Maria - The Sound of Music

Angel Wars

Author: Miwa Ueda
Volumes: 4
Publisher: Not licensed in English; I read it on Mangafox

Description from Mangafox:
"Forgive me. I can't become a servant of the Lord yet," Maria says as she runs from her vows ceremony at the convent where she was orphaned 16 years ago. She has received another letter from the mysterious "G," her faceless benefactor. She is not as alone in the world as she thinks; "G" writes that she has a relative at Hakuhou Academy who is in need of her guidance, but he cannot tell her this relative's name. Trying to enroll and search the school presents Maria with a number of problems, however -- the foremost of which is: Hakuhou is an all boys school!

Review:
You know the stereotype of manga? How it's melodramatic and ridiculous and sometimes really uncomfortable? Well, a lot of times that makes me angry, but Angel Wars fits the stereotype PERFECTLY. The story involves: suspected incest, nuns, betrayal, kidnapping, kidnappers wearing bunny masks (yeah, that happens in more than one series) a fire, people in disguise, a jealous girl, a fight over an inheritance, and a creepy romance. Are you pumped to find out what's going to happen? Note that this review will be spoilerific, so, if for some reason, you want to read this, you should probably leave now and look at your life and your choices.

Angel Wars is not currently licensed in English, and I really hope that it never is, because it's a big pile of awful. This series is like Marmalade Boy meets Measure for Measure. Most people probably don't know what that means, but it is the truth!

So, as Angel Wars starts, we are introduced to a nun named Maria singing about the sound of music. No, wait. Wrong story. Pardon me. This Maria is an orphan, who has been left at a convent. She is planning to take orders and officially become a nun as soon as she is old enough. Her mysterious benefactor, who signs himself 'G' and she calls Gabriel because of the Bible, sends her a letter saying that she has a brother at a local school. She decides to go to the school to find him, even though it's a boys' school.

I have myriad issues with this premise. First of all, there's this G character, who has apparently been sending money to take care of her. She just runs right out at his word to go to this BOYS' school. No. Also, the mother superior is somehow able to get her into the school, even though that's obviously against the rules? What? It's also unclear how she expects to find her brother, since siblings often don't look alike.

Well, Maria goes to the school, where all of the boys love her and support her, because she's the only girl there is. She attends school wearing her habit. No joke. Of course, she meets a player, Abe, right at the beginning when she's leaving the convent. Then, it turns out that he lives at the same boarding house she does, because that's how life works. Enter girl with a hopeless crush on him to cause trouble/jealousy, and he reveals that, despite those compromising positions she saw him in, he is actually in love with Maria. Crushed girl may or may not have attempted suicide at being rejected in favor of a nun. Despite the melodramatic suicide note, people seem to be convinced that she took the sleeping pills by accident, having mistaken them for laxatives. Yes, THIS HAPPENS.

Then, Maria gets kidnapped by guys in bunny masks and is interrogated/slightly tortured in an outbuilding of the school. She manages to convince the henchmen to be nicer to her through her purity. Bunny mask leader (who she calls Cain) wants to know where the key is, but she swears she doesn't have one. Pissed off Bunny leader sets the building on fire. Abe, of course, finds her and gets her out of the building. However, some beams collapse just when they're almost clear, and Maria pushes him out of the way and they fall on her. She's totally fine, though, because clearly God loves her.

In all of that crazy shiz, Maria's cross breaks, revealing it to have a key inside. At about the same time, Gabriel sends her a photo which shows her with her parents. Abe, OF COURSE, is all 'that's my dad!' They finally recognize their mutual attraction, so, clearly, they should be siblings. He takes her to open his deceased father's secret box with her key. Inside, they find a watch. They determine based on this that they are definitely siblings and Abe says that's why they are so drawn to each other. No. Just no. This is not a thing.

The 'romance' makes me uncomfortable for more reasons than just the possibility of incest, which I'll talk about next. First of all, and this is the Measure for Measure issue, Maria wants to be a NUN. She has always wanted to be, but all of a sudden, she's willing to elope with the guy she believes to be her brother, because their love is too strong to be overcome. NO. Also, there really doesn't seem to be any reason for them to like each other. They don't have any good moments. There's no slow burn. It's instalove, although it takes a while to come out. When he confesses for real real, his reason for liking her is that she's 'pure,' because he hates most women for being ho-bags. GROSS. The day after they confessed, he had to go dump like every girl in school.

There are a surprising, and rather horrifying, amount of mangas that feature an incest plot line. A number of them are suspected incest, aka we might be siblings, which is also featured in Cassandra Clare's Mortal Instruments series (this is not just an Asian thing). I know that this can happen. Siblings can be separated and meet up later unknowing, and fall in love. What frustrates me no end about Angel Wars, TMI, and Marmalade Boy (as well as any others that do this) is the fact that the lovers learn that they just might possibly be siblings, so they mope about it. They live in this perpetual "I love you but I can't because we might be and wah wah wah." GO GET A DAMN BLOOD TEST AND BE DONE. There is no reason this should go on for chapters/volumes/books. NO EXCUSES.

Okay, this will be the longest review ever if I continue going into such detail, so let's just hit the highlights, shall we?

