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Cousin is one of those stories which grab you from the start and almost forces you to continue reading. It's a perfect balance between the serious stuff that makes you think about life and the stuff that just makes you giggle awkwardly in the middle of the night. With just 18 chapters out, it's not surprising, but nonetheless a pity that it's not more popular!

Story (10).

Tsubomi is an overweight 18 year-old late bloomer who has never had a boyfriend, let alone any confidence whatsoever.

After graduating high school she's working part-time at a rental video store. On her first week she bumps into an older ... random dude, who later turns out to be her love interest.

That same day, her co-worker, Shiro, comments on how she looks like Noni, a famous idol, to which Bon-chan reveals she's actually her cousin!

Due to her cousin's recent rise in showbiz, and her friend's increasing popularity, Bon-chan resolves to lose weight.

Art (10).

I'm surprised I'm giving the art a ten, because quite frankly - it's nowhere near the complexity of Samura-sama (Blade of the Immortal, anyone?). But the beauty lies in the charming style of Ikuemi-sensei. Her characters are fresh and clean, yet have that original sort of look about them. You become whole-heartedly emotionally attached and affected by this art, which is the highest praise any art, in my opinon, can get.

Characters (9).

The characters are what I like to call manga-realistic. It's not easy to make interesting and at the same time realistic, "true" characters - and so they're a mix of both. But the greatest thing about them is that you feel as if you know them and still want to know more after just a few chapters. And what's best is that character development exists, in a good way.

Enjoyment (10).

The enjoyment was great. I'm still hunting after raws this very moment. It's too bad the scanlating group, J-Sis, seems to have dropped this superb manga.

Overall (10).

I like the fact that in this manga, Tsubomi actually has weight issues, unlike other stories where "fat" girls go on diets to make themselves look even smaller than they already are (eek, I do smell anorexia becoming bigger in Japan...).

As for someone like me, who's never been overweight in my whole life, it was surprisingly easy to relate to Bon-chans struggles. Because, let's face it: even though the majority of us aren't overweight, we're constantly being pressured by society into differents perspectives of what it's like to be feminine (and I can't deny I've felt a need to ditch that last cookie, in hopes of losing a few kilos).

Bon-chan counters these perspectives by, well... actually following some of them. And it turns out she feels better by doing it.

Even though part of the reason behind her decision is society's current view on beauty, she doesn't give up. And the transformation is quite stunning, though she's still the same old Bon-chan.

Of course I cannot review the whole series as I've just read 18 chapters, but if you're interested in shoujo, heck any sort of manga with a strong female lead, you should read this.

Oh, a bit of warning though: don't go on the diet recommended in this manga. It's truthfully absurd ;)

Story: (6.5-7)

Arisu is a japanese girl who has to learn English because she wants to visit her dad in New York. Therefore, her mom forces her to enter an English Conversational Class, despite Arisu's fear of foreigners. At a 100-yen shop she meets her future teacher and they both get a bad impression of each other.

Art: (7)

Matusomo Tomo's style isn't for everyone. It's simple. Still, I really like her naturalistic drawings; they aren't overly shoujo or typically shounen. I found Eikaiwa School Wars' art to be less.. passionate than her other mangas; and I think it might be because I didn't find the story ... too interesting.

Character: (6)

They're a bit of stereotypes; the shy girl, a cold teacher and a flirtatious foreginer, and a jealous childhood friend. But they aren't bad or anything, they've got their little quirks and flaws which make them more human. I found Ish and Arisu's childhood friend's character design to be very alike, so sometimes I got really perplexed about who was who.

Enjoyment: (6)

The first chapters are very good. But somewhere in the middle, it suddenly gets very confusing which made it difficult for me to understand the whole story. I couldn't fully comprehend what had happened until one forum member explained it.

I think the mangaka rushed the story a bit, which made it confusing. Some of the flashbacks made you question who it belonged to etc. So if you're going to read it, keep in mind to fully focus on the story or you might get a bit bewildered.

Overall: (6)

It's a good manga, but not as good as her other works. I couldn't really see the chemistry between Arisu and Ish, which made the story less compelling since it's mostly about the romance between the two of them. Yes, I know that Matsumoto usually build up the tension between the characters, but in this one it went on for too long and I got a bit bored, unfortunately. However, it's just two volumes so it doesn't take too long to read it.

Kiss is a really good romance with a skillful mangaka behind the scenes.

