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Sep 13, 2012
Take a moment and think extremely hard about how you felt when you were 10 years old. After doing that, think about how you feel about people who are 10 right now?
Right from the start I kind of knew why I would like this manga. I’ve developed a huge respect to writers who can develop characters from the age 7-10 because I think it’s the hardest age to remember and capture on paper. At this age, there is no doubt you are naïve, with little experience of the world. Many of them still look at this world with a very bright perspective. Many of them
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still trust their parents; as if divorce was still a rare occurrence. Many of them still believe that their dreams can be achieved without a doubt.
I sometimes find myself laughing at them but their naïve nature is exactly what makes them smarter than us sometimes. I guess older people get too caught up in what’s real and try to make too many calculations before we take steps in life that we fail to realize the important things. This causes the author to have the burden of making their main character seem naïve enough so we believe she is 10, but to use that ignorance to allow her to make decisions that even we will respect. One of the best examples is ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’, where Harper Lee uses Scout Finch to great use. Through her, we fail to understand why the adults are discriminating blacks because she doesn’t understand it. Adults would call her young and immature, and to a certain extent she is, which is why her immaturity sort of makes her smarter than the adults in the story. Yet through her uncertainty, and the cruelty she’s seen, the book is still rather hopeful because children really do carry hope wherever they go.
Similarly to ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’, Yamamoto Zenjirou to Moushimasu(YZM) has one thing in mind when trying to use such a young main character. YZM tackles dark themes but holds a very hopeful atmosphere. Hotate is a girl whose always been able to see ghosts when she was young. The story starts with her going to her dad’s and her dad tells her to use her powers to help people. Through this she helps ghosts get rid of their regrets. It’s not the most original of stories so you can tell that many of these ghosts have died with dark pasts and dark regrets, but the manga still manages to have a bright atmosphere. Heck, everything is still, for a more cliché term, cute. Hotate herself does not have the happiest life but is determined to help everyone around her and makes mature decisions all the time even though its apparent she is naïve.
Each of the other characters carries the same sort of mood. Many of Hotate’s classmates that are introduced have experienced death first hand. Yet after Hotate helps them, they struggle and live their life normally as best as they can. The ghosts all have dark pasts but the endings are always happy because they need to take the next step forward. All the adults, the old villagers are playful and are presented as if they are enjoying life to the fullest.
Well, in the end, the most interesting character is definitely Zenjirou and I guess that’s why the manga is called YZM in the first place - literally translated as My Name is Yamamoto Zenjirou. Zenjirou is Hotate’s dad and I guess he’s what defines an adult. To be honest, I think this is where the main point lies. Zenjirou reminds me of Koiwai from Yotsubato in a lot of ways as he acts like a child. That doesn’t mean he isn’t mature, in fact it’s very obvious he’s one of the most mature characters I’ve ever met. He keeps all his emotions in himself and tries to protect Hotate as best as he can. He carries a lot of responsibility in taking care of his daughter. It’s just, he’s just not afraid to act like a child and have fun. I feel the mangaka wants to show that growing up doesn’t mean we are supposed to get rid of our child-like thinking. To be more mature doesn’t mean that you can’t have imagination and you can’t have dreams.
Besides the amazing characters, I like a lot of small tweaks in the manga. Firstly, the jokes are pretty funny and I’ve laughed quite a few times. They also help brighten up the atmosphere a lot. Another thing I really like is the way the story balances a sort of dreamy atmosphere due to the farm and the village life. It worked really well with the supernatural element but it was also ironic because most of the times ghost appeared, a more serious tone would take over. The art was also very good at setting the mood as many things were drew to look really relaxing. For example, those bubbles drawn in the air really helped in portraying a sunny village that was just having fun. The romance and the mystery subplots are also a huge plus.
