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Happy Hustle High

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A strong, short story from an author who knows her strengths and flaunts them with this funny and sweet manga.

While its not a manga that attempts to break that rigorous shoujo mould, nor does it stick in the mind as a classic and hilarious story, something about it sticks like glue. I said that the author - Rie Takada - flaunts her strengths. Having read a fair few of her manga the main strength I see flashing in her stories is the humour. I can honestly say I haven't laughed so much at one author's works in very very long. Not only is the humour ... laugh-out-loud funny, but its also consistent.

I don't tend to mention the art because unlike for some, its not really a deal breaker unless its mind-numbingly awful. However I do love Takada's work, especially the close-ups. Truly beautiful (and wonderful fan service for a girl needing to live life vicariously through others! :3)

The story is actually set out on a surprisingly interesting premise. Girl who was the champion of an all-girls school is forced to adapt, alongside her classmates, to a co-ed school when their school is merged with an all-boys school. Upon doing so, she meets a Boy. Chaos ensues.

With only five volumes, its a surprisingly hard task to fill. She tends to do 10 volume strong stories (see Heart or Wild Act!!) which I think works better - while some argue that they are in fact too long. The problem with Takada's work I think lies in the depth of the story. If you say ''A shoujo? With depth, don't make me laugh.'' I refer you no further than to 'Akuma to Love Song' or 'Mars'. Very easily, these two create stories with depth. Takada had the chance to open the story up and delve deeper. There were backstories to be used, to be told and developed. Characters we could have become more friendly with. But unfortunately, the author took away this chance when she set up the back story, explained it briefly, and moved on. Had she done so, I think we'd have a longer and more fulfilling manga. I also think that this lack of backstory is the reason people complain her others are too long. As it stands, while its got a pleasant and sweet enough front, Happy Hustle High hasn't got any substance.

I think the characters themselves do go a long way at holding this story together. Hanabi is definitely a fantastic comedic character I'd have loved to see more of. In fact, Wikipedia sums her up nicely ''She leads the girls in their major activities, such as changing the school's rules or robbing perverts''. This summation is all I can say of this ballsy, fresh character who I loved learning about.
The male lead Yasuaki is an interesting one. Reading the wikipedia summary of him, it seems we know so much about him when to me it feels as if I know very little. He's a character who starts as a surfer-lover with an allergy to girls, but I don't think this 'allergy' was used to its full potential.
The other characters, Yoshitomo and Tokihisa are of the general side character shoujo type - there for mainly comical reasons or for the trouble arcs of the story when a love triangle / disaster is needed.

Reading this back, I seem rather critical of this manga, so I'm sure your wondering why on earth I ranked it as highly as I did so let me explain. I only really have two asks when I read or watch something.
1. The story must be interesting.
2. It MUST entertain.
While the story fell down at parts, and again I feel the need to critique the lack of depth, Happy Hustle High did without a doubt entertain me. I laughed...out loud at times and smiled through the majority of the chapters. If you are looking for something which will provide comic relief to your otherwise depressingly sad mangas or animes I suggest you look no further than this, or at least Takada's works in general.

“Lots of great stuff is out there, if you just find the guts to try.”

This is one of those manga, you’re not sure if to start so you cautiously read the first chapter. Then before you know it you fins the charcaters funny, bold and completely bizarre that you can’t help but keep reading just to see what happens next.

That’s how I met Hanabi Ozora she goes to an all girls private school and is known for being a psycho when it comes to the whole justice prevails thing.
Don’t worry she doesn’t go around killing people for vengeance. She only hurts them, ... less time and no cops. Just kidding, sort of, I mean she doesn’t go on random rampages hurting or terrorizing strangers. She’s just dedicated to being herself and has a “won’t take you’re crap” attitude. She’s never had a boyfriend or liked anyone mainly due to her not being so girly to begin with. She’s the girl every girl goes to for help in her class, sort of like a problem solver. Unfortunately for her, her rein is about to be over since her all-girl school is turning coed. This is Hanabi’s story from finding love to kicking some serious butt in the process, all while staying sane. Sort of.

The characters are funny creatures in this one. The main cast is honest, they mean what they say and say what they mean. At the beginning along with Habani and some of her friends which don’t really matter much (sorry but true) we are introduced to the student council trio. Three guys who are the top of their school Three sexy guys as Habani says.
The humor reminded me of School Rumble (I do miss Tenma), is fresh and not forced. In between the humor and the good looking guys you will see the story of a girl and her first love. Don’t fret though because the love progresses, and not at a turtle slow pace. It’s shows you the couple in the first stages of their relationship and overcoming obstacles the only way they know how, the most awkward and humorous way.

It would have been slow to progress had it not had an important factor, Yasuaki. He’s different yet the same from other main characters. I was used to girls pursuing guys and confessing to them, but he’s daring. Has a way about him, the thing about him not liking girls adds to his charm, don‘t worry that‘s not a spoiler. Even though he’s really the same in the sense that he’s next to perfect, can play instruments, and is good at every sport and enjoys surfing, wait is that a sport? He’s quiet but not afraid and he’ll stand up for his girl, even if he loses. The other two members of the council are perceived to be the brains of the operation and the one that’s a male version of Habani. Sense of humor up the wazoo for this pair, even if it’s sometimes dark.

Habani, (which for some reason I keep calling Hibani in my head) is cute and somewhat smart. She is kick first ask questions later. But isn’t that bluntly dumb we are shown in other heroines. At the beginning she’s more likable than towards the end. I mean she put herself in some really bad situations, my guess something up there went loose form falling too much. She’s fun though and all the girls look up to her because of her courage (maybe that’s the wrong word).

The art style is not of the new version that features really delicate girls and all of them seem perfect. I think it’s because this manga originally ran in 2005 that it’s style is different, which honestly I found I enjoyed it. Nothing stood out so much but sometimes when the light his characters just right (or when the mangaka wants said characters to get attention) some characters look like appealing and faultless, or in the trio’s case, like total bishies ( :/ ). It’s more cute than beautiful for this one as it is more of a comedy than anything else.

All in all, you will laugh a lot. Sure the situations are cliché and you see them coming but you can’t help but laugh at the combination of art and dialogue that was put together so well. It flows really well all through, leaving no holes or with moments. Unless those with was because the characters did smoothing so preposterous. Ending was tied up in a pretty bow but it left me wondering about the other two characters and their life as it was more focused on the present story and it’s lead couple.

Despite Shoujo being filled with alot of things I tend to hate - overtly-dependent heroines for one - I still seem to always come back to it, hoping for a change.
I definitely thought I found that in Happy Hustle High with the impractical tomboy character, Hanabi, but alas, I was wrong.

The art is wonderfully drawn and when they say bishounens, they mean bishounens. The story was okay, not too extraordinary, but a fun, and well-executed for the theme and setting, read. I enjoyed it quite alot until the very last volume, where Hanabi completely threw away her reserved tomboyish self and became a Yasu fangirl ... all the same. Obviously, she does this over the whole series but she just completely became one of those dependent heroines I dislike so very much near the end.

Overall, I liked this manga, it kept me interested with its fun little spin on experiences and Hanabi not pouncing/stalking/latching onto Yasu was a refreshing change. And she had her flaws - the hair one I liked alot more than those heroines who say 'I have no self-confidence' or something of that effect when they seem to want attention to be thrown at them.

Its not a bad series but its not an amazing series. I've got incredibly low tolerance for over-exaggerations and people being too clingy and/or expecting to be protected 24/7 so shoujo heroines do easily annoy me.