Ageha 100%

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Sorry, I just can't agree with the other review. It's true that "Ageha 100%" is a typical shoujo manga, but I like the story very much.
That is a story about a girl who like her work very much and put all her effort into it. And her work is not only to make girl's outer personality, but to make also girl's heart change. That shoujo is like a real life, because in it girls are feeling really insecure and fragile and they are searching for something that can make them feel more confident about themselves (just like the girls in real life do). They all ... find that confidence when they face the change of theirs outer self and find out that they are all beautiful (and not only outside).

You can say that the story and even the main characters are mediocre, but we all were reading so many manga at that time.. that I think we can't find something beautiful even if it hit us on the head. I think that that manga is beautiful. Yes.. she is not in the "fresh news", but I still like it very much.

The story is about a girl called Fujiwara Rin who (for some reason) live with her grandparents. But they are very strict and hate all that make-up fashion and they dislike the girls who put a make-up at their faces. That's why Rin, who love them very much can't tell them her secret. She can't say them that she was once hated her own face and personality until once destined meeting (when she was in her 6 grade). That was the time when she met "The legendary Ageha". Ageha tell her that "Make-up makes a girl" and show her the beautiful her who she hides inside (using her make-up metod, of course). So.. Rin decide to took the baton and to change yourself into the second Ageha (that's because she likes to make the girls happy). But the Ageha's identity has to remind secret. That's why when she want to became Ageha - Rin remove her glasses, loose her hair and put some lenses and make-up on her face. With that transformation no one can recognize her. The only person who knows about Rin doubles personality is the playboy Kisaragi who saw her incidentally, when she was removing her make-up. He decide to keep that a secret but sometimes he follow Ageha in her make-up adventures. To keep that big secret with a strict grandparents and in a strict school may be a very difficult thing, but for the sake of all the girls in there and for the sake of "The legendary Ageha", who want to inherit Rin will be able to do it. :)

‘Mediocre’ shoujo at its best, Ageha 100% gives us nothing innovative, nor is the plot or characters anything for you to scream in ecstasy over.
Story
The manga has (from up to the beginning of volume two) followed the same format of Ageha basically helping other girls get what they so desire through the use of beauty and makeup. Emphasising the importance of makeup in producing any average looking girl to become a beauty. From what I’ve read so far, ‘conflicts’ arise mainly due to disbelievers in the “Legend of Ageha”, and imitators of Ageha’s work. While these conflicts serve to extend the storyline, and perhaps ... a lesson in learnt between the leading characters after these conflicts conclude, there is not much else pulling the plot, nothing to give the reader a reason to flip each page in excitement.

Art
The art ranges from so-called ‘good’ to ‘bad’. Standard shoujo elements appear in the artwork, big eyes, blushes, interesting hair styles. There is quite a huge contrast between Rin and her ‘secret’ persona in terms of appearance. In the end, I could easily say that the art is not anything special, nor is it poorly done that it detracts from a reader’s experience. As the manga emphasises physical ‘beauty’, the artist completes and a satisfactory performance in showing how makeup can ‘transform’ normal looking girls into beautiful women.

Character
One of Ageha’s poorest elements arguably, the characters are rather flat and only serve to continue the initial role in the story they are given, so far not even appearing to detract from their chosen path. As the only common returning characters are Rin and Riku, other appearing characters receive not development or interesting characterisation. While Rin’s objectives are explained, there is nothing else behind what she initially believes. Riku’s decisions in assisting Rin are a muddle of confusion, although perhaps this may be explored in later chapters.

Enjoyment
I picked Ageha 100% up out of boredom. There is nothing behind it that could ever put this title onto my favourite’s list however it served to entertain me for the hour I spent reading this title. Any shoujo fan may like to pick this up for a short read, but don’t expect any mind blowing artwork or plotline.

Overall

Summarising Ageha 100% strongest points:

A straightforward plotline that follows the story outline initially set and explained in the first chapter.
Artwork ranging from good to bad, but satisfactory in supporting this title.
There is not much else to say besides the fact that I would recommend shoujo fans to pick this up if they have nothing else to find. While I would not specifically recommend this to people looking for recommendations of shoujo manga, it is not per se the worst thing I’ve ever read.