While I have been complimenting how bright this manga has been, make no mistake, this manga has very dark themes. It’s just they are presented in a way that should give us hope. Life is important, and we should live the fullest, in any way we want to.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Jun 10, 2012
Many realistic portrayals of high school life involve bullying, isolation and in the end a very distressful experience. Yet, I have never experienced that. You can say I'm lucky, but there are people who have a great experience in high school because of their classmates and friends that are around them.
Going to an all boys' boarding school can really suck, especially when it comes to relationships. It's so hard to get girls because whenever you get a chance, you have to make the decision at that instant otherwise you'll probably lose it. You won't get it back because it's rare for you to ever see
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that girl again unless you make it happen. When I was in an all boys' school, we always complained about how unfortunate we were because there were no girls in our school We felt as if we were probably missing out on the most important thing of our high school life. Yet after 2 years of leaving that school and entering a co-ed to finish up my high school life, there is no doubt in my mind that I was the happiest in that boys' school.
I was actually taken aback by how perfect Akizuki got the little details of boys in an boys' schools that I had to check if this mangaka was actually a girl. I felt like I was remembering the loud shouting of Uemuram, the perfect teasing done by Nogami, the joy of getting free periods and that group of friends playing mahjong in the back of the class. The way the boys interacted with girls was also spot on. There are so many times I see a girl in the middle of the street and get absolutely obsessed for no reason and keep thinking about her for days. When you're in a boys' school, its just so easy to get obsessed. Falling in love at first sight is such a common occurrence. Then, at the rare chance you see the girl more then once, she immediately becomes that special someone that you think of all the time even if you've never talked to her. Those Madonna jokes, they brought back memories of when my friends and I nicknamed practically any girl who came close to anyone. We had tons of embarrassing names. And finally, the confessions are just perfect. For boys who have no experience with girls, the best way to prepare for a confession is to make an utter fool of yourself before you confess, that way, you can't go back because you've already embarrassed yourself. I actually found it a bit ironic that this manga is aimed for girls when I can see so many things that only boys would really get.
Yet, it's not like this manga doesn't have something for everyone. When I think about my life, one of the biggest things I regret is spending my last year of my high school life in a school I really don't feel a connection to. Seishun Kouryakuhon is a scenario which I would have loved to have, a group of friends trying to enjoy their last year in high school even though they future of exams and university is stressing them. It's a scary year, especially for the students experiencing it, because you really don't know what's going to happen in the future. Still, you're students and you don't want to think like that, so you use exams to distract yourself. Yet, those little moments when you fail to keep those hidden feelings inside really bring out some of the most saddest emotions of nostalgia. When you have friends that are this great to you, it really is hard to leave them, but they are also the reason you can get through those emotions and move on. This is why despite all the uncertainty and anticipation the characters have, there is a cheerful atmosphere which is the dominant emotion portrayed.
I do have some minor issues though many of it is due to personal opinions rather then quality. For example, I wanted a bit more romance, especially since the first chapter was one of the cutest short romance story I've ever read. Meeting a girl everyday through a window was very realistic but definitely very cute at the same time. However, it is understandable because they are in their last school year which is a bad time to get in a relationship. I liked the characters too, they were realistic and acted similar to boys in a boys' school. I can easily see myself becoming friends with any of them. The way they were developed was also interesting as each boy was a narrator for one chapter, and it would switch to another boy in the next chapter. It was a great way to really understand each of their feelings of their last year at school.
Seishun Kouryakuhon is by no means written to be a happy story but instead a story you never want to forget because even the sad parts of the story are important. It is through the hardships that the four friends go through that they realize how fortunate they are to have such friends. It's a realistic portrayal about growing up, and one of the more life changing years that every schoolchild must face. To those who have not yet reached that year, it serves as a reminder of how special everyone is around you and the fact that saying goodbye to them is quite possible. To those who have already passed that year, it serves as a nostalgic memory of the good times many of us had in high school.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Jun 3, 2012
The Idolm@ster is an ecchi anime with tons of fanservice but don't worry, your parents won't get mad because there is never any sex! A Producer enters a world with tons of lonely models and they get into many panty-revealing, nose bleeding adventures. The harem increases one by one and soon, all the girls just want the producer to touch their boobs. If you are a man, I definitely recommend this anime. Why should we ever bother with hentai anymore? That's all Idolm@ster is about....
