Ichigo 100%
Strawberry 100%

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Ichigo 100% is what you can call a classic Shounen, Harem, Ecchi, Romantic, Comedy manga having the typical set-up of, one "loser-kun" (Manaka Junpei) surrounded by gorgeous girls. It’s pretty easy to find this manga annoying, due to the dragged out storyline and loser protagonist but it’s just as easy to find it rather enjoyable, from the various potential relationships involved.

The story starts of with our protagonist somehow ending up with the hottest girl in the school and this being a Shounen Rom/Com makes it acceptable. Now with the dumbest thing taken care of, from this point on the reader can enjoy a really long ... manga full of clichés. Some points in the story are really dragged out, with no progression whatsoever, but the various themes (aspirations, movies, etc.) are what give Ichigo 100% a refreshing feel. The romantic element of the manga is pretty well done because the relationships the protagonist gets himself into are all different and somewhat believable (well half of them at least). One thing to enjoy about Ichigo 100% is how well it promotes speculation, because it isn’t certain who the indecisive protagonist would end up with.

When looking in the artwork it’s easy to see how average it looks in the beginning. Although as the manga progresses, so does the artwork, with some great character close-ups. Like in most Rom/Coms all the detail is put into the female character designs, which is really good when looking at their individual features and how it matches their varying personalities. Nonetheless the guys aren’t as important, with not as much detail put into them, though at least the mangaka did a good job in expressing the character’s emotions. Shame this is an ecchi manga, littered with "panty shots".

Overall this ecchi manga doesn’t stand out because of its artwork or story but rather how enjoyable it is to read, being the only reason why anyone would read all 19 Volumes. The likable characters and romantic developments are all the more reasons to think of this as one of the best harem manga of all time; however all the unnecessary clichés and panty shots may turn some people of. Well I personally loved this, which is why overall I would give it 10/10.

^_^

The first few novels are pretty much a comedy romance, but as the manga progresses, the plot gets more serious, with all the girls getting more serious.
By the last two chapters, you are completely wrapped into the series, and are holding your breath until the very last page.

I'd have to say that I wish they modeled the anime after this series, instead of that romance comedy garbage, but what can you do?

Either way, I would really recommend reading this to the very end, because it is really, really worth reading all 166 chapters.

"The Times, They Are Achanging"





When I first saw strawberries after reading Ichigo (Strawberry) 100%, I just had to laugh, remembering Manaka Junpei and his strawberry-ful problems. This is the longest and one of the first manga I have finished. First off, I have to say, the anime does not do the manga justice. The former may be more flashy, but it is ruined by bad artwork, seiyuu, soundtrack and overall portrayal. On the other hand, the latter might be less colorful, but it is fortified with good length, character designs, drama and romance. Definitely read the manga first; it has the complete story from the ... author, Kawashita Mizuki, who did other works, such as Hatsukoi Limited., Lilim Kiss and Ane Doki. It should also be noted that the story changes over time.

A boy called Manaka Junpei likes to go to the roof of the school for a nice view. One day, though, he is surprised to be greeted by the shoe of a fallen girl. The wind blows the girl's middle-school uniform, revealing her strawberry panties. Embarrassed, she runs away screaming. Junpei is now fascinated with the strawberry-panties girl, wanting to film what just happened, as it would make a great scene. The problem is, he has no idea who that person was, being surprised that there was such a cute girl at school. After inspecting the roof, Junpei finds a notebook belonging to a girl named Toujou Aya, whom he discovers later to be in the same class as his. When Manaka meets her, however, it becomes highly improbable for the strawberry-panties girl to be plain, glasses-wearing Toujou. His friends, Oukusa and Komiyama Rikiya, convince the protagonist that there are not many cute girls in Izumizaka middle school, hence, there is only one person he could be searching for: School idol Nishino Tsukasa. Surprisingly, Manaka has no clue whom that girl is, annoying Komiyama, who is in love with her and talks about her all the time. As the two are fighting, Tsukasa overhears a little of what they said, and, after abruptly turning down Rikiya, she tells Junpei that she wears strawberry panties. After she lectures and leaves them, a depressed Komiyama forces Manaka to confess to Nishino, who is now presumed to be the girl on the roof. However, she is known to have rejected every guy that asked her to be his girlfriend. Will Manaka simply be the next in line to get shot down like his friend hopes . . .?

The pacing is not bad, and while at first it seems like the story will be about who is the girl with the strawberry panties, with a predictable ending of the protagonist finding out in the last few chapters, the author surprises us by revealing her identity, first to the readers and then to Manaka, early on, actually, avoiding the slice-of-life expectation. A lot of twists take place fast, and important characters are introduced steadily. Also, just as you start thinking that all girls fall for him, you will see one who hates his indecisive nature, another who only wants boyfriends that buy her presents, and so on.

