Back to ishitagupta's Profile ishitagupta's Profile

Rensou Mode is a shoujo romance oneshot based in a school-life setting. On checking, I found the title means Delusional Mode. This could not fit our heroine protagonist’s personality more! It’s further highlighted with occasional offhanded comments made by the anti-hero of the story, accompanied by exaggerated expressions and snappy one liner-comebacks from the heroine.

If you’re an avid Shoujo/romance enthusiast, you know what you were probably like back in high school. You knew what you wanted (your very own Haruhi Suzumiya/insert prince of choice), and if you were enterprising enough, you knew EXACTLY how you were going to go about seducing the girl/boy of your ... dreams if you ever encountered them, but somehow the stars never aligned and you weren’t able to make a move or you never met the right person.

Well our heroine is sort of like that. She’s an otaku, an amateur managaka herself and very much in touch with her sexuality, enough to want some action for her own self, but not gifted with the type of popularity or inherent coquettishness which would have boys lining up to steal her first kiss. What’s more, she’s scared people in the past with her intensely passionate expositions about boys and what she’d like to do to them, so she mostly keeps to herself now and ends up being labelled a gloomy, overly strict prude and is left friendless (coz that’s normal in manga universe).

What happens when you cross this sexually frustrated otaku with the resident delinquent and the class prince? A love triangle? Nope, you get two of them scheming on how to get the best of the third and grant our heroine the perfectly orchestrated first kiss she so desperately desires! And let me tell you, I have never seen such elaborate planning! Or such immaculately drawn blueprints for the same! Some of the high-jinxes you’ll expect; others with catch you unawares and amuse you all the more with their audacity and outrageousness.

Art while clean and sharp enough by shoujo standards, is exceptionally hilarious in some panels: The expressions of all three main characters, when they’re daydreaming, reacting to the heroine’s far fetched delusions or trying to improvise Plan B on the spot, make for some truly chuckle-worthy moments.

The storyline itself was crisp, refreshing and not excessively steeped in stereotypes. I appreciated that the most. Geeks aren't always just mousy doormats waiting for life to happen to them. “Bad boys” can be surprisingly pure hearted and pushover-y (adorably so!) and perfect prince’s often disappoint. This is one story where I wouldn't mind a further serialisation based on the superb character development the mangaka managed. Dialogues are often entirely unexpected, bold and blush-inducing, as one of the characters points out.

Overall, I found the pace and delivery very engaging and couldn't wait to read more about the interactions between these characters. Very high re-readability factor, I enjoy this story and slap the table at the sheer boldness of the characters more and more each time I read it. I highly recommend this title to jaded shoujo enthusiasts who feel it’s all formulaic trope in the oneshot pool and any others willing to give comedic oneshots one shot (yes, you read that right).

“The secret of friendship” is a shoujo romance manga with a school life setting, but that’s only what the genres tell you. The art and plot execution is far more josei than shoujo, and friendship easily trumps romance as the central theme of the story. But these dichotomies make this title all the more engaging and memorable, one you’d like to revisit every time your friend cancels on your dinner plans to hang out with their significant other instead!

We have our two leading ladies, Eiko and Moe who meet in those initial turbulent days of high school when classmates are forming cliques, forging friendships and ... assigning ruthless stereotypes to each other based on those tiny insignificant details and interactions that adults have difficulty comprehending but high school kids find most absorbing. The circumstances under which they befriend each other, while not groundbreaking, are definitely relatable and realistic enough to cement their status in the readers’ minds as true blue friends. What follows is their journey in this cruel circus we so innocuously label high school and how they help each other through the trying times which accompany dating, relationships, break-ups, bullying and so on.

Characters are marvelously unique in this story. Never have I read a shoujo story where a girl is willing to give any guy a chance, solely on the premise that he include her best friend in their relationship and not patronise her like a third wheel. While this may seem a childish request from Moe’s side, three long chapters delve into these characters and their motivations and reveal why Moe feels so strongly about not abandoning Eiko and why Eiko guiltily admires rather than envies her best friend for her gentle affection.

Now this story may seem the female equivalent of a sausage-fest (a donut-fest?) so far but fear not, there are male characters aplenty in this refreshing tale and all of them are solid, sincere fellows who may not be immediately likeable but work their way to winning your approval over the course of their interactions with the ladies. We have Tsuchida with his bedroom eyes and rolled up pants who sweetly declares himself upto the task of respecting the unique dynamic Eiko and Moe share and giving Eiko equal significance while going out with Moe. Sounds ideal right? Tsk, If only shoujo romances were ideal!