....Or so you thought.
Well then, sorry to disappoint you but I lied. For some reason, Idolm@ster tries to sell
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itself in a way that strays from its true focus. It's probably a conscious decision for the director to choose a poster that screams "ECCHI". However, it doesn't stop there because while Idolm@ster is a fun slice of life that tosses around cliche characters with smiles and jokes that make you feel warm it, ultimately rolls out two of the most intense drama arcs I've come to enjoy.
At a first glance, the characters seem to be the strongest point of the show. The show emphasizes this by dedicating episodes to each of them. Yet the characters are where I have my most complaints. Each idol represents a typical character trait - from a friendly klutz, to playful twins, a prince who tries to be a princess - we've seen them all. Also, some of the characters just feel less important, which is understandable because there are 13 main idols, but not really an excuse because you wouldn't attempt such a show if you didn't have the confidence in developing 13 characters.
Still, despite the flaws, Idolm@ster somehow is able to make each character memorable and fresh. The way they react with each other is extremely important in achieving this. Yayoi's episode would not have been so enjoyable if it wasn't for Iori. Chihaya and Haruka's relationship is a joy to watch and Miki's relationship with "Honey" is very fun. They are just side stories that continue throughout the whole series even though the series is episodic. We end up with a very heartwarming series as the characters support each other to achieve their dreams.
I also quite enjoyed the variety of ideas. Sometimes we get almost pointless episodes like Hibiki's and Azusa's that just make you laugh but then we suddenly get serious ones like Miki's. The most important episodes are the last 4 towards the end of the series where it unravels into a melodrama that really pulls some emotional strings. The directing was also varied as the first episode was all shown through a camera all the way through and episode 15 was a whole show that the idols were hosting.
Yet what I love about this anime most is how everything seemed so simple, so happy, but there were tons of rather dark and complicated moments. The president's background with the antagonist president was enough to get you thinking. The whole introduction of " Ryūgū Komachi" made me feel extremely uncomfortable, because I just couldn't help feeling how jealous all the rest of the girls must have felt which was most apparent in Miki. The Futami twins episode made me feel even more uncomfortable because while it looked as if Mami was unhappy because she wanted to be with Ami, I really felt a bit of jealousy in her tone. The foreshadowing of Chihaya's past in many of the episodes really piqued my interest. It's funny how even in a beach episode with 13 idols, you get a small scene which ends up with a discussion about what if fame doesn't end with what you actually wanted. Haruka's feelings in her last arc, are actually quite dark. Realizing that what she wants is selfish, she keeps it all to herself but in the end it's too much for her. And don't forget about Iori's blackmailing. There are many hidden emotions that never are being said, most notably Chihaya's anger towards Miki for abandoning practice even though she was the one who kept the group together when they all were worried. They are all little things, but when you put them together, you realize that this is no coincidence and they were scattered throughout the show on purpose. It adds an extra layer.
I'm not that great in talking about animation and sound but I feel this anime definitely deserves some sort of recognition for it. The music was definitely fun and fitting but it really wouldn't have made an impact if it wasn't for those live performances. Those music videos were gorgeous. There is something special about the camera angles, the lights that explode, the choreography and uniforms, its just plain eye candy. They really put a lot of effort into making them - the details to the flying hair, few recycled scenes - I loved them all.
You see, Idolm@ster sells itself as a simple slice of life but if you pay enough attention, you'll notice the complex ideas hidden away in the story. Its easy to compare Idolm@ster to K-On!, as both seem to be a character-focused shows about girls having fun, yet I feel Idolm@ster tries to trick the watcher into thinking that while it dashes small hints of jealousy and sadness in the background. Its almost like a real show, because your idols are gorgeous on stage, but they are just humans behind the scenes.