The characters are funny and likeable; they are not shallow (at least later). Manaka Junpei has never told anyone, but his dream is to be able to make movies one day, so he intends to apply to Izumizaka high school, which is hard for him to do, as he heard they have a film studies club. Shy and quiet, Toujou Aya secretly writes novels that she does not show to anyone, and she plans on applying to the difficult-to-get-into Oumi's all-girl high school, which should be easy for her, as she is at the top of her third-year class; her personality is different around her little brother, though, who is in love with her. Popular Nishino Tsukasa likes to cook pastries, and has recently cut her hair. Oukusa is considered a handsome boy who is good at soccer (football); he has a secret crush on Tsukasa. Komiyama Rikiya is a perverted, large, strong man who looks like a monster and has no luck with girls. A sexy girl by the name of Kitaouji ("kita" means "north") Satsuki later appears, as she applies to the same high school as Manaka; she is feisty, energetic and likes to have fun. Junpei's childhood friend (najimi) is called Minamito ("minami" means "south") Yui, a childish girl who used to protect "crybaby" Manaka when he got bullied, but they have not seen each other in years since her family moved; she likes to sleep in the nude. Also, Amachi is a tall, good-looking guy, who feels obligated to help any girl in need, even if they do not want to. On the other hand, Hiroshi likes to take pictures of girls, especially in certain positions, and has a bit of a sister complex. His little sister is Misuzu, a hard-headed girl that likes to watch movies and give her criticizing opinions straightforwardly on the directing process. Chinami is a cute girl that likes to hustle guys for gifts. Much like Aya, Kozue is a girl that does not talk much, and is especially fearful of boys, except that she has dirty fantasies regarding them. Manaka's sensei in high school is a big-breasted woman who likes to get drunk, particularly when she gets dumped; she used to act with a now-well-known director.

The art is pretty good here, though at some angles, especially their profiles, the characters look similar, even to ones of a different gender. Nevertheless, the serious moments are left alone, without inappropriate faces (or jokes), which is the way it should be. They are done brilliantly, I might add. Ichigo 100% is the artist's most successful work for a reason.

A great manga that keeps getting interesting, Strawberry 100% is one that you do not want to miss up on. There are both funny and touching moments, as the main character tries to avoid hurting the girls that like him. This takes school adventures to a new level. Look forward to the school/filming trips these guys will have in high school, and Manaka's endless girl trouble.





"The War between Kita (the North) and Minami (the South)"

Panties in your face.

A simple yet daring sentence that sums up the situation of the start of Ichigo 100%. What more could a guy ask for?
Used panties in your face maybe. Something that almost happens in the beginning of the series because the girl didn’t take her panties off and is still wearing them. But hey, our hero is already having a nose bleed and couldn't be happier. But we can.

Ichigo 100% is a lengthy manga (for a romantic comedy) about Manaka Junpei who seeks the girl with strawberry panties. That is the whole point of the manga. At least in the beginning. Manaka sneaks ... up to the rooftop of the school and finds a pretty girl falling flat on her face in front of his nose. And of course the first thing a boy does in that kind of situation which requires a great deal of self-respect, motivation to help and well trained hand-eye coordination is… staring at her panties. Strawberry panties specifically. The beautiful sunset which lights the panties up to be seen by the whole world, the gentle breeze which moves her skirt just enough to watch underneath and the intense eye-contact the two are having. No clichés are spared on this fateful encounter in the very first pages of the series. The girl then runs away and while Manaka was having the moment of his life, he now is in complete shock. Who is this mysterious girl? Why was she falling so hard on her face? How much does a pair of strawberry panties cost?

Number one: Ichigo 100% is a shounen manga. Number two: Kawashita Mizuki is the writer of the series. Number three: She’s a genius.
This may come out of nowhere and can be experienced as a total shock but the writer is indeed female. As a shounen manga, the protagonist is naturally male as the story has the point of view of males in mind. This is where Mizuki shines. She knows what she wants to tell in a story. She knows what the readers want to have in their stories. It’s no easy feat to achieve a high position in the popularity rankings of the magazine Shounen Jump if you’re making a romantic comedy. Ichigo 100% stands and will be standing for a long time as the classic ecchi manga. And this success can be explained in a couple of steps.

For starters, the eyes look beautiful. Now this is a small detail that is somewhat weird to mention but it’s actually a build-up for the whole art of Ichigo 100%. The drawings of the writer are amazing. It’s obvious that most of the time drawing is spent on the character’s face, starting with the eyes. None of the little details are forgotten. The size of the mouth which complements the situation at that time. The soft and hard strokes which make up the blushes.
And most importantly: the depth of the eyes. It can’t be stressed enough as this series proves how important it is how eyes are drawn. For example: two characters sitting in a fairly dark room with a small light bulb on and one of the characters is a bit sad. This is perfectly reflected in the eyes. The somber look gently drawn with carefully placed strokes, together with the reflection of the light bulb in the back of the iris. You have to see it in action. This is basically a whole new dimension of giving off emotion in manga. Something that only the talented drawers who understand emotional storytelling on paper can do.

But the one thing that truly is the major selling point of this series is the characters. At first, the characters look and feel very one-dimensional. Very little information is given about them and their history. Manaka is the average kid next door who gets lucky with the girls and can’t decide which one of them he wants and the panties-girl doesn’t hold a lot of depth in her personality either. To make matters worse: Ichigo 100% is a harem manga with four hot girls who would make any reader want to look no further than their bodies. Whether this is a good or a bad thing is up to you. But after a few dozen chapters, the manga changes. Something happens with the characters and the way they are presented. They slowly grow and become more likeable. None of them has dramatic histories but are believable characters with different experiences. And these experiences come together as the characters meet, greet, eat and talk together.

It’s progressive, it’s adventurous yet it’s so realistic. People fall in love in this manga and people get their hearts broken. People fall flat on their faces in this story but they keep on trying, never stopping to believe. It is the human feel what makes this story so darn well. They mature in body and mind, reflected in their relationships and even manner of talking. One hundred chapters further and every major character gained a whole dimension of depth and personality, making them completely different than when the story started. The author manages to give such a realistic reproduction of real-life relationships with all the pain, happiness, luck and work involved… on paper. And even if there are some half-naked bodies in scattered around in chapters, consider this as an extra. It’s only eye-candy in the beginning but manages to be of some value to the story later on.

