The story itself is quite simple. Our lead heroine, Fumino, is sick of moving from place to place with her younger brother, Teppei, since her parents died. So, she decides to drop out of school to support her brother and find a place where the two of them can live. Her English teacher, Kazuma, is the only one who comes looking for her and eventually he ends up agreeing to "marry and support the two of them" and takes her to his apartment. The story follows the two of them and how they manage to keep Fumino & Teppei's presence there a secret, while the two of them both deal with conflicting feelings of love for one other and not to mention the conflicts of family and love from others.
The main issue with the story is the questionable realism it has. Characters don't always act how you think they would be it they were put in a certain position. However at the same time it makes you think what you would do if you were them and starts getting your mind going. The plot is a fairly average one, consisting of many arcs where Fumino (and Teppei occasionally) must be rescued by Kazuma. The arcs are fairly short and for the most part only partially contribute the main plot. The story also splits off and focuses on some side characters and their own conflicts with Fumino and Kazuma, and also in time provides us some backstory on these conflicts as well.
The story isn't anything spectacular however it does rise above average than your typical shoujo manga. It gives you time to actually get to know and become attached to the characters before throwing their backstory out at you. The chapters are a bit episodic but still are able to flow in with the basic premise of a developing student/teacher relationship. The comedy and fluff moments fit in pretty well and aren't over done, either. The manga's ending is a bit cheesy and predictable but nonetheless and good conclusion to a shoujo romance. Overall, the story is indeed above average but still lacks quite a bit in terms of realism and consistency.
The artwork is very well done. Girls aren't given the over exaggerated shoujo eyes like in a lot of manga, so that's a major plus. Characters and backgrounds are of high quality, even for a school setting manga. The fluff scenes in particular seem to stand out among the artwork which is again, another plus for all of us who love the fluff moments. However it would be nice if the mangaka could've used all of her talent more often then for just a few fluff panels. Everything else is still well done..
Characters aren't anything all too special. Fumino is a "delinquent" who gets in a lot of fights when in reality she just wants justice. Kazuma is an "average" English teacher who has his own dark past. Shouma is the competitive younger brother. Everyone basically starts with an initial trait that can be summed up in one sentence. Development is a bit lacking in Fumino's character, however she does become significantly more responsible and aware as the manga goes on. Kazuma's and Shouma's development is more noticeable by the end of the manga and is where most of it is used. The characters, even some of the supporting ones, are pretty memorable and help support the story well. The development was mainly focused on the romance and not as much the characters, which was good for the romance but bad for the characters. It would've been nice to see more changes in Fumino from start to end, but in return we get a nicely played out romance.
Anyone who enjoys a good romance would probably be able to enjoy this manga. I, personally, went into it for the fluff moments in particular and wasn't disappointed. It has an easy story to follow and the romance doesn't get too deep smut wise (however it can be an annoyance that the two don't kiss for.. a while) and is simply an enjoyable read.
Overall, "Faster than a Kiss" manages to leave behind some of the typical elements in a shoujo and become a nicely developed romance manga. While the story and characters aren't the most original or developed, it's easy to look past that and just sit back and enjoy this manga for what it has to offer. While far from a masterpiece in it's department - "Faster than a Kiss" is a memorable read that can please any shoujo fan.