Maria meets a nice, clean cut boy while visiting Mother Superior at the hospital (because she's super old and there wasn't enough drama). She is freaking out about the 'we might be siblings' thing, so she wants to leave the boarding house, but isn't ready to return to the convent. The guy offers to let her stay at his house so she accepts, because, CLEARLY, this could IN NO WAY GO WRONG. While wandering around in his house, she finds the letterhead G writes on, and concludes that this guy is Gabriel-sama. Obviously, he is completely trustworthy.

Later, she finally makes up her mind to return to the convent, but she finds an old drunk man, who was at one point the groundskeeper at her school, outside the convent. She helps him home, cleans his house, and SLEEPS THERE. This girl is SO STUPID. Of course, old man turns out to be wealthy grandfather in disguise, the one whose inheritance everyone wants.

Maria decides to run off with Abe, because she loves him too much. Then, one of the nuns comes and kidnaps her, having seen Maria embracing a boy. Back at the convent, they lock Maria in a room (with bars on the window, because convents are also prisons) and prepare to force her to take orders. Because this is what nuns do in the modern age. Abe comes to the window and convinces her to break out by knocking over the nun who brings her dinner like a freaking linebacker.

Abe promised to be waiting when she got out, but he's not, because he gets hit by a car driven by evil bunny mask guys. Maria WEEPS BUCKETS, because obviously he does not love her. Gabriel appears, and Maria wonders nothing. They go to his house, where his crazy relatives try to steal her watch and rant about how it's the thing you need to prove you deserve the inheritance. Maria wonders nothing, because she's a BONEHEAD.

Maria gets a call, which informs her that Abe is in danger unless she comes and brings her watch. She shows her first bit of smartness by making them let her hear Abe. She runs out to the creepy closed carnival (Yup) to rescue him. Cain appears and takes the watch. Abe manages to fight just enough to knock off the mask, revealing (shock!) Gabriel with gelled hair! Gabriel = Cain! NO ONE SAW THIS TWIST COMING!

Caibriel ties Abe up and throws knives at him. Luckily, he clearly has carny training. Bored of this, Caibriel decides that she needs to be punished more (since clearly it's her fault that his dad loved Maria's mother more than his own), so he threatens to rape her. WHAT IS WRONG WITH THESE PEOPLE? Bad siblings. Bad.

The truth comes out and she's declared the inheritor. She promptly TURNS IT OVER TO THE GUY WHO WANTED TO RAPE HER AND KILL HER BOYFRIEND. Then, she goes back to the convent because Mother Superior is conveniently at the brink of death AGAIN (Note: Mother Superior and grandpa were in love eons ago). Evil half brother gives her the inheritance back, because, again, that's what people do. Plus, he tells them that Abe and Maria aren't siblings. Abe's dad was some other dude, and their dad supported his mother later. Abe runs in to keep her from marrying Jesus, and they run out of the church like it's the end of The Graduate. Okay, not quite, but basically.

Angel Wars is one of the worst things I've ever read. Why did I read the whole thing? Partly so I could review it, because what what what was that, and partly because I've liked what I've read by this mangaka besides this. Ueda wrote Peach Girl and Papillon, both series I've enjoyed. Long story short, don't read this.

Rating: .5/5

"How do you solve a problem like Maria?"

Baby, Obey Me - Dean Martin

Hot Gimmick

Author: Miki Aihara
Volumes: 12
Publisher: VIZ Media

Description from Goodreads:
Sixteen year old Hatsumi Narita can't believe that life can get any worse--her family's landlady is a gossiping nightmare, and the landlady's son is a bully. To top it off, an act of kindness backfires and makes Hatsumi the bully's slave!

Review:
Hot Gimmick is a series I have read before, and, though I didn't like it, I really wanted to review it, thus the rereading. Anyway, pretty much the whole thing pisses me off, because the series is pretty much entirely about Hatsumi being taken advantage of by every single guy in her life. Hatsumi herself seems to have no ability to see through dishonesty, willpower to resist romantic attacks or strength. This series is where feminism goes to die.

Guy #1: Ryouki. At the outset, we are introduced to Hatsumi, who is the slave to the stern, bullying, sexually harassing, glasses-wearing guy who lives in her building. Why? Because he caught her buying a pregnancy test for her younger sister. If he tells his mother, who controls the housing complex, her family would get kicked out. So, of course, this gives him the right to try to force her to have sex with him. I think we're supposed to like him, because it's obvious that he's really into her and is only treating her like shit because he doesn't know how to handle his emotions. Yeah, not feeling that AT ALL.

Guy #2: Azusa. He's Hatsumi's childhood friend, who would try to protect her from Ryouki's bullying. His family just moved back to town and he's supporting her again. They quickly start dating, because he's so sweet and hot (model), and she's had enough of putting up with Ryouki (only she still lets him do whatever he wants). Except, le shock!, Azusa is actually just dating her to piss off someone to get vengeance for something. Awesome.

Guy #3: Shinogu. Presenting the only nice guy in the series. Surprise! He's her brother. Okay, so they're not actually siblings by blood, but they have been raised that way. He knows they're not related and has been in love with her forever, but she doesn't know, so sees him just as her brother. Clearly, he would be her best choice despite the super awkwardness that would be involved, however, he also has no shot because he's been raised as her brother. Isn't it lovely that dating her brother is what you have to root for, because everyone else is just trying to rape her or seduce her to their own ends?