And that brings me to the biggest drawback this series has. ''Later on''. This combination of words will be contained in almost every opinion of the people who’s read this manga. The beginning is so uninviting to read further. Most people will probably read a chapter or two in their spare time but won’t be running home from school or work to read the next chapter. Everything is calm in the first chapters. No big bangs, no major events—all but a preparation for the amazing storytelling AND character development later on.

Who could’ve guessed that one of the best harem mangas in a boys’ magazine would be written by a woman? The details of the drawings are amazing, especially the girls. One would then wonder where the writer gets the source material needed to do such details, and then finds out that the author is female and can get the source material by herself. But Ichigo 100% has something. Something that’s very hard to put your finger on. It has to do with the characters, they develop themselves so naturally that they automatically grow on you. Like a friend who you’ve known for a long time and can’t actually remember the time before the two of you met. It was already there. It’s like the characters are communicating directly to you and you understand in an instant what their situation is like and feel sorry for them. Feel happy for them and feel sad when the story ends. The series has its drawbacks like cliché ecchi moments and some tedious chapters in the beginning, but it’s all worth it for later on the manga—when the build-up of the beginning is showing its fruits.
Just like a real relationship.

Most harem manga employ similar plot twists: a pretty absent-minded (somehow ignorant, but mostly downright stupid) male lead, beautiful female characters who just can't seem to find someone else to fall in love with, and a group of friends for the lead male to hang out with in case there is no female in the scene. Ichigo 100% employs a similar scheme, but does it with flair. For where most harems end up little (or sometimes outright lacking), Ichigo 100% does excellently: the development of the lead male.

I'm not dismissing the fact that other harem manga have leads that certainly do have development throughout the ... story--it's just that they always end up being the "I've-always-been-so-indecisive-before-so-I'll-be-decisive-now" kind of development. Somehow, the male leads always start off as being someone with "no dream," or "no goal," or just plain ambitionless. Ichigo 100%, however, uses a male lead with an actual personality (aside from his kindness, which awkwardly gets him the girls regardless of his face value). You see, Manaka Junpei aspires to be a movie director. The dream in itself is something unique, even up till now. This, along with other key points, make Ichigo 100% a worthwhile read.

Another key point is the females themselves--the members of the harem. For the first time, I saw a childhood friend who isn't a main member of the harem; rather, she's really just a childhood friend with a little interest in our lead. But what really sets this cast of beauties apart from the rest is in themselves: their character development. The girls actually have a personality that sets them apart from each other, all of which are set to intertwine with our lead's dream of being a movie director.

The author insists of focusing on three main girls for the entirety of the story, which is a plus for me. One of them was encountered by mistake, but actually shares the same dream with the lead; the other was confessed to by mistake, but ends up being friends anyway; and the last one is a sporty who thinks she's met the man of her dreams. The author also explores the girls' backgrounds and personalities so excellently that I sometimes forget that I'm reading a harem manga--it feels just like a normal romance manga, just with more partners than usual.

The last key point is how the author makes use of the ecchi element of this manga. Other harems simply make use of the ecchi element to just create awkward situations between the lead male and the girls (most of the time more than one girl is involved). Ichigo 100%, however, makes use of the ecchi element to develop connections further between our lead (Manaka Junpei) and the girl in the scene. Of course, basic accidents that end up in ecchi moments do come up once in a while, but this is used in moderation. Personally, I don't think the ecchi element is evident at all in this case--the power of the story and its characters is strong enough to make the reader pass by a few panty shots and whatnot.

Overall, I believe that Ichigo 100% excels in what recent harem manga are doing moderately. It's quite impressive, given the fact that Ichigo 100% was completed years ago. The story develops well, and actually has a definite ending that doesn't feel hurried or open; I rarely encounter harems that have the lead male actually choose someone in the end. It's also the first manga I've ever read (and the first one I've cried over), which further adds to the story's impact on me (And yes, I read this before I found out about some hyperactive ninja with a knack for noodle soups or some 15-year-old supernatural swordsman fighting off Mexican-themed ghostly enemies). With attractive art styles, a heart-warming story, sensible characters, and an actual sense of closure, Ichigo 100% is a success of a harem manga, and will always hold a place in my heart as one of the best manga I've ever read.

Story: 10/10
It's a heart-warming story that just asks the reader to cheer for a specific girl, as expected of a harem manga. What's different is that the story actually sways the reader to the different emotions present in the scene; something that's hard to do with text and drawings, but something that Ichigo 100% does so well that it pushes me to tears.

Art: 7/10
Art styles for this manga aren't the best I've seen, but it certainly is enough to display emotions felt by the characters. I certainly took a liking to it soon enough.

Character: 10/10
This is Ichigo 100%'s forte. The author skillfully brings the characters' traits out so well. Even the support characters get the spotlight once in a while. I found myself hooked to this manga soon enough, simply because I was willing to see how the characters will develop.

Enjoyment: 10/10
I enjoyed this series so much. I've read so much more manga since then, but I can't seem to forget the stories in this manga; after all, it was this manga that inspired me to read on even more manga titles. And to be honest, I haven't cried over any other manga since this one.

Overall: 9/10
Few manga titles leave marks on me, even with the literally hundreds of other manga that I've read. Ichigo 100%, however, will always be within me, not just as the first manga I've read, but as the first actual piece of literature that moved me to tears.

