Arisa is definitely one of the most unique shoujo manga I have ever read. It's a psychological and mystery shoujo manga written by Natsumi Andou, a mangaka who is popularly known for the art of Kitchen Princess (one of my childhood faves 😄). I read some of Arisa a while back in my library/bookstore days, but never finished it. After seeing someone praise it online, I decided to pick it back up again. I'm really glad that I did!
I have to admit that at first, the story kind of creeped me out. The first time I read the manga was when I was in middle school, so I wasn't used to reading manga with dark elements in it. I didn't even read that far into it because it had just come out, but it scared me that there was an anonymous culprit (the "king") that could grant any wish, even if it meant hurting others. There seemed to be no limit to their power.
I find it really enjoyable now, however. The story is very intriguing and suspenseful so that you'll want to keep reading after every chapter to find out what happens next. There are also a fair amount of plot twists. In other words, it's a good mystery. I like how original the story is, too. I've never read anything like this before. Because a lot of shoujo is more like ordinary school life 😂.
The art is what you would expect in a shoujo manga with the big eyes. However, the mangaka does a good job with making it fit for a psychological manga by the way she draws people's facial expressions. The art is pretty, detailed and clean, which I like. She's also skilled at drawing hair. I thought the character designs were well-suited as well.
In terms of characters, I think the mangaka did a pretty good job with them. There is good character development in the manga. We see characters come to terms with what they're doing wrong, and we see other characters mature and become stronger. I mean, unless you're tired of having a headstrong and determined protagonist, there isn't really a problem with the characters.
However, I do kind of wish that the students in Arisa's class had more humanity and could think for themselves. They're all very blah as individuals. When it came to king time, they would be so caught up in it that they would act mindlessly. This is a psychological manga, though, so I don't know whether I should be complaining about that.
Overall, I found this manga enjoyable and would definitely recommend it! It's a good read whether you're a mystery lover or whether you're just looking for something different from a typical shoujo manga.