When it comes down to it, though, this series is very readable, in the same way that a lot of very frustrating books are (think Twilight or maybe this Fifty Shades of Grey I've heard about). Clearly, women are useless, stupid clumsy creatures to be fought over and/or won by studly males. Ugh! As much as I hated that, the story moves along at a swift pace and I do like the art. Thus the 2.5, which I kind of hate myself for.

If you like strong heroines and respectful menfolk, do not read this. However, if you want to read something to prepare you for a feminist rant, this will definitely get you fighting mad.

Rating: 2.5/5

"When I say give me love well don't be meager
Gee can't you see that I'm over eager
Oh baby oh baby obey me

And when my lonely arms need a build up
Well get in my arms and keep them filled up
Oh baby oh baby obey me

Facts are facts and I'm mad about your caress
So relax there's only one word for yes
My love just lives for you why be lonely
I want you for my one and only
Oh baby oh baby obey me do"

Free - Switchfoot

Fruits Basket

Author: Natsuki Takaya
Volumes: 23
Publisher: Tokyopop

Description from Goodreads:
Tohru Honda was an orphan, living with her grandfather, when one day fate kicked her out of the house and she was forced to take up residence in a tent in the forest. Little did she know that the land she was staying on belonged to the Sohma family, a mysterious clan. After stumbling upon the teenage squatter, the Sohmas invite Tohru to stay in their house in exchange for housework. Everything's going well until she discovers the Sohma family's greatest secret: when hugged by members of the opposite sex, they each turn into their Chinese Zodiac animal!

Review:
Fruits Basket is probably my very favorite manga that I have read to date. Now, I wholeheartedly admit that the premise is weird and unlikely, but, hey, it's fantasy. Anyway, if you can get past the initial outlandishness, you discover a story full of heart and darkness. This is my fourth or fifth time through the series, and I just love it more every time.

Having read through a few reviews on Goodreads, I know that this series, and the character of Tohru especially, gets a lot of flak for being too cutesy. It seems that some people did not buy Tohru's consistently positive attitude or her naivete. For me, it worked. Tohru has her painful past, and she does occasionally struggle to put forward that happy face. In fact, I think that she's an incredibly strong character, because she tries so hard and does her best to be happy no matter what life throws her way.

Also criticized is the zodiac curse. Yes, it's crazy and not likely. Who cares? The least popular aspect seems to be the fact that one of the side effects of the curse is that hugging a member of the opposite sex will turn them into their animal. It sounds so arbitrary and like it was solely introduced for hijinks and humor. Actually, I think that there's more to it. This part of the curse is what really separates the Sohma's from other people. They are drawn more into the family and unable to mingle in society for fear of discovery. Their curse is being stuck together.

What really makes me love this story so much though is the way that it grows and changes. In most series, there isn't too much of a marking of time, but in Fruits Basket, the characters change a lot in both personality and appearance. I love that you can literally see the characters growing up from children to adults. Additionally, I really appreciate the level of depth in pretty much all of the rather extensive set of main characters. Each one gets at least one chapter focusing on their own issues.

If you don't believe me about the depth of the story, here's a quote, which pretty much perfectly sums up being young: "It's good to be young, without experience in how to live, struggling desperately as if you were going to drown, even though you could float if you just drew on your own strength." I just love that. Above and beyond the fantasy plot, this is really just a touching story of a lot of broken people coming together and trying to find the courage to believe in themselves and to really love.

Not only that, but the art is gorgeous. It takes a couple of volumes for Takaya to get into the swing of things, but after that I occasionally find myself pausing and just staring at a particular frame to admire the beauty therein. Of course, manga art gets criticized a lot for being ridiculous, so if you don't like it, then you won't like the art here either, since it's got the standards (like big eyes versus narrow ones to indicate degrees of masculinity/femininity).

Do not be fooled by the pretty shoujo artwork and cutesy opening chapters, though. Fruits Basket is very dark and tackled a lot of painful issues, such as parental abuse. However, it does so with heart and hope. This will always be one of my very favorite works of literature.

Rating: 5/5

"I've got my back against the wall
But I still hear the blue sky call
The chains that hold me back inside
Are the prisons of my mind

Free, come set me free
Down on my knees
I still believe
You can save me from me

Come set me free
Come set me free
Inside this shell
There's a prison cell

I try to live the light of day
Why would I do what I hate?
But when try to reach above
I only I hurt the ones I love"

She Hates Me - Puddle of Mudd

Boys Over Flowers

Author: Yoko Kamio
Volumes: 37
Publisher: VIZ Media

Brief Summary:
Tsukushi Makino wants nothing more than to get through high school without attracting the notice of the impossibly wealthy, snobby and self-absorbed people with whom she attends Eitoku Academy. The only reason she's there is that her parents think her marrying rich is the only way they'll ever escape poverty. Eitoku is essentially run by a group of four incredibly wealthy and handsome boys. If they don't like a student, they put a red card in that kid's locker and torture that individual until they drop out. One day, Tsukushi challenges the leader of the F4, Tsukasa, and rather than going down and dropping out, she fights back.

Review:
Warning: this review may contain spoilers.