Background

I first saw Ichigo 100% as an anime around 2009 when I first started to marathon shows. That first summer I watched a hundred series, good old high school days, and Ichigo 100% ended up as one of the many. After all that I still remembered it as one of the mediocre anime that I had watched. Today, after adjusting the score a few times, it has a 4/10 (bad) and a 6.95 on MAL. While I don’t normally give scores here I just wanted to put in perspective how bad the adaption was, and how much i disliked it myself even back when I ... would literally watch anything.

So when my friend told me to read the actually manga that ended the same year as the anime aired I was very… skeptical. However, I will say that my positive impression of the series doubled itself after reading through, and I actually enjoyed reading it these past three days. I don’t remember much about the actual series, but I have to say that obviously the manga must be a lot different. Without further ado, lets get to the actual story.

Characters

Unfortunately this is a harem manga, but if you look at the actual feeling of the characters, mainly Manaka, it actually appears as more of a triangle. In the early 2000′s the manga world was obsessed with harems, and as far as the story it was funny to see an era before all kids had cell phones – what they use land lines in this story? Now, for the time period of early 2000′s Manaka isn’t as bad of a character as most other male leads. Sure he causes a bunch of misunderstandings, and sometimes hurts feelings. Yet, Manaka actually has a dream! Surprising, yes I know, this is the biggest redeeming quality that he has. Not only does he have the standard kindness of the male lead and bravery to save girls in trouble, but he also always is striving to achieve his dream. This does allow him to actually mature a bit throughout the story.

The second factor is that he always understands his own feelings towards the girls. Aside from him having some sort of personality I was happy that he never questioned if he liked somebody or not – He understood he had feelings for multiple people. This was refreshing to see for once, and interesting to see how this affected how he interacted with the girls. Sometimes it could get frustrating since he still was constrained by the limits of a harem, but at least it felt more real than most harem situations.

The girls feel into somewhat typical archetypes, but who doesn’t anymore. (side note podtaku recently posted an episode about archetypes.) There are about 5 girls, maybe 6 that fall under the harem. However, I am glad that only a few of them are given any consideration by the main character. Aya has an introverted personality and shares similar dreams with the main character. Nishino appears as the popular and extroverted type, but it refreshing to she her develop positively into a hardworking individual, and coming up with her own dreams. Satsuki is the most unfortunate of the main girls because… Damn I can’t spoil anything in this section, but all I will say is that she is very honest and upfront. I think is the worst character in the entire series. Not for her personality, but the fact that she really got utilized poorly in this series.

Pacing

Graph of +/- 1 point per chapter through the entire series. (http://helurs.wordpress.com/2014/03/12/ichigo-100-manga-review/)

The best way to sense the pace of the story would be to look at the graph above. No spoilers really, but there are confessions as soon as the first chapter. The story picks up pretty fast and it tends not to be ambiguous in terms of relationships… Sort of. However, like any romance piece the pace is the biggest factor to successful execution. Romance focused series tend to draw out the plot way too long, and Ichigo 100% falls into that category.

You can see that after chapter 20 it plateaus until an arc in the late 30′s, only to slowly decline for the next 60 chapters. This means that ration of good chapter to bad chapter is about 1:1, and even lower afterwards. There were plenty of good arcs in here, but overall the plot really should have jumped almost straight to chapter 100. Of course on the other hand these filler chapters cover the first half of high school, and this does become an important set up point for the series. I am unsure how they could have possibly executed the ending as well as they did without it, but the set up felt a little too drawn out.

That all being said, after chapter 94 when the series dips to an all time low the plot just explodes fantastically. They enter their phase of cram school and studying, and pursuing dreams. Competition gets fierce on both sides of the relationships, I’m also talking about other guys, and overall the entire ending of the story is set up perfectly. There really isn’t as much drama as you would expect, but rather tension and anticipation.

Story

I am really surprised because if you think that the story progresses as you would expect you are wrong. I got fooled by/even with my experience reading and watching romance stories like these. In the end i was surprised, but also really happy. I am glad that they never create arcs where the characters get forced to do something stupid and create a huge misunderstanding. Rather while the misunderstandings aren’t exactly realistic neither does it appear as anyone’s fault. (okay maybe once or twice.) What I am trying to say is that there was only two or three times in the middle of the story when misunderstanding ‘devices’ upset me as a reader. As Jin Kobayashi once said, the key to romances like these are the misunderstandings. I think the key to this key is that it is hard to make the story not seem retarded at the same time.

I think that the addition of characters like Amachi, who gunned for Aya, or that pastry man, who appears to go after Nishino. I actually wish they were active a little bit sooner, as it takes Amachi 60 chapters to actually make an impact, and the pastry chef only affects about 16 chapters. For the most part it is just him attempting to be persuaded chapter after chapter in different scenarios, but I am glad that besides the fact that he has feelings for multiple girls he never official 2-times somebody when he actually is dating.

I actually don’t think that the ecchi in this series truly detracted from the story. They did a decent job of always making sure something plot drive would happen in at least one half of the chapter. Some chapters I would find myself annoyed by the service only to receive a nice development in the second half. I would go to score the chapter and realize how each chapter felt really long despite being 19 pages with some fan service. Of course back in this era the main form of ecchi comes from panty shots, so that made up almost all of it. The only annoying part was the over-exaggeration of the boys excitement over the hottest girls and such.

Conclusion

Definitely one of the better harem manga I have read. I think that may be due to the characters acting mostly like real people. The characters develop a lot especially in the last part of the series where stuff really happens. If the middle of this series had a more reliable performance I would probably rate this even higher than I did, but by just the ending alone I easily got extremely drawn into the story. I also am really into romance genre in general, and the filler consisted of only insignificant romance scenes. I realized that even in these chapters it still was actually focusing on the story, just not effectively.

