Unlike the premise of most stereotypical shoujo, this story starts out with the girl and the guy (of course there's a girl and a guy, that's shoujo) already being girlfriend and boyfriend. Instead, the "challenge" in this manga (or source of titillation, if you please) is that the guy treats the girl inferior and takes her for granted--he's an "S," and she's the "M" in their S&M relationship. Hold your horses, this is fluff shoujo, so this is about innocuous teasing, NOT sex. :P
Already official dating status notwithstanding, these sort of cool "S" characters can turn a shoujo story into crap easily given an undiscerning manga-ka (we've all seen them, you know, the bishounen with the aggressive but completely gratuitous attitudes, embarrassing readers everywhere--think Stray Love Hearts) but it was apparent to me within the first few pages that Hanbun wa Ai wouldn't be one of those shoujos, and I thanked my lucky stars. The reason why Hanbun avoids that is because the male lead is a well-built character. He fits the bill of the alpha-male, but MORE IMPORTANTLY his demeanor actually matches the demeanor of a person with superior intellect. He keeps distance but has a (dark) sense of humor, he's not a drama queen full of bullshit, and his S attitude is actually part of a believable personality. Passable cool guy? Check.
Accordingly, the characters are the strength of this manga and are the main force which carries the story. Though the guy is the most crucial element (to chronic sufferers of lame S characters), the girl is also genuinely cute and not just some lame, insecure nice girl with a pretty face. Add in the strong art, which is not /completely/ polished but really quite consumer-pleasing and expressive, and the good pacing and you get a very pleasing read.
The only flaws I would point out would be 1) the weird manufacturing of the "S" and "M" concept to describe the girl and guy's relationship, which may be difficult for readers to pick up and 2) the slightly hasty ending. The first is only a minor deal to me, and the second is really common in one-shots, so overall I'm exceedingly satisfied.
The premise for Hanbun wa Ai may have you shivering of "POTENTIALLY DISASTROUS," but trust me! No fears! The characters are likeable, the story is titillating and cheery, and none of it is untasteful! Give it a go, and if you're like me, you'll be pleased. It's a well-executed love story!