For a lot of people when they think of manga, they'll probably think either of a battle manga, like Naruto, or an over-the-top melodramatic romance series, of which Boys Over Flowers is a perfect example. It is in every way absurd and improbable. There is nothing of the real world about it. Every page oozes with romantic drama, love triangles and betrayal, not to mention amnesia (oh wait, I just did).

However, I did read the whole thing (twice...because I wanted to review it and my memory was fuzzy), although I have no plans to read it ever again. At the outset, I actually rather liked the story, even though I find a school so in the thrall of its students preposterous. I mean, at one point, Tsukushi is tied up and dragged behind a moving vehicle in front of the school. In what universe would a teacher or administrator not put a stop to this, if only for liability's sake? (I told you it was over-the-top.) Plus, why would these guys allow people to call them the Flower 4? Yes, that's what the F stands for. SUPER LAME!

What I liked though was Tsukushi's spirit. She's not particularly attractive, she's poor and she's not even brilliant. Still, she refuses to let others make her feel like she's worthless. If only to spite others, she finds resources within herself to face the challenges and pain life gives to her. That trait I found to be rather admirable.

Another thing I appreciated at the beginning was that this is not another story where the girl pines away for the guy she's been obsessed with, waiting for him to want her. Instead, Tsukasa is desperately in obsession with her, but unable to make her his. This brings me to one of the many in this story that I just cannot get over or accept. His frustrated longing for her makes him do something stupid, namely to attempt rape in the school. He doesn't actually do it, but he does force kisses and rip open her shirt. As much as the story takes the reader in hand, I find it impossible to ever forgive such behavior.

This may be why, even though after that incident Yoko Kamio tries really hard to show the reader Tsukasa's true feelings for Tsukushi, I just don't buy it completely. Even now, after reading all 36 volumes and Jewelry Box, and additional volume she added to close some plot lines, I still ship Tsukushi more with Rui Hanazawa. His character grew into such a great person and it's really a shame.

A lot of what happens here is just awful. Still, there's a reason it's so incredibly popular. It's addictive, much like Gossip Girl and Twilight. The lives and loves it depicts are in now way something to emulate; they're a car crash and you just want to watch, even though you hate yourself for it.

P.S. Yoko Kamio's actually the author of one of my favorite manga's Cat Street, which is not yet licensed in the U.S. It's so much better than this one, her most famous work.

Rating: 2.5/5

"Met a girl, thought she was grand
Fell in love, found out first hand
Went well for a week or two
Then it all came unglued

In a trap, trip I can't grip
Never thought I'd be the one who'd slip
Then I started to realize
I was living one big lie

She fucking hates me
Trust
She fucking hates me
La la la love
I tried too hard
And she tore my feelings like I had none
And ripped them away"

Sakura Kiss - Chieko Kawabe

Ouran High School Host Club

Author: Bisco Hatori
Volumes: 18
Publisher: Viz Media

Brief Summary:
Haruhi Fujioka is super apathetic. She takes no pride in her appearance as a girl, so, on her first day at Ouran (the rich people's high school to which she is a scholarship student), she wears one of her dad's old sweaters, big glasses and doesn't brush her hair. Wandering around, she stumbles across Ouran's host club, enterprising young boys who flirt with the girls at their school for profit. While there, Haruhi, in her effort to escape, accidentally breaks a super expensive vase. To earn the money to pay them back, they require her (they think she's a boy) to work as a host.

Review:
As that summary probably tells you, Ouran High School Host Club is completely over the top ridiculous. It's a reverse harem with an uninterested heroin, which is definitely the best kind. Haruhi finds being surrounded by the most attractive guys at school boring, often frustrating.

This absurdness and crazy comedy is what Ouran does best. Hatori embraces that this story has nothing to do with the real world. After a while, she writes in, for example, that for narrative purposes, years will pass without the characters moving up a grade. While I do think that's ridiculous, I accept it, since Hatori drew attention to it, rather than just pretending time wasn't passing. I respect that she was willing to acknowledge the crazy. In case you're curious, they do eventually age.

The series maintains consistency pretty well throughout the volumes. I can't remember any terrible story lines off the top of my head, which is definitely doable with most shoujo manga. I'll tell you all about that in an upcoming review (I'm about to reread Boys Over Flowers just so I can review it).

My main criticism of the story was always that I shipped Haruhi with a character that did not get to win her heart. This still makes me sad, but, by the end, Hatori had me at least partially convinced that the winning guy was the right one. Whatever. Kyouya's still my favorite; I have a weakness for the tall glasses-wearing ones.

Rating: 3.5/5

Hair / Crazy in Love from Glee

Beauty Pop

Author: Kiyoko Arai
Volumes: 10
Publisher: Viz Media

Brief Summary:
Kiri has amazing hair cutting skills, learned from her father, one of the best stylists in Japan. Unfortunately, Kiri no longer gets joy from cutting hair, ever since she accidentally cut her mother's ear as a child. Still, she helps people out when they need it. In this way, she attracts the notice and rivalry of the self proclaimed genius stylist, Narumi, of her school's Scissors Project, a group of boys all determined to open a salon when they grow up.