Oh, and I wouldn't mind marrying Haruka.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Oct 17, 2011
I am definitely not the kind of person who thinks cliche is bad. In fact, I tend to like stories that are cliche a lot more then stories with big twists or are dark. To me, stories that try to suprise the audience have the easy ticket to success. Sure, thinking of an idea to surprise somebody is hard, but after you get over that part, you've pretty much made something great because people are going to think its some sort of cult/dark film thats "thought-provoking" or "Reflects the darkness in us." Or if the twist is not dark, people will still love it because
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of it seems new. Of course, I know many acclaimed stories with twists aren't only acclaimed because of the twists, but if when I ask friends why they like such and such, they usually talk about how amazing the twist is as if it was the only factor.
5 centimeters per second is a movie I pratically worship, not just because everything about it is absolutely perfect(It is!), but also because it takes a cliche plot to achieve such perfection. This is my idea of perfect imagination, to which you make something special out of regularity. Furthermore, you are not going to meet a person who only has one thing they like about this film because everything is worth mentioning. To me, this is a difficult concept to create, and hard to succeed, but Makato has done it, and he has done it amazingly well.
I'll admit it, I'm writing this because I was a bit depressed about the gradual, but apparent drop in the score of 5 centimeters per second on MAL. Now let's be honest, even though I said I like stories that are cliche, 5 centimeters per second does not have the most interesting and thrilling story by far. Here we see three stories that tell a tale of a boy and his gradual loss of his first love that he can not forget. There are no climaxes, and everything is pretty obvious right from the beggining. Furthermore,even though the characters are deep, they are not always relatable especially since the character's feelings aren't expressed as the main focus. We see character's thoughts in glimpses, but without the internal debates its hard to see them as real people if we have not shared their experiences. BUT WHAT? Did you say that that's not a mistake. Yes, that's what I said. I believe that it isn't supposed to be the main focus in the movie, thus, it is not there to distract us.
While the plot is extremely moving, I do not believe that what the Makato really wanted to do was just sadden us. I'm not saying that the emotions he pulls out of us is not a strength, I just believe people with different experiences or people of a different age group may be less inclined to feel as emotional. I highly doubt any of the people from Simple Pick Up (youtube it) will understand why the main character is holding on to his feelings. Most people who have a clear concept of "There are many fish in the sea" will hardly see Toono's actions as sensible. I'm not saying this movie isn't realistic, because to some people it really is. In other words, its true you aren't not able to recieve the full potential of the story if you aren't able to relate to the characters, but I believe that the most important part is still there. Its a plus, if you can relate, but if you think that's the only thing good, you may want to rewatch this movie to understand it a bit more.
In my opinion, the main point the movie is trying to get across is that love, while can be heartbreaking is always beautiful. It can be gentle and others may not understand, but is always a strong emotion for the people who are involved. And finally, while being in love is definitely real, its always to beautiful to believe you are actually in reality. I've always believed love creates beauty, something that everyone aims to achieve. This beauty is a different kind of beauty then just a beautiful thing though. It's the sort of beauty of a perfect world that you get from a good dream. I guess a dreamy beauty would be a way to describe what I'm trying to get at. Sometimes is seems like a fantasy, but it always leaves real feelings. A fake fairytale, because you feel like you are living in one, but you are actually in reality. When you are in love, the world always seems like its made for you, and Makato captures those feelings and puts them into a visual image. Makato's art, music and literary techniques really define this theme. They kiss, it snows. They cry, a rocket flies. It is as if the world is revolving around the love that exists between these three characters. Frankly, to be honest, when you are in love, this is actually how you feel.