"If someone says he/she loves you - do not believe it. Time is better adviser, trust it."

STORY - 10/10
I have read a lot of romance/harem manga and I have finally found what I have been looking for ages - interesting, intruiging, beautiful and pure story where almost everything is perfect. After reading this I could not think straight for almost a day because of what I read. This is truth. But I do not ask you to believe it straight through my words, that is why I am writing this.

Story is not something new, I have to admit it. One of the things that really ... amused me in this story is not the plot itself, but how everything and everyone progress with their feelings, what they do to love and be loved. But the most important part in this story is definitely ending. I was so shocked that I even cried a bit over the ending part. I cried because this beautiful story ended the way I wanted and on a possitive note where everyone got what they wanted. Almost everyone and everything.
Though series contain a lot of humor, I liked that Mizuki Kawashita (manga`s author) did not over do it and let the series be more mature but romantic and funny. Because if she added more humor to it, then we might get another Love Hina or something. I am not trying to be rude, I am just saying that if series contained more humour than it has, then it might probably be more comedy/romance like and not drama/romance.

ART - 10/10
That is probably why I started to read this manga. I liked how characters are represented and how they express their feelings, and sometimes I even thought that they are real. Nothing really to add. Art is amazing!

CHARACTERS - 9/10
That is what makes this series unique and interesting. In my opinion, author concentrated more on developing Aya, Kitaoji and Nishino - three main girls, rather than on Junpei, who is protagonist. But how she illustrated relationships between these characters is something amazing.
Since this is a harem manga, so adding extra girls and making them to fall in love with Junpei is kind of normal thing for author to do. But I my opinion, there are too many girls and some chapters are nothing but spin-offs. That is not bad, but when you read it you want to find out what is happening with main characters, not with extras. Because you know that they do nt stand a chance at all.

ENJOYMENT - 9/10
Every chapter I read was something to think about, so I was reading quite slow. This series makes you think what would you do if you were in one of the main character`s shoes. Quite interesting and difficult, I would say. Romantic, humorous and sad - great mix to read, is not it?

OVERALL - 10/10
Though series lack some things, I rated it 10 of 10. I questioned myself "why? what is SO unique about this manga that you gave 10 out of 10?". That is simple - I love comedy/romance/drama manga and anime, and this series has it all! You will definitely will not regret if you read it.
If you decided to read it, then you can follow some recommendations of mine. These are not necessary but I expereinced a lot of possitive emotions from these. Here we go:

- Read alone, that will make you concentrated more on characters and story. You will start questioning yourself "what would I do in situation like this?";
- Read with music on background. Something romantic or acoustic. I used to read it with Jamisonparker on background but your choice might be different;

That is it, guys. I hope my review was helpful. if not... well, I just wanted to share with my "number 1 romantic manga of all time" :)

Thank you for reading,

Regards,

fullmetal-boy
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Ichigo 100% fits perfectly in the classic Shounen, Harem, Ecchi, Romantic, Comedy manga category often reminding me of mangas such as Love Hina (no similarities really besides one loser surrounded by many girls)

Story: The story isn't really that great at first. An enormous amount of ecchi was incorporated into the story and took away from the story. The main character Manaka falls in love with a girl with strawberry panties (which is why the series is also called strawberry 100%). Well, although the story definitely starts off badly, the manga turns into a full blown romance that I found very enjoyable. There are loads of ... emotional moments where you go "aww..." that make this manga great. By chapter 81, I am already rooting for my favorite girl Satsuki to win Manaka's love.

Art: Although the art was nothing special at first, I thoroughly enjoyed the artwork throughout the rest of the series. There were so many moments where I was blown away from the cuteness of a character. I love the artist's style and way of drawing such pretty female characters. (guys are also drawn pretty well)

Character: Really, if you like Ichigo 100%, it is because of the characters. The main hook to this series is the development of each of the characters so that you really connect in some way to each of them. Every girl is distinctly different and their relationship with Manaka is very unique. You end up rooting for the girl that suits your own personality, and the manga keeps you guessing to who Manaka will choose at the very end. I only regret that Manaka has to be such a pervert at times, but I guess guys can all connect to that.

With the brilliant blend of comedy and romance minus an addition of ecchiness and fan service, I give this a 10 overall

Story: 9 Art: 10 Character: 10 Enjoyment: 10 Overall: 10

Okay... Unless there exists some kind of secret code to never write bad about this show, then I really can't comprehend how everyone is so keen on praising this show, when it does, in fact NOT deserve it that much, lacking in many aspects of good romance standards.

Let me start with the plot. A really basic middle schooler, horny to the last bit and somewhat interested in filming comes across a gorgeous girl with strawberry panties. Mesmerized by said view he wants to confess to this girl, so he confesses to the most beautiful girl in the school (thinking it belongs to her), for some ... reason succeds and then it turns out it belongs to his classmate who was hiding her beauty and here our MC begins his struggle to understand his feelings about who he truly likes.

Pretty straightforward right ? Of course it is a harem so they are charmed by MC who in my sincere opinion, qualifies as one of the most annoying characters out there and is the biggest flaw of this book.

For 90% of book we are being fed with the same boring reasoning of this guy, focused solely on him being interested in all girls at once, but too indecisive to pick one. Every time there could be a breakthrough in relationship, ALWAYS in last possible second something strikes him and we go back to infinite circle of random awkward moments with the girls.

Then there is deep ,,self reflection" of MC like ,,I don't deserve them" , ,,I don't want to hurt them", ,,I will be a better human" but it almost feels like this guy has dementia because he doesn't do anything about it and then he still yearns for all of them to like him romantically when he does not have to.