Review:
Beauty Pop is a shoujo manga that focuses more on the subject matter than on romance. The early volumes are very similar to some other makeover manga, in that they don't have quite as much plot and each chapter centers around a different makeover. The later volumes involve more romance and more leveling up in the stylists' skills.

My favorite thing about this manga is that, despite being a reverse harem shoujo series , the heroine is not constantly concerned about having a boyfriend or focused on romance. Actually, the best word to describe Kiri might be apathetic. Her hairstyle is practical not pretty, as are her clothes. She's sarcastic and disinterested. In fact, when the romance comes into the series, it's the boys who suffer from desperation not the female character, which is rather nice to see.

The first time I read this, I remember being hugely disappointed by the way the romance turned out, as I had been rooting for an entirely different guy to win. This time through, prepared for the ending, I was more okay with it.

Although not one of my favorite series, Beauty Pop definitely has good features and is worth a read for a shoujo fan. Recommended to fans of The Knockout Makers, Ouran High School Host Club or My Heavenly Hockey Club.

"Give me a head with hair
Long beautiful hair
Shining, gleaming, streaming, flaxen, waxen"

To Sir, with Love - Lulu

Aishiteruze Baby

Author: Yoko Maki
Volumes: 7
Publisher: VIZ Media

Brief Summary:
Kippei, a high school student, is a bit of a playboy without much ambition. Everything changes when his Aunt Miyako leaves her five year old daughter with his family, since she cannot take care of her for a while in the wake of her husband's death. Kippei is told that he will be responsible for Yuzuyu. At first, he resents this a little bit, but he quickly comes to care deeply for the little girl, who helps him grow as a person even more than he helps her.

Review:
Aishiteruze Baby is a pretty great shoujo series. For one thing, I really appreciate the fact that the main character is a male, because this is rare to see in shoujo series. He's not a perfect guy, but he definitely seems like a real person. Watching him evolve into a mature adult from the flirty guy with no thought of the future is quite touching.

Generally, I do not much care for stories about children, but even I must admit that Yuzu is often quite charming. What person has a heart hard enough to not feel bad for a five year old abandoned by her mother? And, of course, caring for Yuzu makes Kippei sensitive enough to be able to support a slightly bruised girl like Kokoro.

While mostly light-hearted, the story also takes on darker issues like child abuse and bullying. This is an utterly touching story about the importance of family and growing up.

Although this song is about a girl thanking her teacher, I think it captures better than any other the way that Yuzu will probably think about Kippei when she's older, even if he wasn't actually raising her until she was old enough for perfume. Then again, I doubt the teacher would have been teaching a student for that many years either.

"Those schoolgirl days, of telling tales and biting nails are gone,
But in my mind,
I know they will still live on and on,
But how do you thank someone, who has taken you from crayons to perfume?"

The Beauty in Ugly - Jason Mraz

Ugly Duckling's Love Revolution

Author: Yuuki Fujinari
Volumes: 4
Publisher: Yen Press

Brief Summary:
Hitomi's brother takes care of her and he does a pretty good job, because he loves her so much. Still, his love causes him to overlook her unhealthy habits. This enables her to put on a lot of weight. The weight doesn't stop her from making friends, even really hot ones, but she's worried about her health. Will Hitomi's diet succeed? Will one of the hot guys in the apartment complex her brother runs fall in love with her?

Review:
This was one weird manga, and believe me I know. What's weird is that it's a shoujo manga with no romance. It's hinted at, but never goes anywhere. Hitomi loses the weight and, Bam!, that's the end of the story. Shoujo is all about romance, so it's very strange for it not to be included. Stranger yet, this is a reverse harem manga, and she still doesn't get to have one of the like eight bishounen surrounding her.

What was cool, if not incredibly realistic, was how popular Hitomi was, regardless of her appearance. All of the hottest guys in school were friends with her and wanted to spend time with her. One of them even seemed to have a crush on her. Everyone in the manga was pretty nice, even the ones that were gruff on the surface. It would be nice if people really were this encouraging and focused on internal beauty.

Of course, I do think it undoes some of that message that Hitomi was depicted as a chibi character a lot, like on the cover of volume one. Also, she didn't get to have the typical large pretty eyes of a manga character. Fat people get little dots for eyes. Umm, what is that about? People's eyes stay the same size no matter their weight, but, sure enough, when she got skinny, she got pretty girl eyes. Uncool.

If this manga does anything at all, it endorses working out and staying healthy, perhaps suggesting that you will get yourself a bunch of sexy friends if you do so. I will not be revisiting this one, but it was interesting enough, so long as you know what to expect from it.

"She's so big hearted,
But not so remarkable
Just an ordinary humble girl"

Falling In - Lifehouse

Marmalade Boy

Author: Wataru Yoshizumi
Volumes: 8
Publisher: Tokyopop

Brief Summary:
Miki's parents go on a holiday and, upon arriving home, declare that they are divorcing and marrying other people, also a married couple until this holiday. They are swapping spouses and the two families will live together in one house as one big happy family. Miki is, at first, extremely opposed to this admittedly ludicrous plan and expects, Yuu, the son of the other former couple, to be just as put out as she is. When he's not, she starts to think maybe it is best to just let her parents be happy, even if the situation is somewhat unconventional. An even bigger problem soon arises in her attraction to Yuu, since her mother warned her not to fall for him...

