This is a great series for people who like engaging group dynamics and romantic tension (and mild homoeroticism). I was kinda harsh in this review, but when I first picked up this manga, I really needed it. Every time I sat down with a volume, I ended up feeling calmer, more happy, more optimistic. I recommend this fully if it sounds like your cup of tea, and even if it isn't... C'mon, c'mon, try it! Just one measly volume, it's probably in your local library for free...

Story (5/10)
After watching a track-and-field competition, Ashiya Mizuki begins to admire Sano Izumi, a high jump competitor, for his beautiful form. She decides to secretly enroll into Osaka Gakeun which Izumi is in. However, Osaka Gakeun is an all-boys' school, which means that Mizuki has to disguise herself as a boy!

+
; The comedy in this manga is golden, and it's probably its best point. It's a delight to read the manga because I know it can always bring out laughter of me.
; It is easy for the readers to follow the story because every volume has a clear focus and at the end of ... the day, the readers won't go (???) over what they have just read.

-
; The flow is a little sketchy. Hana Kimi has around 140 chapters (excluding the special chapters) and the story spends half of the time making no progress. It almost feels like the middle portion of the manga is just fillers (most which are good fillers though, because at least we get character development which is pretty much the main selling point of the manga). That being said, the actual climax comes off as sudden, and the ending itself is also sudden, so the page distribution here is a little uneven.



Characters (9/10)
The manga, of course, focuses a lot on Mizuki and Izumi, but it does spend much of its time on the other side characters (to name a few, Nakatsu, Minami, Hokuto are some examples). Hana Kimi is largely centered around characters' arcs or school events, and how the main characters (primarily Mizuki) deal with the situations.

+
; Most characters are distinctive and have their own perks and sense of humour, so it's fairly easy to fall for them.
; CHEMISTRY. Hana Kimi just nails it when it comes to the chemistry from the romance aspect to the friendship aspect.
; We get to learn a lot about the characters' backstories and how they shape the way the characters think and act, so all of that really ups how relatable the characters are. We get to see other characters' reactions towards certain events as well, and that really allows us to have a better idea of who they are as people.

-
; ...Seems like it's a common thing in anime/manga in general, but really, TOO MUCH DENSENESS. It's pretty much why the manga has dragged on for so long. Moderate denseness is fine, but when the characters are oblivious about terribly obvious things, it gets very frustrating.
; Too many side characters. Of course, I love side characters, but I feel like there are too many irrelevant ones who don't add to the significance of the plot. Sometimes, cutting down is better than adding more. It allows the readers to focus more on the more important characters.

Mizuki
One word: Dense. Seriously. Okay, actually Mizuki isn't all about denseness, and although I really really hate dense protagonists, I feel that Mizuki is pretty likable in her own way. Maybe it's just the way how she has extremely strong beliefs and is very willing to stand up for what she believes for. She also really cherishes the people around her, and that is of course an admirable trait!

I feel like she's the least developed out of all the characters, though. She starts off as a happy, dense Mizuki and ends off as a happy, dense Mizuki. Her memories in the school don't allow her to grow in any way (or even if she had some realisations, her growth isn't really shown in the manga).

Izumi
One word: Tsundere. And he denies that he isn't one >.> He's not all that bad of a tsundere, though. He's actually quite a cool guy, but of course, he is really dense (even if he doesn't seem like it). It may sound weird, but I think he's more clingy than Mizuki is. Unlike Mizuki who seems to be able to talk to anyone, Izumi has a very limited number of friends. This makes this dynamic very interesting to watch.

Others
I'm not going to go through everyone but I sure love the side characters (we even have one that can see ghosts... maybe he can be the main protagonist for a supernatural story hoho). There are some which are forgettable but most of them are really memorable, and that's quite a feat because Hana Kimi has a huge cast of side characters. By the way, Hana Kimi isn't really a reverse harem (although we do have one certain guy who crushes on Mizuki and other side characters who have some unique relationships with her... but considering the huge cast involved I won't consider that as a harem)

Relationships
Although I'll say that Izumi does pamper Mizuki a lot, I feel that their relationship is a fairly balanced one because we also see Mizuki taking care of Izumi a lot, and it's just adorable :) Their denseness does get out of hand, but even as friends, they're still endearing to watch. I think the friendship aspect is the best part though, and it's great to see how Mizuki just meshes so well with the other students in Osaka Gakeun and it feels like they're genuinely friends.


Art (9/10)
The art is adorable and comical when it needs to be, but when it comes down to the more serious/beautiful parts, it nails the atmosphere just as it should be as well. It gives off a more sketchy(?) feeling which suits Hana Kimi's mood very well.



Enjoyment (8/10)
I've enjoyed the manga while it has lasted, but I do feel like the romance can be sped up a lot. Other than that, I really have no major complaints. The manga is funny, has amazing characters with amazing chemistry; what more can I really ask for?



Overall (8/10)

Recommended for:
; Chemistry (not the Science one, but the relationships one ^^'')
; Developed characters
; Golden jokes
; A storyline which is easy to follow

Not recommended for:
; ...Too much denseness
; Flow/pacing issues. Too much fillers in the middle, and abrupt turn at the end.
; Predictability. Don't expect a groundbreaking story of originality because this story is largely about its characters and relationships.

I think I would actually recommend this manga to pretty much anyone who likes SOL + romcom (especially the comedy part) and people who like genderbender stories too. But if you want a serious or adventure kind of manga, then yeah, this may not be the manga for you!