And now the cherry on top, the hypocrisy and moodines of this guy, at one point he is head over heals over one girl, but next day he meets the other girl and he is now head over heals over her, back and fourth every few chapters FOR. 140. CHAPTERS. COME ON.

At one point this show gets so repetitive and ridiculous, because we still don't know who he truly likes but then WAIT, author will fix that by adding more girls to the harem so that this guy can have more cliche situatuions with them and have more variety in choice truly peak writing!

With that being said, let's not mark it as relatable, or as a real potrayal of young man in love because both the MC that can't focus on one girl for 4 years and girls that can't move on from him for 4 years along with the amount of anomalies forbidding one ship to finally sail is abnormal and stupid.

Now to some minor aspects, comedy part leaves you stone faced, the main joke is mostly s*x, side characters are just ok, the art is good and end girl is the best one though, but it isn't enough of a good reason to torment yourself with this manga.

TL;DR
MC's struggle to sort out his feelings is ultra mundane and annoying, it isn't satisfying fiction nor is it reletable. The show is overflowing with cliche awkward situations, leading to nothing but showing horniness of MC, The show is long af where plot and behaviour of characters gets predictable and repeatable, slowly filling a reader with not entertainment but boredom creating an urge to finally dip this show and move on.

Ichigo 100% is a fine example of a romantic (ecchi) comedy with many predictable moments. Regardless of what I just said, it is still a very good manga especially for fans of this genre.

The beginning of the story is very similar to other harem mangas where an average joe ends up falling for the hottest girls in school and as the story progresses more girls become attracted to him, however even though it shares many common moments with other mangas, ichigo 100% still has some moments that are unique to this manga so for that I'll give the story a passing grade since there are ... some moments where I really felt the emotions of the characters.

The artwork of the manga is not the best I've seen but still looks great. The female characters are exceptionally well made particularly in the face and other parts that attract the attention of the intended readers.

The character development is also very good because it really shows the emotions the characters have for each other. Each girl has her own unique reason for liking the main character and I found it hard to have a favorite since all the girls have a very good detailed background.

Probably the thing that I didn't like the most about this manga is the last few chapters where it felt like it was rushed and things became confusing at some point. Although I like surprises, I was actually quite disappointed with the finale but that's just my opinion because the girl I was fond of the most was not chosen.

Overall Ichigo 100% is a very very enjoyable manga especially if you're a guy and thus I highly recommend it for fans of the genre. It has a lot of funny, heart warming, heart breaking and of course ecchi moments (in my opinion maybe just a little too much ecchi moments).

a long but good manga. not much to say about it.

Story:7/10
starts out at a decent pace and maintains that pace throughout. great hook with the strawberry panties. most noticeable is the very high amount of fanservice and ecchi scenes written throughout. im pretty sure there was a panty shot in about every chapter. overall a decent high school harem.

Art:9/10
the art quality is very consistent throughout the story. there are references to strawberries everywhere as it is key and themed to the plot. not too much special about this mangas art exept for the quality(and the hundreds of gushing ... nosebleed scenes).

character:7/10
contains the usual harem cast. the main lead who cant make up his mind, his perverted friends who cant get a girl, the shy but smart girl, the tomboyish or overbearing girl, the childhood friend, etc., etc. only real exeption was kozue(who has androphobia). main lead and a few main contenders are explianed very thuroughly but others are a bit vague.

enjoyment:9/10
dispite the issues regarding the characters and the somewhat drab plot this was a suprisingly good manga. i enjoyed it the most towards the end where it got really emotional. it caused me to shed a tear, which is something any other manga has yet to do to me.

overall:8/10
i think any fan of the shoujo, romance genre should read this manga. it was suprisingly good and entertaining. as a side note: there is an anime of this manga... DO NOT WATCH UNLESS YOUVE READ THE MANGA FIRST. the anime will shortchange you storywise as entire scenes and characters from the manga are completely absent in the anime.

Alright, this is my very first review. Truthfully speaking, l never thought I'd enjoy this manga. This was on my list for 2 years or more. Finally, I was able to watch the anime first, then continued with the manga coz I was curious what would happened and hooked. I seriously should have read this earlier.

Story (10):
The story is a harem, comedy, romanced, school based-type manga. At first, I thought the story would be predictable and dragging because of the length of the manga, but I was totally wrong. The author wrote the story unexpected ways. I thought the story would revolve around the main ... character (Manaka) searching for the girl wearing strawberry panties to be revealed in the end. This was not the case, they introduced the girl in strawberry panties early in the chapter. The story also made my heart waver whenever Manaka hangs out with one of the four girls and is seen by the other, hurting her. The four protagonists all have different effects to the main character which gives him different feelings. Toujou is a person who can Manaka can share his dreams and goals with. Nishino makes Manaka's heart at ease at all times. Satsuki is the buddy who he can talk to about anything and makes him feel himself. Yui is the younger sister-like character who watches over and scolds him when he is running towards the wrong path. The story made me laugh, gave me teary eyes, and a lot of mixed emotions.

Art (9):
The art is pretty old school since it's was made early in 2000s. The art doesn't affect the over-all of the manga because what is most important is the story itself. As long as the readers could see and understand what is going on, then its alright. The art still thoroughly expressed the characters feelings and emotions.