Now how does Makato make love beautiful? Well, he does it perfectly. First of all, take a look at the art. Yes, first its beautiful, but also notice how the characters are always surrounded by the art. Its as if the characters are angels with a glowing aura around them. The art and scenes also tend to be widespread like big skies or the blue sea or the falling snow. It gives a sense of freedom but also a rather majestic aura as if the emotions in the story are flying out. The characters are in a world of their own, and the world is made for them, literally because Makato did create this world for the characters and symbolically as the scenes fit their emotions.
The music is also amazing. The soundtrack is one of my favorite movie soundtracks ever and why not? Even without the movie, a stand alone album would be one of the greatest albums of all time. All of the songs are gentle, yet emotional. They're creative, but simple. The songs are skillfully crafted and the fact that it helps the movie instead of stealing away the spotlight makes it even more amazing. The pieces played with the piano especially work as anyone who listens to Chopin would know what imagery the piano really brings when played so gently. Just like the art, Makato also picks scenes when emotions are exploding to place the songs. Flashbacks and kisses, the music added to the background do a good job in creating that rather dreamy imagery. Together with the art, they really help each scene become more beautiful, more surreal, yet also relatable all the same.
Furthermore, this movie is very poetic. For example, one of my favorite lines is "A Chain Of Short Stories About Distance." This line is just so amazingly crafted. The paradox of short and distance is quite clever and the alliteration in "Short Stories" really emphasize shortness. The monologues especially do the movie justice, and every lines flows to the next line quite beautifully. But in all honesty, the whole movie has poetic notations throughout the story. The imagery and repetition are exceptionally impressive. And while poetry usually deals with societal issues, they always are rather surreal. I especially like poems like Wordsworth's Lucy Poems so the poetic side of this movie, that really matches these sort of poem's lulling tone, really attractive me. This also gives the movie great rewatch value, as you will discover something new with the overflowing of poetic devices.
I barely see movies that really perfect every single detail to the smallest amount. In fact, I barely see any movie that actually tries to. These movies aren't the hardest movie to make, but it takes a whole lot more effort to perfect. I really disagree with how everyone talks about 5 centimeters per second as if it was only realistic, because obviously we don't have such beautiful skies anymore or such a sparkling sea. Oh wait, we do, and they happen when you are in love. Now if only because of this review everyone on MAL would rate 5 centimeters per second a 10 out of 10 but......
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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May 26, 2011
This manga is crazy. I'm sorry, actually, allow me to correct myself, this manga is FUCKING crazy.
So you thought School Days was fucked up, you haven't even begun.
I'll start with the flaws, because they are apparent. First of all, the story isn't the most original thing you've ever heard of. You have a boy who has a crush on a girl and is forced to make a contract with another girl because he is caught stealing the first girl's underwear. It doesn't take a genius to realize where the romance is going to be placed. The characters aren't the most developed characters ever and they
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aren't actually very three dimensional. The art is average, which is not a bad thing but it isn't a strength. In fact, if treat the manga as a morally psychological manga, that is based on Les Fleurs du mal, it falls a bit short as the themes aren't expressed with enough emphasis.
Still, and I might be overstating this, but I believe this manga has dwelled itself in a specific sort of "art" that we rarely see in stories. Most stories try to use pleasure as the appeal to the audience. What I mean is that while we are experiencing the story, we gain a sense of pleasure through it, which attracts us to continue. Whether that attraction is through the thrill of action, the calm slice of life scenery or just plain hentai lust. On the other hand, this story has decided to use discomfort to attact us, and we keep reading because we are enjoying that feeling of that "discomfort". It's not the easiest emotion to explain, which is why I end up describing each chapter as "weird" or "Oh Shit!". This discomfort isn't the same as what the Romans got from Gladiator fights or what we feel when we watch SAW, as they produce a thrill which attracts us, instead we are enjoying the feeling of being "trapped" and "pressured", maybe even disturbed. Still, its great when we finish and we can sit back and realize, "Fuck yeah, that isn't me!" Unfortunately, the characters are relatable enough that when we sit back and think about it more, we realize that we see ourselves in them.
