About:
In the play of life, all Hikaru Takabayashi wanted was to be part of the scenery, but fate had other ideas. When the 15-year-old introvert transfer to an all-girls academy, her new roomate turns out to be the super-popular TV idol Izumi Kido! As if living with a celebrity wasn't bad enough, Hikaru discovers that there's more to Izumi than her "good girl" image---she's a he! Now Hikaru's the unwilling star player in a madcap tale of deception, abduction, humiliation and blackmail---the usual romantic stuff.
My Review:
I've read gender-bender manga before but never like this. Normally it's the girl you pretends otherwise, not the guy. Yeah there are certain chapters or one-shot of guys dressing like girls for a school play or competition but not where they do it in their everyday lives. I was very intrigued by this manga when I first saw it. I'm so glad I picked it up. It's very unpredictable and has its funny quirks. It's not cute and funny like Hana-Kimi though. Warning you about that right now. Yes, it has some funny scenes but this isn't that type of manga. It's a little more serious. I kind of like that.
In this volume, Hikaru transfer to an elite private school hoping to just fly under the radar. She just wants the time to fly. Unfortunately that doesn't happen. First, her roommate is the idol Izumi Kido. Second, Hikaru finds out that she is a he. Third, she is blackmailed pretty badly by Izumi to keep his secret. There is absolutely no way that Hikaru is going to get what she wants.
Hikaru is an introvert who seems to be traumatized from something in her past that made her that way. Hopefully we get more details later in the series. But anyway, she doesn't care about popularity or getting ahead by being near Izumi. All she really wants is to go through life with minimum problems. I kind if relate to Hikaru. I'm a heavy introvert who just doesn't want to be pulled into drama. I've also had bad experiences with bullies that made me this way partly. So, I kind of feel for her. I really hope to see her grow and change. Though Hikaru also looks out for Izumi and it isn't because of the blackmail which I liked a lot. I look forward to seeing more of Hikaru. Izumi is kind of a jerk. Of course he's such a sweetheart when he's a girl but when he's just himself, watch out. It seems he has his reasons but they are yet to be revealed. I'm surprised about how far he went to blackmail Hikaru. It sure made things interesting though. Truthfully, I don't have much to say about Izumi besides the fact that he's pretty mysterious and a jerk at times. I'm definitely curious about him. Though the winner for most mysterious character is probably Izumi's right hand man, Yasukuni. He does whatever he can for Izumi and will stop at nothing to keep his secret safe. We don't know too much about him or his background. Like Izumi, he seems sweet but can be vicious. I have to say that this manga has an interesting cast that I look forward to seeing again. I want to see more sides of them so much.
The art isn't bad at all. This is for the people who love the late 90's early 2000's art style. If you like the more current art style then you might not enjoy this type of style. I have a friend who refuses to watch the earlier anime because of the art which I think sucks since they're missing out on so much amazing anime. So if you aren't into the artwork then I guess you shouldn't try this manga. Though I think the plot is great. I love gender-bender manga. Plus, we have the new twist of a guy pretending to be a female model! I mean how great is that? I am so pumped up to read the next volume that you have no idea.
Overall, I really enjoyed this volume. It was so great and a refreshing change from cliches. There were some things that were predictable but I enjoyed everything else that it didn't matter. It had some interesting little twists that always kept me interested. This is a high recommend for those that are fans of gender-benders or at least Hana-Kimi. Again, it's not as funny. This manga is slightly more serious but the plot is great along with the characters. I think this manga is totally worth the read.
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About:
Like Father, Like sons
Sano's younger brother Shin hasn't forgiven him for leaving home five years ago. Now that Sano and Shi are competing against each other in a high-jump event at Gakuin High, Sano is faltering under the emotional pressure. To make matters worse, Sano's estranged father shows up. Can Mixuki help Sano get his head back in the game?
My Review:
I will never get tired of this manga. It's so funny and cute. I never stop laughing at the characters. I am so upset knowing that it's almost the end. There's 23 volumes and I know that seems like a lot considering I just finished volume 18 but when reading them in 3 in 1 editions it seems to go by so fast. This volume I think was better than the others. I mean it was funny but there was a lot more serious issues and character development which I liked a lot. I couldn't put this volume down. It was really engaging.
This set of volumes is about how Sano and Shin are still at odds but have tosee each other because of a meet. Mizuki does her best to try to get them to make amends but that all stops short when Sano and Shin's father appears. Sano and Mizuki's relationship gets rocky as well. It also doesn't help that someone confesses to Mizuki on top of it all.
Mizuki is just so cute and sweet. Normally I really dislike naive characters but it just really works for her. Also she doesn't always say the right things which make her seem real. She's not perfect which I really like. Most characters who are naive and sweet are perfect. They always say the right things and 99% of the time don't make mistakes. I feel like Mizuki's character grew a lot here. She had a lot of trouble being there for Sano because she had no idea what to say or do to help him. Also she had said the wrong things at times. I liked seeing her this way. She matured a lot through these three volumes. Sano as well. If you have been reading the series or have read then you know he can be a stubborn jerk at times. Well he kind of maxes out on jerkness in this set of volumes. But he also comes to some realizations and ends up self-reflecting which I thought was really cool and great. it made me fall in love with him even more. What's really cool as well is that it wasn't just Mizuki and Sano that grew. It was many of the side characters as well which I really loved and enjoyed. It made me go aww a lot. I love when characters grow. It's very heart warming. Shin grew in the fact that he finally understood why Sano did the things he did and the choices he made. I'm not saying they are the best of friends or anything but he seems to mature a little. Nakatsu also does a little growing up when he sees what both Mizuki and Sano are going through. I love Nakatsu a lot. I really want him to find someone so bad. I totally ship Mizuki and Sano but I don'e want Nakatsu to be left in the dust. I feel really proud of Nakatsu though and really admire his character. I can't get enough of him. Sekime for those of you who don't know is friends with Mizuki, Sano, and Nakatsu. He's part of their group and is obsessed with girls. He's also a pretty funny side character. He seemed to really mature in this volume. It shocked me actually. I never expected to see him grow. I loved that he got character development even though he wasn't a main character. It was really nice to see. I hope to see the other side characters grow as well.
The plot is still going strong and better than ever. I can't get enough of it. I just loved all the plot twists. I never expected for this to be filled with drama and character development. The art is as great as always. I also loved the cover. Well, except for the lips. They look so weird colored in. Otherwise the art and plot were absolutely amazing. I really can't get enough of it.
Overall, I loved this 3 in 1 edition so much. I wish it didn't end. I'm definitely going to buy the last two 3 in 1s later. I have to know how it ends. At the same time I really don't want it to. I highly recommend this series if you haven't read it yet and if you are reading the series and haven't gotten to this volume then you should get a move on. You don't know what you're missing. I absolutely can't wait to read the next volume!
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