Characters (10):
The characters are unique and interesting. The gang consists of different characters, all with interesting attitudes. Manaka portrays a kindhearted boy, slightly perverted though who tends to be indecisive when it comes to girls and love. The gorgeous female protagonists vary from a shy, timid girl (Toujou), athletic, aggressive, hot chick, buddy (Satsuki), popular, heartthrob, ladylike, caring, talented in cooking girl (Nishinio), and the young sister-like, childhood friend (Yui). The supporting characters are also what makes the gang complete - a funny looking, joker friend (Komiyama), the high school friend who gives love advice yet is perverted (Hiroshi), the co-director who gets pissed at Manaka's indecisiveness, the loli, gold-digger friend (Chinami), and the Manaka's rival (Amachi).

Overall (10):
I truly enjoyed this manga. This is the exact type of genre I enjoy watching, in this case, reading. I finished this manga in less than a week. Additionally, this is my second manga I have completed.

Anime vs Manga:
I actually started reading the manga where the anime stopped (chapter 66) and I could see a huge difference. I preferred the manga way more than the anime because it provided the audience with complete details. When I started the manga, I noticed that the anime didn't tackle on a lot of important stuffs and didn't introduce other characters (like Amachi).

I recommend this if you are interested in harem, comedy, romance and school-based stories.

My main message: Read it, you won't regret it.

Perhaps initially you may think that this is just another ordinary high school harem love story. However I am sure you will definitely change your views after reading it till the end. From my experience, most harem manga/anime are either open ended or very predictable. Ichigo 100 however, does not fall into any of these two categories. The story remarkably remains unpredictable (as to who the protagonist ends up choosing) till the end and that is what precisely makes it stand out from the rest. It is also interesting to see that Ichigo 100 is not ... 'only' about love. Each of the characters have a dream they strive to accomplish in the future.The protagonist, for instance, is determined to become a director and his strong will and love for filming is explicitly shown. I must say that the 167 chapters of this manga is extremely well crafted. The developing relationships between the protagonist and each of the girls around him, and also the growth and maturity of each character individually is very well portrayed. Unlike most harem genres, this one certainly has much more depth and makes it all the more interesting to read.

All characters are likable and the art is fantastic too. Once again, I will say, ichigo 100 stands out from the rest. It has both the depth and development in its story that most other harem/romance mangas lack.

I haven't really read any other reviews here on MAL and this is going to be my first ever review.

Major Comparison: Love Hina

Story: This manga had a lot of fanservice. Most people who see fanservice usually see weak plotlines. This was not the case. Some of the really stupid things that happened in the first chapter were used as the driving point to the story. And the weird part is that, she made it work well!

Many of the scenes in the story had moments you predict something was going to happen but something else does and you go, "WTF?" This is how she keeps readers ... interested. I never figured out who the female lead was until I read the last chapter. However, it seems like she rushed the ending.

Art: Another way she keeps (most male readers) people interested is with the fanservice. Skirt flipups, girls getting wet, and Manaka getting into an "interesting position" happens quite often in the manga but most of these are purely accidental save for a few over-clingy characters in the manga.

The art style is simply phenomenal. The artist draws the facial expressions of the girls so good that you don't have to look at the bubble at what she is thinking about anymore at times. The smiles from the girls will make you smile and their tears will make you teary-eyed.

Character:
For the main character, we have the typical "loser" character who can't ever decide anything for himself. Then we have multiple females that have each of their own personalities. These females were in a way, "fated" to meet the main character. Each of them have moments with the character. The entrance of each female character somewhat comes in a sequence when a relationship ends. This keeps the main character satisfied and disgusted with himself every time. Props to that guy for keeping his cool under those "interesting" moments.

Enjoyment:
How can I have not been able to enjoy this piece of work when it took me less than 24 hours to complete the entire series. There were many times where I kept laughing, other times that made teary-eyed and parts that made me feel good inside.

The only other manga that did this to me was Love Hina.

Overall:
When I first opened the first page of this series, I was like, "Not again... will this be loaded more on fanservice instead of actual plot this time?" But instead, I found the more modern, high school version of Love Hina but this time, you don't know who he's going to end up with. Sure, you will see the usual pantsu reveals, the main character getting his ass kicked and the random trips. I think the way that "Suzuka" and "Kimi no Iru Machi" presented itself in a non-perverted way will be much more effective in drawing out the storyline instead of loading it with fanservice. All in all, one of the best manga I've read.

I feel kind of ashamed that I read this "scanlated" and not on an actual book. I might have to buy both the Love Hina and Ichigo 100% series.

There will always be that certain anime or manga that will always remain in your hearts. So basically, your judgment on that anime or manga may be biased. So pardon me if I'll be biased on how I review this manga.

The main character, Junpei Manaka, is being presented as an average guy but from how I see it, this is just an illusion that makes him look like the "loser" protagonist type. The story starts as Junpei, a senior middle schooler having a one-in-an-only chance encounter with what at that time he considers to be his dream girl then being placed in a situation where ... he has another unexpected with the "school idol/most popular girl stereotype". As the story progresses, we learn that he has his own interests and dreams and gives a great effort in pursuing it, and that's the beauty of the plot. It starts at a considerably good starting line then growing into a memorable storyline.

