Hot Gimmick

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After picking up this manga, I thought the beginning was very interesting but as the story was unfolding, it took a long time to develop which was a little bit unnerving. Even though it was slow in progression, the plot twists did make me feel caught up in the story and was able to keep me reading until the very last chapter. If you like mystery, there's a little bit of that thrown in too. There's also very "adult" themes like sex in it but it does not take up more than 5% of the manga.

---------The GOOD---------
I liked this manga because it was very unique ... in its storyline. It used realistic aspects that parodied the dangers of romance [heartbreak, betrayal, etc.] and the importance of family. The climax of the plot was worth reading cause it was definitely something I did not expect. [When you begin to think that 'oh that's the story' and relax, you soon realize it ends up becoming a beginning to another twist]

I really also liked how Aihara Miki develops each character so you feel a strong attachment/emotion to them when 'its their time to shine' and you don't forget their importance afterwards if they don't come back for a few chapters. The art for it is really well done and the dialogue is good too.

It also delves into many issues that are very serious so it would be hard to understand the circumstances going on in the manga if the reader is not in high school yet.

---------The BAD---------
What I didn't like was how the main character, Hatsumi, acts. [if you are really a feminist, then this might not be the right thing for you ^^;] This manga is particularly long and if you can deal with her constantly being confused by what she wants, having very little self-confidence, or acting submissive all the time, then maybe you can make it all the way to the end of the series. It was very annoying to deal with this aspect but it causes you to focus more on the guys in the storyline and their feelings/actions and the plot itself.

***Overall, if you can stand her, its a really good read. There will be moments that will make you mad, sad, disgusted or feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Although, I personally wasn't happy with the ending but maybe you might be. If you are looking for something with depth, then this is the manga for you. =]

At first glance Hot Gimmick goes a little too far from the average abusive boy-stupid girl relationship stereotype. That’s because the main characters are often too edgy at being themselves.
Nevertheless, that is what you would find only at first glance. Actually the characters are quite well created and their behavior is well motivated (most of the time). So I was a bit surprise to see so many negative reviews.
First, the not very bright, unassertive and often annoyingly accommodating Hatsumi seems to be the worst roll model but if you look closer you’ll find that she is actually devoted to her friends and family ... and cherishes everyone’s feelings (of course that is the reason behind her constant problems). Her ability to be gentle to everyone regardless of what they’ve done to her is what the whole story is centered around. That’s where Ryouki comes in, of course, being the nastiest asshole there is. Personally, I think his behavior is the most well-motivated and easy to read since he never had friends or a proper family. That is why he is naturally attracted to Hatsumi but is rather clumsy when it comes down to communicating or dealing with people at all. Their relationship seems too pushy or violent but the truth is that is because they are complete opposites – Hatsumi being too shy and to concerned about everybody else but herself and Ryouki who doesn’t really care for anyone else at all.
Hatsumi’s character doesn’t really develop much until the end when she is finally able to make a decision herself and stand up to it (which is a huge step having in mind her personality) while the one who is really developing is Ryouki although it is really easy to miss it. He actually grows aware of his feelings first although he is too annoyed with them but doesn’t let go of them although he continues to treat Hatsumi like a slave (which by the way would be a normal behavior considering his family’s influence and his inability to communicate with people – he is unable to act in any other way possible).
Sadly, for all those fans of Azusa-Hatsumi (Me! Me!) or Shinogu-Hatsumi pairings – those were doomed from the start since Ryouki’s character is the background center of the story and his personality would apply only to Hatsumi’s kindness. Of course, most of the things he did to her seemed heartless and mean but are easy to explain and therefore forgive since he never actually betrayed her unlike Azusa and Shinogu. He is just an asshole (who’s in love with her) and that’s pretty much to it – no background thoughts or anything. Even the sexual tension between the two of them is easily explained with his feelings and her unassertiveness. Of course, all of those encounters are well-covered with his constant nagging about wanting to practice to do it (although he often stresses he wants to practice with no other than her) but if that wasn’t like this who would have continued reading anyway?!
So overall I liked the story. The background characters were also well developed although the drama twists were a little bit too much for me. The art was quite good, too, although there were several tiny things that could have been better. I wouldn’t recommend to anyone who doesn’t search for motives behind the actions to read it because that way it will only seem like one very abusive story about a stupid girl and an asshole boy.

The very first time I picked up this manga, I could not put it down. I read literally twenty-two chapters in one sitting. It was amazing; there was never a moment when I thought, "How long will this take?" I never looked to see how many pages there were left, which is unusual for me. I am sorely disappointed there isn't more. There seems like there should be more than 54 chapters; it ended without warning. The character development wasn't what I wanted either, because much stayed the same.

Overall score: 8. Recommended: yes.

Hot Gimmick is a manga written Miki Aihara. It is a Shojo Manga and has a focus on a meek teenager named Hatsumi Narita. She lives in Japan's Company Housing complex and the story revolves around the difficulties and life styles of such a complex. The crux of story lies in the relationship with the guys in her life. Her Borther, a long time child hood bully and finally a old friend who has come back to the complex.