Review:
For the most part, Marmalade Boy is a sweet shoujo romance series, of the kind I have come to expect from Wataru Yoshizumi. She is one of my preferred mangakas, although not exactly a favorite as a couple of her series really annoy me. Still, she has a really cute art style, likable characters and a fun sense of humor. That is true of this series, however the overarching plot line just makes me so mad. If you want to know why, keep readind, but be aware that there are SPOILERS ahead.

I have read a lot of manga, so I am aware of a lot of the common themes and, from this, I know that the Japanese really love tales of forbidden love. For example, manga plots about student/teacher romances and brother/sister romances are very popular. Both of these are found in Marmalade Boy. Neither is a plot line I particularly enjoy. The former is done with a touch of class, I think, and feels as un-creepy as such a thing can, largely because of the serious maturity of the female student involved.

Sometimes the brother/sister thing is just step siblings, as appears to be the case at the outset of Marmalade Boy. This is somewhat taboo, what with having their names on the same family register, but is totally fine from a genetic standpoint. In Marmalade Boy, Yuu and Miki come to suspect that they may actually be related to one another by blood (half siblings). In response to this, they break up, but then decide that they cannot bear being apart, so they will marry anyway (since they're not legally considered siblings).

Excuse me? Why would anyone ever do that? They're not sure if they're related, but they just go with that assumption. This whole plot line could have been easily nipped at the bud had they just gone to get a blood test. How hard is that? I mean, I hate needles and avoid them when I can, but, for this, I'm pretty sure I would be more than willing to get stabbed with one. Come on, people, use your brains!

So yeah, not my favorite of hers, but you should definitely check out some of the others. Oh, and in case you're curious about the title, it's a reference to Yuu and how he seems sweet but is a little bit bitter once you get to know him, like marmalade.

"Everytime I see your face
My heart takes off on a high speed chase
Now don't be scared, it's only love
Baby, that we're falling in"

Anything You Can Do I Can Do Better - Betty Hutton & Howard Keel

S.A. (Special A)

Author: Maki Minami
Volumes: 17
Publisher: Viz Media

Brief Summary:
Special A, or SA in the English version, is a series about the seven smartest kids in a very strange, wealthy high school. The top seven students in the school do not have to attend classes and are free to spend their day doing whatever they please in their own personal swanky greenhouse, so long as they maintain their stellar academic positions. The number two position is held by one of the few poor students at the school, Hanazono Hikari, a brilliant and incredibly motivated girl, who is attending the school in hopes of defeating her long-term rival Takishima Kei.

Review:
Special A's main focus is upon romance and friendship, which is pretty standard for shoujo series. When I read this the first time, I liked it quite a bit, although even on the first read-through I was exceedingly irritated by the constant repetition of the descriptions of the seven SA members, which happen in every chapter for the first few volumes. This makes sense, considering how manga is published (by chapter in magazines), but once they are combined into tankobons (volumes), it really is frustrating for the reader.

This series is definitely guilty of the old Shakespearean comedy fault/formula of pairing everyone off, regardless of whether the match really seems to work or not. Some couples are charming, like Tadashi and Akira, but Jun and Sakura never really made sense to me. Hikari and Kei, who I supported on my first read-through, I now found myself kind of tired of, since they just enact the same things over and over again.

Speaking of Kei and Hikari, I both like their rivalry and hate it. What I like is that Hikari is such a strong character and that he has such strong love for her. What really gets my goat, though, is that she never once gets to beat him in a single contest (unless you count the fact that he admitted to his feelings first, but since she didn't, I don't either). Yeah, it's hot that he's so good at everything, but does the man really have to be superior at everything? I love that Hikari continues to be hopeful of winning and never gives up, but I would have liked to see her win at least once. Kei also is incredibly jealous, which is completely ridiculous and unfair considering how trusting Hikari is.

Special A definitely has some cute moments and I recommend it for shoujo fans that like to see everyone paired off by the end. For me, it just did not have enough depth or story to justify carrying on for so long.

Powder Your Face with Sunshine - Dean Martin

Songs to Make You Smile

Author: Natsuki Takaya
Volumes: 1
Publisher: Tokyopop

This is a collection of one shots (manga stories consisting of only one chapter). Natuski Takaya, for those who are not familiar with the world of shoujo manga, wrote what is arguably the most popular series in that genre: Fruits Basket. I have read that series several times and loved it more each time (expect a review someday). One shots are not my favorites, just like I prefer novels to short stories. These are largely disappointing, nowhere near as good or clever as Fruits Basket, the beauty of which is largely because of the time you get to spend watching the characters grow and change.

The title story tells of a boy with an angry expression, who is actually just thoughtful and loves to sing in his band. He finds a soulmate in his band mate's cousin. This story is pretty cute, probably the best of the volume, in fact, which is probably why the title is named for it.

The second story focuses on a girl who has a serious daddy complex, since he died without ever having given her a birthday present. She is left living with her relatively new step mom, who is trying to set her up with the boy next door, her childhood friend. The girl, Chisato, does not trust that her stepmother will not abandon her. I thought this story was completely incomprehensible, considering that (SPOILER ALERT) her father had bought her presents but never gave them to her for some reason. What is that? Nobody does that.