The story is simple, but nonetheless good; a piano student falls in love with her gorgeous piano teacher. Now, even if this might sound very shallow and typically shoujo-like, please give it a shot. It's not smut, but rather a story about your first love. It may sound as if I'm overrating this manga, but it is a great romance

Matsumoto Tomo is a skillful mangaka. However, this is one of her earliest works and the art is not as good as it gets in the later chapters. Around chapter 20, ... it becomes much more anatomically correct. I've always though Matsumoto's style is subtle, yet expressionistic and powerful in its simplicity. I love the laid-back, naturalistic style of hers. She has an eye for movements and captures the characters perfectly.

The characters are not completely original, unfortunately, but they do work for the story. The heroine is a girl with a strong will, and you can really sympathise with her as she isn't forced to act as a damsel in distress. The piano teacher is a bit aloof with a cold air around him, but slowly warms up her.

It is really enjoyable: there is always something going on and it's great to see how their romance develops. It feels like your first love, fragile and uncertain. It's a lot of tension between the two of them and the suspense adds interest to the story, making you want to continue to read it. So yes, the enjoyment is very good.

Overall it's a special manga to me since I'm very fond of Matsumoto's style and her other mangas. Still, if you're a fan or not you should give this a try. Please forgive the early chapters since they aren't as good as the later ones, in the art department.

The story is about love. A brother and a sister, who loves each other as a man and a woman, but can't be together because they're siblings. However, they aren't blood-relate because the girl's mom remarried the guy's dad.

The art is great, but I felt that the mangaka could've used the space a little better: it felt like e.g. backgrounds were left out sometimes. While I understand that it's a common thing, I still felt that something was missing... Sometimes the girl's hair was black or white, and I almost thought she wasn't the same person at first.

The characters are a bit hard to ... understand, since it's a oneshot. I felt like I couldn't fully comprehend them, even though I understood bits, like how they liked to tease each other. Still, you get the main thing - that they're in love but hindered by their parents marriage. The feelings of sadness and their wish to be free, and be together is conveyed very, very well.

The enjoyment was very good. It's just 24 pages so it was a lot of story pushed into there, though you didn't feel that it was too rushed. I've read the other reviews, and I don't really understand why they couldn't understand the story. I mean, if you read the summary you'll be fine.

Overall it's a nice oneshot with the art as it's main strength. The symbolic meanings of the title was very clever of the mangaka, because it's basically the summary of the story; a cat that loved a fish. Cats eat fish, right? Therefore, they can't be together. I think you should read this manga even if you don't have the time to, 'cause it's so short. I read it in 3-5 minutes and felt it really was worth it.

Please read my WHOLE review before judging it, OK? I do not dislike this manga, as you might think from reading my opinion about the story...

Story: (6)

Okay, so the plot isn't really something we haven't seen before: a girl loses her guardian (in this case her grandmother) and a random guy shows up and takes care of her. However, this one surprised me with being extremly sweet and not smutty, as one first would think by reading the summary. It's not too sweet, since it's also a bit sad.

Art: (7)

The art is cute and a bit sketchy. I really found the eyes dreamy. Anyway, ... it's not overly shoujo, but rather the more down-toned type of shoujo, which worked perfectly for this particular manga.

Characters: (7)

The characters are nothing spectacular nor are they mediocre; they're good. I would've given it a 6 if I didn't find them so human, because that's what they are: I can picture them being my neighbours or even my classmates.

Enjoyment: (7)

It was a good read, but I didn't feel that obsession as I do with other manga - I felt as though I wouldn't really mind if I couldn't finish it. Luckily, it was short so I just kept reading, knowing it was going to end soon. Not saying that I was so bored that I wanted it to end, I was just a bit indifferent. I think it was because this one is the kind of manga which portrays the everday life and doesn't really have that a fantastic plot driving it. Now, I'm NOT saying it wasn't enjoyable at all. It was good.

Overall: (7)

It was fun and sweet. yet a little sad. It wasn't your typical shoujo with big eyes, which made it a little special in my eyes. If you've got nothing to do, go on and read this very cute and nice manga!

'Chocolat' may not strike you as a particularly interesting story, but it's the characters and the superb art that make this manga great. Before you read this review, you should keep in mind that there will be spoilers, although minor ones.

The plot is quite original with a former yakuza boss suddenly buying a house to start his own bakery. The cause of his sudden change of heart is due to his wife's death and the love she had for cakes.

