Ano Ko no, Toriko.

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Ano Ko No, Toriko Manga Review
By: Shiraishi Yuki
May 1 2020

After years of being away, Yori came back to his old place to continue studying. With peacefulness in mind, he relieved himself by staying away from people and being contented having those pair of glasses that hides his amazing looks. However, without a warning, he accidentally bumped into her first love which was also a part of his childhood dream. A dream of being an artist. A dream which the three of them pledge. Running away from it now became impossible to Yori with Shizuku on his side. But being a gravure model, Shizuku is having ... a hard time getting roles as an actress. With Yori on the scene, the break on the entertainment industry she's waiting to happen will come.

In spite of hoping that there's a happy ending waiting just by being on her side, Subaru, with his charismatic looks and attained name in the industry and eventhough a childhood friend of Shizuku, became a rival of Yori for her heart. The story, like most shoujo stories are, will have its confessions and picking of the two male leads. There will be those cute scenarios that will make your heart flutter.

The technicality of it in relation with being an artist is not that deep unlike Skip Beat. What only makes it possible for them to act and take a role of being an artist is because of how the characters are drawn. Each of the character looks great. The way they stand and the clothes they're wearing, their hands with no signs of deformation, the shadow parts and also the background, it was handled delicately. But most of all, it was how their eyes and expressions were made. It was sharp, but it was also soft. The eyes sold it for me. Even if it's kind of "one of the common path" a shoujo takes, reading something like this once in a while can take away your boredom.

Synopsis: Anoko no, Toriko has a simple plot of three childhood friends Shizuku, Yori and Subaru who at a young age made a pact to all enter the entertainment business together. Yori, the main protagonist of the series leaves not feeling confident in himself only to return a few years later to fulfill his promise to his childhood friends and become the type of guy worthy of Shizuku. But it seems he may have some competition for Shizuku's affection.

STORY 6/10

The plot of this manga is fairly simple. Three childhood friends, a love triangle and all the cliches that come with a shoujo manga. The ... author, Yuki Shiraishi has a slew of other manga of a similar genre under her belt and is competent in telling a lighthearted story to delight its target audience. Anoko No, Toriko doesn't bring anything new to the table, everything it presents has been done before but none the less an enjoyable story is given.

Art - 9/10

Simply put, the art work is nice and clean and is really beautiful. One of the selling points of the manga

Characters 6/10

This might be the lower point of this manga. Some of the characters are refreshing....others not so much. The main protagonist is Yori, a 'plain' looking boy who returns to fulfill a promise to his childhood friends of joining the entertainment business together and win the heart of Shizuku, Yori presents himself as a typical character of the shoujo genre but gives the readers a refreshing perspective by presenting the story from his perspective. The two other main characters dont really present anything new but are likable none the less.

OVERALL - 8/10

Overall, I give this series a 8/10. Personally because I'm a sucker for shoujo manga and this series presents all the elements to make it an enjoyable one.
If you like series about childhood friends, idols and love triangles then Anoko No Toriko presents a series that you, yourself may enjoy.

Happy Reading!

::STORY::
I heard a quote once that I think embodies Anoko no, Toriko, "The same beauty (read: talent) you see in others, others see in you. This manga tells of Yori, a quiet superb actor. He's the greatest actor of our generation but he has been turned down so many times from jealousy he's lacking self-esteem. After approximately ten years, he meets up with both of his childhood best friends, Shizuku and Subaru. They begin their journey as a trio to become great established actors.

Anoko no, Toriko had a simple storyline that managed to stay entertaining throughout.

::CHARACTERS::
I really like how Shizuku and Subaru, his so-called rival, ... are so supportive of Yori. They never tear him down and encourage him to do roles and plays.

I liked Yori. The glimpses of his past were always my favorite parts though he got a bit annoying with his love monologues. Yori is also forever oblivious to what an acting gem he really is.

Shizuku has a generic design and a mild tsundere personality, but truthfully she's just punch-happy. She is a tomboy determined to get her big break in the acting industry. Unfortunately, she's been regulated to modeling swimsuit and lingerie so far.

Subaru literally came out of nowhere as best friend #2 and predictably has feelings for Shizuku as well. He's also a flirty playboy and the best wingman ever!

::ROMANCE::
Yori thinks exactly like a shoujo girl. The bane of his existence is Shizuku's smile. The love triangle in effect was playboy vs quiet guy, which is a little different from the norm of good and bad boys duking it out for love. The relationship between Yori and Shizuku gradually grew sweeter. However, I liked learning about Yori's childhood and his friendships, more so than the romance.

::ART::
The art was beyond excellent, but Shizuku's design seemed too basic in beginning. I did like Subaru and the many faces of lovable Yori. The artwork worked well to convey whatever a scene needed. Of course, little kids look adorable in this mangaka's style. I honestly started reading more of her because of how well she draws.

::OVERALL::
It's worth of a read! Maybe you will become a fan of Yori too! As the story continued, I liked it more. I think it's still ongoing. Come see the rise to prominence of three young actors!