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Slight spoilers.

Reality hits you pretty hard when you switch from Shojo to Josei, I mean, I was expecting a similar ending but not one as harsh as the one Ichikawa threw at us.
Tada, Kimi wo Aishiteru is a very well written tragedy which blends many feelings. The story starts with the meeting of Segawa Makoto (English student and amateur photographer) and Satonaka Shizuru (French student who looks like a kid). After that first meeting, their friendship starts blooming and Satonaka falls instantly in love with Segawa who only has eyes for his classmate, the beautiful, Toyama Miyuki. The mangaka takes us then on a ... journey to show us how the relationships between the characters develop. Even though Satonaka loves Segawa and confesses to him, she helps and supports his love for Toyama. Toyama has always secretly liked Segawa but when he finally goes out on a date with her, he feels confused and somehow unsatisfied. When Satonaka convinces Segawa to kiss her for a romantic picture, the kiss opens his eyes and lets his feelings for Satonaka free, but is it too late?

I think that Tada, Kimi wo Aishiteru is the perfect representation of a realistic josei drama. The character development is flawless and the ending (even though it made me cry) is suited to the plot. Love, Realism, Death, and Friendship are all pieces of the big Tada, Kimi wo Aishiteru puzzle. The story is very touching, especially the last chapter, and the bittersweet love story drowns your heart in an ocean of feelings. I really enjoyed reading this manga and I definitely recommend everyone to read it.

Although I thought the Mangaka could have developed the manga in a deeper way and written more than 8 chapters, which were too short for a plot like this one, I still enjoyed reading Midnight Children.

The story is about a girl who’s found, on a stormy night, passed out in the street by some twin brothers. They bring her to their apartment where she meets three other guys who share the place with the twins. The girl, apparently, had lost all her memories for the past three years and forgotten everything about herself, even her name, due a psychological trauma. One of the boys (Yamato) ... decides to give her the name “Sumire” like the flower. Sumire later finds out that the boys she met are idols from a famous band and after some hesitation and a few issues, she starts living with them. The doctor tells Sumire not to try to remember her lost memories but to start a new life and only live in the present and for the future. Romantic feelings develop between Sumire and Yamato, but little did she know, her past was closer to her than she could imagine.

I thought the art was amazing, and the plot was creative, but the character development was weak. The story was a mixture of many themes like love, guilt, show business, suffering, memories, death…etc. However, many of them were approached very lightly.

I enjoyed reading Midnight Children and hope you will too!

I am fairly new to shoujo Mangas, but I think that Nana is one of the best ones ever. It’s just that kind of manga that keeps you on your toes, trying to guess what’s next (even though you will be shocked at how different what Ai Yazawa comes up with is from what you expected).
Nana is about how life is extremely unpredictable; two girls with the same name “Nana” meet on a train to Tokyo. The girls are totally different but meet again in an apartment that they end up renting together, so they become roommates and friends. Then the Mangaka takes us on ... the journey that the girls take (one wants to become a famous singer, and the other wants to find love) and how the choices they make will affect their lives, friendship, and relationships to others later on, sort of like the Chaos Theory.

The Character development (throughout the chapters available) is exceptional. Trying to change and grow, trying to forget the past, making the same mistakes…etc. I just think that the characters in Nana are awesome and so realistic.

Nana made me laugh, cry, think, drop my jaw. If you read Nana, you will find themes like: friendship, love, life, Dreams, celebrities world, drama, realism and many more. I just wish that Ai Yazawa could get better and finish it, it kinda pisses me off that I can’t finish reading it!!!

I recommend it to all because I am sure you will find something that will appeal to you :)

“First review” ;)

What would you do if your friend died and you think it was your fault?

“Ano Hi Mita Hana no Namae wo Bokutachi wa Mada Shiranai” (Anohana) is about six friends [Jintan, Menma, Anaru, Yukiatsu, Tsuruko, and Poppo] who play together all the time, like all kids, have a hide out where they hang out, and they even became the “Super Peace Busters” to protect the world. However, nothing lasts forever. One day, Menma dies in a tragic accident.

Ten years later, the five kids grew up and are now in high school. “Anohana” displays for us the feelings of those five teenagers who, ... not only didn’t forget about Menma, but feel guilty about what happened that day. They have also drifted apart and became almost strangers to each other. That is until Menma comes back to hunt Jintan (he is the only one who can see and hear her) and tells him that he has to grant her a wish that she herself doesn’t even know what it is (BTW I really didn’t see that wish coming, did not expect that at all). Through different events on the quest to finding out and granting Menma’s wish, the five friends started talking and hanging out with each other only to discover the truth behind what happened ten years ago. Moreover, each and every one of them is looking for a way for redemption and breaking free from the guilt they feel.

I think the plot is pretty unique, unlike other clichéd stories out there. The character development was good too and how all five started out hiding their true feelings and not even believing in Menma’s presence but then, gradually, started believing and sharing their emotions (even love confessions) with everybody else. The Art was also really awesome.

I really liked “Anohana” I gave it a 10, so I recommend it to anyone who likes dramas. It made me laugh, cry, and think about lost ones. In addition, it made me realize that death could strike any time and, unlike in “Anohana”, I will probably not get a second chance to do a lot of things so I should really live my life to the fullest.