However, the story isn't really about him, as it mostly revolves around a young girl named Tatsumi Chiyoko who is forced to live with this very ... "special" man and his former yakuza gang.

Chiyoko has just been abandoned by her father, who criminals are after because of a big debt her father left behind. Later on, Chiyoko actually turns out to be the daughter of the boss' deceased wife. The boss is overjoyed about having a daughter even if Chiyoko may not have as strong feelings for him (they're not blood-related, you see).

Another main character is Katou Ichigo, an ex-inmate, who seems to have a difficult past and who shares a deep loyalty to his former boss.

This bizarre family go through hardships together as their pasts unfold.

The art was what orginially caught my eye; it's absolutely brilliant and clean. The mangaka knows how to use shadows and different effects to his advantage. The characters' design are also beautiful, yet simple. Also, the backgrounds are vivid and artistic. It's not some "flowers-power-love"-backgrounds here, no.

As for the characters, they are what makes this manga so interesting - they all have very strong personalities and are what makes the story go forward. They're hilarious, but can still be serious. I felt that the mangaka was keeping it real, even if the story and characters might go overboard sometimes, and I like when it's kept real -- you can relate to that.

The enjoyment was a bit mediocre in the beginning, since I didn't feel that strong about the manga then. But after a while, it grew on me as the pace of the story picked up. I would advise you not to abandon this manga until you've read at least 10 chapters - I promise you it's worth it!

Overall, this is a very good manga which is both hilarious and sober. It's a balance between the two so that it won't get too serious or too flimsy. If you have the patience, you should read it, and if not, well give it a try and see if you like it. I think that everyone can appreciate this manga, whether you are a typical shoujo- or shounenreader as it's for both "groups".

Rumina is the successor to the wealthiest company in Japan, namely the Hanaki corporation., and is therefore in training to become a lady.

However, Rumina herself is not satisfied with this lifestyle and secretly sneaks out from time to time to eat fast food. And this is how she meets a mysterious guy, who pays for her meal in exchange for a 'date'. After Rumina refuses, he forcefully kisses her and she runs away.

The plot is not really orginal; rich girl with boundaries meets boy, wants to be with boy but can't since she's already engaged to another person. However it has a twist which ... might surprise you.

Still, Royal Seventeen's strongest point is the art - it's not great, but definitely good enough to catch your eye. The characters' design are well thought out, albeit their stereotype personalities.

The hereoine, Rumina, starts out as a fed-up, typically-cute girl who just wants the freedom to do whatever she wants. She's also constantly being sexually harassed, but of course saved by the good guy. The' good guy' is also the only one that the mangaka lets harass Rumina.

Rumina's love interest is perfect, and he can do anything from art class to martial arts. He never loses. His only flaw seems to be the normal bishounen trait: too possessive.

The supporting characters helps making the story lighter and more flipped out. I especially found the maid and Rumina's friend Jessica to be the most entertaining. Rumina's fiancé was a rich, but weak and a 'loser'. If he hadn't been so weird and more normal it would've been less clear as how to the story would turn out, although it would've lost a huge comedy element.

Sometime in the middle, I thought that she would grow a back-bone and stand up for herself, but sadly that developement never happened. Basically, the character development was non-existent which annoyed me to no end. Sure, it was fun to read but I found it a bit too stereotype and simple for me. I would've wished that the mangaka would've built up the attraction between Rumina and the guy more slowly, because to me it seemed that everything was happening way too fast.

But if you're looking for a decent smut; go on.

The story revolves around a girl named Harumi who'vs been in the hospital for almost all her life. She's living a dull life, not knowing anything about the outside world.
But all that changes one day when a new patient, Masato is taken in. He appears to be a bad boy, always smoking and breaking the rules. Harumi however, isn't in the least scared to approach him and quickly they find that their lives are more alike than they thought.

The art is ok; the anatomy isn't always correct, but the mangaka manages to convey feelings and the atmosphere decently.
It's a oneshot with four chapters and ... didn't drag out the story too much. Some things that happened were hard to believe, but aside from that the story wasn't too bad.

Sometimes I was bothered and thought that it could've been more vigorous and that the story was too much. But the end throughoughly changed those opinions and I thought it was a manga that definitely hadn't wasted my time.

It may be something you might just read in half an hour, but it's a touching story that lets you forgive the minor mistakes Heaven's Door has.