Jan 22, 2017
So, from what I've seen, most people that read this manga fall into one of two categories:
COMPLETELY, UTTERLY HATE IT or LOVE IT.
I am part of the latter.
I normally don't write reviews, but for this manga, I feel like I had to. Maybe to justify why I like it so much?
But anyhow, this is a shoujo manga. Typical school setting, with a kind of ditzy girl as the MC (Erika Shinohara). She just wants to be loved, so she fakes having a boyfriend to her two "friends". However, scared that they're getting suspicious, she takes a picture of a good looking guy on
...
the streets, but...guess what? He goes to her school! And he's a popular "prince"-like figure!
So, while this may seem like a typical shoujo setup (though, I'll say it's the first time I've seen this particular plot device used), there are a lot of elements of it that make it so...for lack of better words...good.
The art, for one. It's nothing swoonworthy, for sure, but I have no complaints. Also, I can't explain why a couple of solid lines that imitates a human being is so attractive but he is, so moving on, meaning that the mangaka has done her job well.
Secondly, the plotline & character development. It is slice of a life and features school life. But at the same time, while the beginning can be very cringeworthy, and even "disgusting" (Sata Kyouya did not exactly endear himself to me at first), I found that as the manga went on, it addressed a lot of issues close to my heart. Nothing tragic, but there was definitely character development, something you might not expect to see from a shoujo like this. But Erika definitely became an admirable character (one might argue from her relationship with Sata-kun). There are definitely arcs and scenarios that are typical shoujo plots, but they didn't read like something cliche.
Third, the ending. I won't say much more, but I feel like if nothing else, the mangaka did the ending, very, very, very well. A lot of loose ends were tied up, we find out what happens to all of the characters, and we even get to see...not just a sneak peek of the future...but THREE WHOLE CHAPTERS! Beauty! I've never seen such beauty since reading Last Game!
*SPOILERS AHEAD*
NOW, HERE'S THE CAVEAT YOU'VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR:
I'm sure critics might read my review and go "Disgusting! You condone this kind of relationship?" Some have even drawn parallels to 50 Shades of Grey.
No. I don't. I was raised in a physically and mentally abusive household and I would never, ever, ever condone an abusive relationship in any way, shape, or form. And reading this manga, Sata Kyouya comes off as...well...not a "sadist" or "tsundere", but just plain ol' mean. But that's just the beginning. Many critics didn't get further than the first 20 or so chapters, from what I've seen from reviews. But Sata Kyouya does start to change and learn his lesson about being such a douche. And I think that's probably why I really liked this manga. The mangaka didn't actually make an excuse for Sata -- he even says in the beginning that he has no childhood trauma or anything...it's just the way he is. And he's bad with people.
But. He. Changes. That, in my opinion, is the important part.
Now, would I put myself in such a position? Perhaps not. I hope not.
NOTE: >> There is a moment towards the end of the manga that I absolutely couldn't deal with, however. Sata gets extremely possessive and gives Erika an ultimatum when she decides to go to a school in Kyoto to pursue her passion: either him, or her passions. If she chose her passions, they would break up. I couldn't stand that. A guy who gets in the way of her girlfriend's dreams? No way, no how. That would be a dealbreaker for me, in more than one way. <<
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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