The third story calls to mind La Corda d'Oro, only really short and with only Len and Kahoko's characters. There is the gifted violinist, son of musicians, who is having trouble finding his place and his own sound because he does not know how much of his recognition is based on talent and how much on his parents' fame. A forthright, pure, viola-playing girl helps him find his own sound.

Story four reminded me of Banri Hidaka's works, only not nearly as cute. There was definitely some of the younger female/older male possible love interest thing happening, as well as the male lead not adhering to traditional male pursuits. While Banri put in the time to make the age differences in her stories not creepy, Takaya doesn't have time for that and I'm mostly just creeped out by the possibility, even though nothing happened here.

I hated the final story. It's a revisionist Cinderella, wherein Cinderella is a big ol' jerk. She's a princess in her own right with no evil stepsisters or stepmother. She's the evil one. Other than that change, the story goes through most of the tropes of the Cinderella story, but changes them all around. Done right, this could have been hilarious, but this really didn't work, because I hated everyone and it was just plain weird.

Summation: Read Fruits Basket instead. This really just isn't worth your time and that definitely is!

"The future's brighter when hearts are lighter
So smile smile smile"

I Only Want to Be with You - Dusty Springfield

The Devil Does Exist

Author: Mitsuba Takanashi
Volumes: 10
Publisher: CMX

Brief Summary:
Kayano has big plans to confess to the guy she's had a crush on for a while, Kamijou the basketball team captain. Her high school life is thrown into chaos when she accidentally hands the letter to the wrong guy, so distracted was she by her nerves. And what a guy to hand it to! She gave the letter to Edogawa Takeru, the delinquent son of the headmaster who gets to do whatever he wants. And have whatever he wants, which now Kayano. Oh yeah, and, surprise!, their parents are getting married. Will Kayano and Takeru be able to make their relationship work?

Review:
I have actually read this before, rereading it as part of my endeavor to review manga series here on my blog. When I first read it, I quite liked it, got swept up in the drama. On a reread, now that I have a wider knowledge of manga, I am much less impressed by it.

For one thing, the super melodramatic shoujo series are not generally my favorites, because they're so over the top; I like the humor ones. Also, I cannot stand the forbidden love of siblings plot line that is all too popular in Japan. These two aren't even related, and in a lot of cases they're not, and yet they make a huge freaking deal about it. And it's not even like they were raised as siblings (like the kids in Cherry Juice) or suspect they may be siblings, a realization that came quite a ways into the relationship as their parents may have been, in effect, swingers (like in Marmalade Boy...which I hated by the way. I have two words for those melodramatic, whiny, maybe siblings: BLOOD TEST). So yeah, Kayano and Takeru would have to explain at various points why they have the same last name, but so what?

This series is also guilty of the unrealistic, perfect relationship. The only problem internal to their relationship is that neither of them can believe that they could be so lucky as to have the other one really want to be with them forever, so they constantly have to reaffirm this after suffering fits of no self-confidence. Mostly though, they just deal with external conflicts, which try to break apart their paradise. There's the siblings issue, the creepy guy who tries to bribe Kayano into going out with him, various folks with crushes on either Kayano or Takeru, a matchmaking grandmother and a separation needed because of external issues.

The thing that really got to me, though, was that the first five volumes, or something ridiculous like that, were chock full of Kayano's whining thoughts about how it's a sin, but she can't stop her love for Takeru. Oh my god. Stop it with the sinning stuff. Either do it and own it or stop. Please. Kayano also spends a LOT of time crying. Be strong, woman!

Recommended to people who enjoy stories of forbidden love that can stand up to any challenge. Oh, and, for those who are planning to try it, be advised that the art does improve as the series goes on. Or, check out Takanashi's other series licensed in English, Crimson Hero, which is one of my favorites.

" I don't know what it is that makes me love you so
I only know I never want to let you go
'Cause you've started something
Oh, can't you see?
That ever since we met
You've had a hold on me
It happens to be true
I only want to be with you

It doesn't matter where you go or what you do
I want to spend each moment of the day with you
Oh, look what has happened with just one kiss
I never knew that I could be in love like this
It's crazy but it's true
I only want to be with you"

Extraordinary Machine - Fiona Apple

Karakuri Odette

Author: Julietta Suzuki
Volumes: 6
Publisher: Tokyopop

Brief Summary:
Odette is a robot, made by an incredibly brilliant professor. He's so brilliant, in fact, that Odette is human in almost every way. So human that she wants to go to high school like other girls her age (or at least the age she appears). Odette, though admittedly odd, makes some good friends, has fun adventures and has to avert some evil deeds plotted by mad robot scientists (not like her awesome professor).

Review:
Robot plots, especially in a genre with romance at the core, are not my favorite by any means. I read Chobits a couple of years ago, one of many manga by CLAMP. In that one, the robot relationships are by no means pure. The story wasn't bad exactly, but it was creepy as all get out. Karakuri Odette is not the same at all, thankfully.

Although a lot of time is spent discussing romance and in some ways most of the plot lines did resolve around it, there is actually very little romance in this manga series. Ultimately, friendship and what it means to be human are the central subjects. Odette constantly has to make requests of her maker for enhancements or changes, so that she can be more human and function better with others.