What I do praise is the way the story is so fast paced, that when we feel trapped because of the characters, we have no time to relieve ourselves before they get into an even deeper mess. Of course, its better to not have to wait for it monthly to fully experience this effect. Things happen in each page, and there are barely any pages wasted on metaphoric dialogue or drawings of the random scenery unless they somehow make a big impact. Big events happen in each chapter and the story moves at an extreme speed. Such pacing doesn't work for all mangas, but for this one, I can definitely say it does.
I'm not going to lie, some people are not going to enjoy this. It seems to try to become something deeply psychological, but falls short because of the rather unrealistic personalities of the characters. Still, let me ask you this, do you feel good when you read this? And if no, then why are you continuing?
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Nov 7, 2010
Remember when you first started to write stories in school? There was this guidline given by your teacher about where exactly should the climax be and how exactly should you bulid it? Crazy For You is like that guidline for tangled relationships.
This is not a bad thing. All this means is the plot is simple.
But what it does do is make the plot very, very cliche. You are introduced to five characters who you soon find out become intwined in complicated love relationships. By the time volume 1 is finished, it is quite apparent where the plot is headed. Still, as this is as basic
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as a tangled relationship can get, anyone who enjoys such stories should put this manga high on their priority.
What a guidline doesn't constrict is the emotions that the characters portray. This is where Crazy For You does trascend over lots of other shoujo manga. This doesn't mean that the character personalities of the manga aren't cliche (because Sachi is still that naive girl we've seen so many times), instead the emotions that the characters have and express because of their love are REAL. We understand exactly what they feel when they cry, laugh or feel their heart is being torn apart. We understand why they choose to hold the emotions in or let them out. I know that this doesn't sound that impressive but many stories out there just can't use emotions to create a character that doesn't seem distant. On the other hand, the characters in this manga express feelings exactly like how we express ours and we can pick people we know that are similar to them. Their emotions bring us through the story.
Crazy for You is a fun read. But as it really is quite cliche, the climax points are quite minimized. Instead, in depth emotions is what makes the story, even though slightly unbelievable at times, relatable to us and we end up liking and feeling the need to support the characters in the story.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Nov 6, 2010
Zetman is about Justice.
But what is impressive about Zetman is the way it chooses two characters, completely different from each other, puts them side by side and lets us see how their ideas of justice are similar and different. They have the same goals, but what is most precious to them, what they decide to sacrifice to achieve their
goals are very different.
Jin is a superhuman known as Zet. From a young age, he has discovered the hardships of life as he loses many people who are very precious to him. Through these incidents, he becomes sort of a cold person who likes to
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pretend he doesn’t care about anything but inside doesn’t want to lose anyone anymore. To do this, he tries to keep distance from the people he cares about. He believes that the people closest to him are most important and that saving someone’s life is always right, even if the person doesn’t want to be saved. He didn’t want to become a hero but because of Zet, he realizes that he must or the people close to him will always be in danger.
Kouga on the other hand is a rich and quite spoiled boy who dreams of becoming a superhero. His friends have built him a suit that gives him more or less superhuman abilities. He doesn’t actually question what justice is to him until he encounters Jin and an incident that shows him the horrors of life. He is still a bit unclear of what justice and idolizes Jin for being so clear of his ideas of justice.
The two characters are quite the opposites, but when they interact the question of “What is Justice?” constantly pops up. As the characters struggle to find what they believe is justice, we also find ourselves wondering with them.
Zetman’s entertainment doesn’t all just come from themes and characters though. The action is quite nerve breaking. The romance subplot is also quite strong and enjoyable. It is interesting to read about the tension between their lives as people and their lives as superheroes. They try to understand what being a superhero means but also have to cope and protect with the ones they love. Of coures, the originality of this isn't there, but its still fun.
Oh. And The Art Is Amazing.
