Mascara Blues

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My first review and apparently the first review for this manga here.
So please go easy on me ^^"

First story:
For me , it was the most enjoyable. Realistic to an extent, where the girl is falling in love for the sake of just doing it not for the sake of actually falling inlove with that certain "someone". I like the idea of the sparkles, where she is tempted by the "shine" she sees but not what she truly feels. Because everytime she confesses the sparkle vanishes, the truth that has been disguised becomes revealed; she was never in love.
However when she sees her best ... friend, "sparkling" she is confused on what to do, afraid it's just as usual. Fighting so hard, not wanting to know the truth. Fighting her true emotions, that she never knew of.
Anyway, the make-up part is unique BUT it looked horrible, that it made me give the art a "7", c'mon, the make up looks hideous. (sorry ^^")

Second Story:
There is a major "Cheese" factor here, that makes this hard not to roll your eyes at. It's adorable but you can't spend this amount of pages on an "eraser" . It is a one-shot of only 54 pages, so shouldn't be expecting an actual plot. Just some.."awws" and that sickly-happy-feeling that comes from predictable stuff that doesn't satisfy you but just makes you smile a little.

Third Story:
This was the weirdest yet bravest in terms of plot. It addresses a situation that I believe is more openly discussed nowadays. I found myself happy because this was considered relatively original compared to the previous two.
However, I am really confused [spoiler!!!] is she a boy, or is she a girl with a disease...What is gender lesion?
Anyway, I liked how he didn't run. He could have just freaked out and never come back, but he did. I also like how it isn't really clear how it ended. It doesn't make this seem unrealistic as in "I don't care, let's get married, even if I am straight and you are like that."
He just met her a few times, for crying out loud.

Overall, it was an enjoyable read. Would I read it again,honestly speaking, I don't know.

After falling in love with Ao Haru Ride and Strobe Edge, I decided to have a look at Sakisaka Io's previous works, starting with Mascara Blues.
This one-shot was published in 2007, along with the first volumes of Strobe Edge; Sakisaka's flawless trait is already recognizable, as is her sensibility in dealing with both simple love stories (chapter #2) and touchy subjects (chapter #3). In a handful of pages, the mangaka manages to effectively outline the personality of many characters and to develop a realistic narration; even though they don't feel rushed as they are, I believe each story could have easily been made into ... a series.
If you're looking for a heart-warming short read and/or you're a fan of Sakisaka Io's most famous works, try Mascara Blues: you won't be disappointed!


PS: this is my first review, comments and suggestions are much appreciated! :)