There are also some delightful comedic moments, generally caused by Odette, who is delightfully deadpan. She says and does the most outlandish things with a straight face. Her friendship with a delinquent also makes for amusing times.

I did not love this series, but there was something pleasant about it that made me keep reading to the end. The series definitely went downhill as it went along, though, culminating in an indecisive and lame conclusion.

"If there was a better way to go then it would find me
I can't help it, the road just rolls out behind me
Be kind to me, or treat me mean
I'll make the most of it,
I'm an extraordinary machine"

Ugly Side - Blue October

Mars

Volumes: 15
Author: Fuyumi Soryo
Publisher: Tokyopop

Brief Summary:
Kira avoids interacting with her classmates, especially the boys, more comfortable with her art. One day, Rei, the most popular guy in class and a bit of a bad boy, starts talking with her about her art, asking for one of her sketches. She agrees and her offers her anything in payment, except for money. She asks for his body...as a model. He accedes to this request and an unlikely couple is born, although their path will be a rough one.

Review:
Manga gets a lot of judgment for being incredibly melodramatic. Well, Mars definitely is that. The parts that I like least are those sections. A lot of the melodrama brings up tough issues, like rape, suicide, adultery, insanity, etc, but when all crammed together into a single story, it becomes improbable and absurd.

However, despite being over the top, there is something compelling about Mars. The relationship between Rei and Kira does feel real, moreso than most teenage relationships, even if they are super serious all the time. The beginning volumes are definitely the best, because you can watch their relationship grow. For those who do not approve of melodrama, but like sweet stories of first love and unlikely couples, you might want to just read these volumes.

The evolution of Rei and Kira's relationship is very natural. They do not fall in love at first sight, although they are somewhat curious about one another. Nor do they really intend to date. It just sort of happens. They become really good friends who hang out all the time and just sort of slip into being boyfriend and girlfriend without ever having to have the talk about it. That was just so adorable, how neither ever really confessed to the other, but they fell into a relationship just the same.

It is, though, really nice to read series (manga or otherwise) that follow the trajectory of a couple from their first meeting and follow their relationship. So often fiction relies too heavily upon sexual tension to get people's interest, so the couple does not get together until the very end, kissing through the credits. That's nice in it's own way, but unrealistic and not entirely satisfying for one's curiosity. Of course, in place of the drama of "will they get together or won't they," series like this generally put in a lot of external pressures to keep the tension high. And that can be worse.

Overall, Mars is a decent read, but you need to be well-prepared for oh-my-god-drama. Familiarity with manga logic would probably help, too. I definitely would not recommend that someone read this as their first manga. For a similar type of story (following the relationship of a boy and a girl), I would recommend Kare First Love, which has somewhat less melodrama, and certainly less violent melodrama.

Both of these manga depict a sort of natural-seeming relationship. In Mars, for example (since that is the one I'm actually reviewing), Rei feels no real temptation to be with anyone but Kira, even though she is super innocent and will not sleep with him for a long time, something he is definitely not used to. But Rei will still check other girls out on occasion, with no real intention behind it. The only thing that bothers me about the relationships in both is that the guy is a player, who falls for an innocent girl (of course), but when they break up briefly (which both do), he reverts temporarily to his horndog lifestyle. All she does is miss him; why can't the lady go get some while he cries?

"I only want you to see
My favorite part of me
And not my ugly side
Not my ugly side"

Before I close this post, I wanted to announce that you will be seeing more manga reviews here in the future. I know that manga, while extremely popular is not as widely read by reviewers, so I thought I would add my rather knowledgeable voice. To this end, I will be rereading some series I have already read, as well as venturing on new ones. If you love manga or are curious about which to start with or add to your library's collection, A Reader of Fictions is here to help!

I'm a Fool - Stay

Very! Very! Sweet

Authors: JiSang Shin, Geo
Volumes: 8
Publisher: Yen Press

Brief Summary:
This series centers around a half-Japanese, half-Korean boy who has been sent to Korea to learn about that side of himself. Right away, he meets his neighbor Be-Ri. They do not hit it off at first, but end up becoming close simply for proximity's sake. The plot focuses on the romances of these two, their friends and family.

Review:
For a manhwa, Very! Very! Sweet has a tame plot. Manhwa seems, to me at least, to veer off on insane flights of fancy more so than manga. Well, maybe not more, but the situations always seem even weirder. One of the series I am reading, the heroine's sidekick is a cactus that can talk, has a girl's name (Beatrice), and changes into a boy once a month. Huh?! How did someone make that up? And, more importantly, why? Anyway, that was a long way of saying that this series doesn't do that.

This is fairly typical shoujo fare. It was pretty cute and kept me engaged fairly well. Unlike a lot of manga series, this one did not seem to carry on unnecessarily. The ending did not quite flush out all of the story elements I would have liked to see wrapped up, which was somewhat irritating. Most notable were the two cats, Gu-Nyang and Doki. They're pretty cute, although I do not care much for the art style used for Gu-Nyang. Still, I adore cats, and the authors seem to have captured cat behavior really well.

If you really like shoujo, then this one is worth reading, but I only recommend it to hardcore fans. There is better stuff out there.

"I’m even sorry that these words are so late
But I’m waiting here for you shamelessly
Will you by chance come back tomorrow?"