Art: The art is good but doesn't have a whole lot of variety. All the characters are good looking. The tones and shading is very light and ... there is rarely ever any contrast. You won't find the stark black that you see in manga such as Rurouni Kenshin.

Story: The story is interesting IF predictable. Frankly the + and - of the story is that it shouldn't be taken too seriously. It is a very funny manga little bit of tension with regards to relationships.

Characters: Cliche but likeable. Not a lot of significant depth but enough variety between them to keep it interesting.

Enjoyment: It takes some time to get interesting (although never boring) but the manga's high point is definitely it's comedy and oh no they didn't moments.

Conclusion: Slightly above average manga. There are some pervy moments but it is by no means that kind of novel. I got the VIZBIG edition (3 volummes in 1). They retail at $20 a book and there are four but you can save some money off amazon. If you can get the set for around 45-60, you got a good deal.

Better Recommendation in Shojo line: Fruits Basket, Nana.

At the time while I was reading this manga, I thought the story was pretty average in the beginning. It was just like any other story where a love triangle forms, and a couple forms while one guy is left out. And of course, this guy is the despicable one that the main heroine has no intention of falling in love with. But then twists occur and mysteries begin to develop. By the end of the story, it's a surprising ending, but when you think about it, the story couldn't have ended any other way.
Overall, I would read this manga, but I found the ... heroine of the story extremely annoying. Obviously, she lets men take over her life too much, and doesn't understand the severity of her actions.
Also, in the beginning it may seem like the story is progressing slowly and is way too happy - trust me, something bad will happen soon enough.
Also, I felt like one of the main male heroes was way too focused on sex. He confused sex with being the most important thing in a relationship, and this sends a wrong message out to the audience. I didn't like how the heroine was letting herself be pushed around by the male hero either.

I loved this series. The main male lead is so real. He is slightly childish as he still sees the girl as someone he can bully at first, but later on starts to realize he has a crush on her and lets her go for a while. All the while this is happening, the main male does not show real affection toward any other female.

The Main female is at first terrified of the main male lead, however, she later warms up as she notices that maybe there's something about him that she's missing. She is hurt by him mentally, ... but physically he never seems to really hurt her. She at first does not like the main male at all, but later finds him rather endearing.

The Art is good, but not the greatest I have ever seen. The characters tend to start looking a lot alike after a while, all except for the main male lead and the male that is his friend.

I loved this to death. This ended up being one of the most interesting love stories I have read in a really long time, and ended up being what turned me on to manga. I would recommend this to all people who have ever liked an arrogant guy or have ever wished for something exciting to happen to them.

It's a little bit ridiculous to see how much influence one ornery woman can have on an entire apartment complex, but nevertheless, drama permeates every part of this manga. Anything gossip that is remotely scandalous is spread like wildfire and affects everyone's behavior; past relationships are brought out into the open and current ones crumble in a few chapters. Romance is fragile, complicated, and at times stupid and incomprehensible. Ah, but that's life, isn't it?

What made Hot Gimmick the most appealing to me was its interpretation of love. The characters attend high school and are not quite inexperienced but also have not experienced real relationships. ... Upon encountering these new situations and people, they discover the truth about love, that all those songs with sappy lyrics really do express romantic feelings at some point or another. "What is this feeling?" "Why is that that I want this person more than anyone else?" "This is so stupid, so idiotic, so asinine, yet my heart wants this."

It was better in the first half of the manga, though. After a while it was annoying to see the same characters still struggling with their feelings, messing up, and hurting everyone around them in their efforts to come to terms with their own thoughts. But I suppose that just points out how love can be a bad thing when it gets out of hand.

However, coming back the plot, the drama within the apartment complex due to previous relations and just plain nosy neighbors was absolutely immature and made me roll my eyes a lot while I read. It sounds like such a middle school thing to do and it's ridiculous for grown adults to take part in shunning a particular family for a rumor they have not confirmed, though even if it were true, it wouldn't be nice to ostracize a family like that.

I do commend the mangaka for creating distinct characters, but character development seemed very slight for a few of them, especially for the main character Hatsumi. For the majority of the manga she was a crybaby who repeatedly denied herself her greatest desire because it was so different from what she wanted before. While it is a good thing that she is generally nice to others, that can easily be taken advantage of, as it is a lot of times in the manga, which I consider one of her greatest faults.

The men in her life are Ryoki (a bully from her childhood who happens to be the landlady's son and is fearsome, commanding, and cold), Azusa (a childhood hero who moved away but came back later as a handsome model), and Shinogu (Hatsumi's extremely kind brother). They're quite an interesting bunch to hang around, let me tell you.

As far as the artwork went, I thought the men were attractive, but the females, not so much. It wasn't because of the crying, but rather the women's appearances I found not to be as attractive as the male's. Their eyes were so big that they made the girls look childlike, and they just weren't as comely as the men.

The manga didn't exactly end with a bang and I was more satisfied with the first half than the second half, I still thought Hot Gimmick was a pleasant read for that romance. There is a little bit of smut in there, but there isn't a whole ton and is actually kind of unnecessary. It may not be appropriate for people of certain ages, though.