It’s quite an amazing feeling seeing all the details put into it. The characters, the background and the action scenes are all just drawn so well.
Sadly, the pacing of the manga is rather very hard to follow as the beginning explains very little about the setting. The direction of the plot for a while is almost impossible to follow especially "the Kouga arc". I admit I’ve actually dropped this manga a few times. Still, if you keep with it, and when everything connects, simple enjoyment will overwhelm you.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Mar 11, 2010
Strobe Edge is a story, which starts off as a seemingly normal story, a typical shoujo, but because of its superior story pacing and character development, it is able to become something special and unique.
The mangaka decides to start the story off with a very familiar situation. Ninako, a girl who is very naïve towards love, falls in love with one of the popular guys in school, Ren. At first, all seems good, but we soon find out Ren actually has a girlfriend. Then the manga introduces another boy called Andou, who loves Ninako, and thus the typical love triangle is formed.
Well,
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the plot itself isn’t exactly deep, but it’s developed extremely well. For example, the mangaka leads you to think that Ninako and Ren would make the perfect couple but then decides to throw in a flashback story of Ren and his girlfriend and how deep their relationship really is. Continuing this, she makes it seem like Andou might end up with Ninako, but manages to keep Ren in the triangle stil. I’ve never read a story that there wasn’t a couple that I supported, but I’m actually neutral towards this love triangle. The story makes you feel that, whatever couple happens, it won’t be a happy ending still.
This story is really good at showing unrequited love. It shows the true aspect of love, love is not always happy. Even if you give your lover to someone else, there won’t necessarily be another Prince Charming to come and pick you, because love is not easy to get rid of/change. It tackles the question, if I love someone, but that person doesn't return the love back, should I continue loving this person or should I give up? Also, the way it makes romantic situations is very praiseworthy. The manga especially reuses the “train love incident” a lot, where Ninako and Ren are alone in the train. Still, every single time this happens it’s still very interesting as Ninako has different feelings. The love in this story is realistic and it’s developed well.
I feel that the only really well developed characters in are Ren and Ninako for now but I’m sure the mangaka is going to focus a bit more on Andou later on.
Ren – At first, he seems like a grown up, your typical overprotective boy that most girls like. He doesn’t seem to talk much, so it seems like his character is very mysterious at first, but slowly we see that he is a very confused character. He knows he loves his girlfriend, as the history/bond he developed with her is very strong, but his overprotective character takes the best of him as he starts to care for Ninako, and realizes it too late, that he has feelings. While in the beginning, we see him as a strong character, he further develops into one of the weakest characters in the story.
Ninako – A typical shoujo main character, a girl with love problems, but isn’t able to really understand love yet. But don’t underestimate this, as Ninako gets smarter. Yes, she gets smarter, unlike so many other stories I’ve read, Ninako slowly, but surely, starts to become more experienced. Furthermore, Ninako only loves Ren, no matter how hopeless it seems to her, she still chases only after Ren. We may see that she’s very selfish, to be trying to steal a guy who already has a girlfriend, and Ninako knows she’s selfish. She finds herself questioning if its right for her to keep loving Ren so much, but she realizes, no matter how wrong it is, she still loves him too much. I love her determination, and with this trait, even if Ninako looks very weak, she's probably the strongest character in the story.
I’m probably thinking too much here, but since the art is very shoujoish, I always feel that the art greatly enhances the effect of a typical setting. As if, it wants us to realizes that she’s using a typical shoujo setting and turning it into something new.
I love this manga. Honestly, I think it’s probably my favorite shoujo manga. It’s enjoyable, well developed and each chapter is worth the waiting. This is one of the only mangas, where after I finish reading one chapter, I want a chapter right away, even if there is no cliffhanger. I’m happy to have touched such an amazing story, and it’s been worth every single second of my time.
I will end this review with this.
Love is not that simple and will always hurt someone.
And Strobe Edge has depicted this better then any other manga I've read.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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