For a harem manga, (most of) the characters are surprisingly 3-d and the character development is realistic. I believe that this manga came to its popularity because of the characters. Girl #1, Aya Toujou, as the author would want to imply, is the dream girl of the protagonist. She and Junpei has the same interest, sense of humor and motivation to continue moving forward with their dreams (although I really think her dream was to be with him and his dream was to be successful in what he wants to do). Girl #2, Tsukasa Nishino, the school idol mentioned earlier, is someone I would want to describe with a fierce personality. Her EVERY actions in the manga defined her and what she wants to be. These actions were so strong it affected how her relationship with the protagonist was and how the ending ended its course. Girl #3, Satsuki Kitaooji, a character who gives her all just to attain the protagonist's love, is rather an interesting character which I believe others would like. Usually in a love story with more than 2 heroines, the protagonist has a hard time choosing between the two and the rest of the heroines would just be that annoying clingy woman giving too much unnecessary attention for the sake of love. Fortunately, this doesn't apply to this manga, and this character DOES make her actions believable and interesting, not just for the protagonist but also for us viewers. Even if the supporting characters are comic reliefs, their presence does give an important significance in contribution to the story. The manga would not be complete without them. It's nice to get to know these characters rather than me just spoiling them for you.

The art is good. How the characters are drawn, I find it admirable, although sometimes some characters have generic facial structures. The background is as pretty as the portrait and both will turn out better as the manga progresses. Do I need to say more?

I enjoyed reading this manga. It was fun and entertaining. There was comedy, there was drama, there was romance, there was pursuit for dreams, (for some people) there was ecchi and fanservices to view (you know what ecchi is, I don't need to tell more). Many situations that happens in the manga gives a memory, something that would be worthy of remembering. The manga started good, and wouldn't disappoint you as you continue onward.

So there ends my biased review, and I give this manga a score of 10.

This is perhaps one of the few series that I feel compelled to elaborate about. Possessing both service and dark elements, there were many parts that had me enthralled and emotional.

I started out on this manga while looking for a series that suits my taste. Ichigo 100% happens to be one that marginally suits my taste (I did drop it for a while because of the excessive service and a stupid male protagonist). I expected myself to read this manga only to pass time initially, but the darker elements of this story drew me in.

Each female protagonists have their sad part to tell. They ... are distinct and each carries a different story, despite all of them being under the same situation of being victims of love. The method each employs to show their affection can induce bipolar emotions, ranging from fan service to heart wrenching. If you have been in and out of love before, chances are you probably can identify yourself or empathise with one of them since they truly do reflect situations that can be realistic. (If you haven't, it's still a good read if you like to have a preview of how it might feel)

The compelling parts lie within each female protagonist's heart as we discover their individual feelings underneath their facade. It is both deep and dark as they struggle with their inner feelings while realising and understanding that they are not the only one in the male protagonist's heart. Few series have portrayed such emotions as successful as this series have and we readers have trouble guessing the ending even though we know who we will choose if we ever end up in such a situation.

Of course, the series is not without its negative points. As with almost every other harem, new girls seem to be finding their way into the story throughout the series but thankfully the core protagonists remain the same. It was quite an anticlimax to introduce new characters when they are hardly covered in depth and pretty much glossed over as a fan service character.

Partly because of that, the story drags on and got pretty boring at certain points when the annoying male protagonist finally gets onto your nerve. There were certain parts with no substantial progress in their relationship development and more or less beat around the bush.

And I can only see two possibilities on how male readers will feel about the male protagonist. It's either you imagine you are him and feel totally at bliss or you get pissed off at his incompetence. For me, it's the latter.

This series is pretty high up in my favorite list now and I would definitely recommend it if you like these relationship conflicts, seeing that it contains both light and heavy moments. Hmm, would you rather love or be loved?

Best manga that you'll ever know to Mizuki Kawashitas work because its a really good story of how Manaka Junpei falls in love with the first girl ever Aya Toujo but then 3 more girls fall in love with him which is hard who to decide.
Its really great and amazing how Manaka gets into all these situations with all of the main characters who are the girls named Nishino,Satsuki, and Kozoue. Mostly a good romantic manga to read if your into romance and a really good but a long manga to read. Best romance manga ever to read and also the art of how Mizuki's ... character can really be attractive on how she draws female!!
Mostly gets better and better each chapter you will read so if your looking for romance manga then this is the Manga you'll want to be convinced to read

Ichigo 100%
My review is this manga/anime is a surely a nice hit when it was release . After reading it for some time i find it interesting with all the harem and romance with Manaka Junpei.It realy does make you want to join them in their journey to reach their dreams.What i really want to share in this review is about the character being chosen /or some people say won in the end. It is clear that Nishino won in the end of the manga(In the anime this part wasn't completed) I truly find this manga a new experience of romance . It also shocked ... me that the 1st female main(Toujou Aya) to appear wasn't the winner in the end . The winner is Nishino Tsukasa. Because of this manga I now realize 1st in something doesn't mean your the overall winner .

The best shounen romance ever, for the following reasons:

1. The "strawberry quest" is a cute, romantic way to begin.

2. The main guy is unusually romantically inept--but then many readers of a shounen romance are too, and so could relate.

3. The art is great throughout, and the girls in particular are beautifully drawn--without demeaning forms of ecchiness (but WITH occasional cute ecchiness).

4. The girls, in particular, are beautiful, in the way they look and in their characters as well.

5. All of the characters are well-delineated. Each one has his or her own distinct personality. I never got confused as to who was who, unlike in lots ... of other manga I've read. And the high aspirations of the 3 main teenage characters are inspiring.

6. The story expands as it goes. From a middle-school boy's capricious search for the girl whose panties he happens to see, it gradually turns into the story of the day-by-day growth of 3 fascinating people from their early teen years to the threshold of adulthood. In case you haven't gone through that process yet, this manga provides a pretty good preview of what growing up means.

I watched the anime and not one of my favorite. But then after i read the manga, i just fell in love with the story of manaka and the other girls. The romantic plot was very touching and inpredictable.

Nishino was one of my favorite character! i wish someone like her do really exist in the real world. Not an ecchi type of film, just pure romantic and drama.