Secondary characters, who may or may not step up to become major players in the remainder of the storyline include Tsuchida’s best friend Narugami (a black swan of an anti hero if there ever was one!) who can’t help but be suspicious of the sincerity of Eiko and Moe’s friendship and Eiko’s younger brother who is very contentiously trying to disguise his whale of a crush on his sister’s best friend. They both contribute in different measures to the drama and further fortification of... you got it, the two protagonist’s friendship!

Art style is interesting and unique; it’s a little soft and fluid, uses a lot of tonal greys rather than the stark black and whites we’re accustomed to with most mangas. Personalities are not just stated upfront and then shoved down your throat through repetition. If Eiko is timid and indecisive, it comes across in her facial features, her body language, her gestures and even her hairstyle. Ditto with the actions and expressions on Tsuchida, Narugami and Moe, they serve to reveal more about the characters and their intentions than their dialogues or internal monologues can express. It’s not an instant stunner, but you get accustomed to the art soon enough and start to enjoy the slight edgy factor of the school uniforms, the styling in character wardrobes and the overall feel to the backgrounds and ambiance.

Overall, this is a story which will divide dedicated shoujo readers. You’ll either be deeply touched by the strength and sincerity beneath Moe and Eiko’s friendship or rubbish Moe’s bold claims as naive and overly demanding. You’ll either detest Narugami for foolishly labeling all women vapid and shallow and his subsequent actions or applaud him for standing up to the intimidating juggernaut that is Moe’s possessiveness of her best friend. But that in itself is a tremendous feat of achievement. I fondly recollect this story whenever I see two friends walking arm in arm in front of me, I still look up to Moe and Eiko as the benchmark for all future friendships I want to form and begrudgingly admire Narugami and his loyalty towards his best friend, the kind of pal you can always count on to ‘have your back’!

Gripes? I have a couple. NOT long enough! I want to see more heated interactions between the best friend and the boyfriend, the best friend and other boys she turns down and just teenagers in general from this mangaka's point of view, because she makes teen angst palatable! Another takeaway that I find a tad difficult to digest is how Tsuchida kun's status is left at the end of the story. It's not unresolved exactly, but you're left feeling sorry for the chap and devoted readers wouldn't think twice before campaigning for an additional chapter to give him his own ending, happy or otherwise!

I would highly recommend this story for its refreshing perspective on young love and balancing friendship with romance, the healthy resolution that Moe comes to realise towards the end of the story and the endearing interactions between both sets of best friends which leaves a pang in all our hearts when we realise we may be guilty of the very indiscretions and prejudices Moe and Narugami were cautious to avoid.

Hatsu Haru is a shining jewel in the treasure chest of shoujo romances in a school setting. Though I’m possibly getting a bit ahead of myself given its newness (the first chapter released nary 10 days ago) I cannot help but be drawn to its novelty, its gaiety and its overall awesome-sauce-ness!

The plot starts off with our *gasp* male lead and protagonist Kai Ichinose enjoying a blissfully blessed high school life, filled with girls throwing themselves at him given his natural charm and good looks. He knows he’s got it, he wants to flaunt it, and no amount of scolding from his well meaning classmate ... will convince him otherwise! Enter Takanashi with her boyshorts-under-her-short-skirt and knockout punches to dispense some much needed justice to Kai for breaking her good friend’s heart with his ladykiller ways. Without ruining too much of the story for you, the majority of chapter 1 revolved around the interactions between these two, a bit of background on their relationship and how Kai is constantly left reeling as he is unable to figure out Takanashi and just what makes her tick.

To say the art is good would be akin to me calling the first mango you bite into when summer starts satisfying. Yes it’s good, but it’s so much more than just clean, elegant lines or cute fluffy hairstyles! The expressions, the actions and gestures, the uniqueness of each character’s looks and how they correspond with their character traits and the laugh-out-loud reactions that Takanashi constantly bombards our hapless Kai with cement this title’s place in the archives under top ten shoujo titles you can read for the art alone.

Characters and dialogues are beyond reproach! Small thoughts and actions each character emotes make you giggle or guffaw depending upon the context, while the other character’s response in the adjacent panel may totally throw you! You’re constantly on the edge of your seat wondering what Kai will do next and how he’ll make his everyday existence as glorious as it once was. And while we all want our shoujo female leads to be strong and empowered ladies with healthy love lives and varied interests, we always make do with heroines who maybe don’t cry at the drop of a hat or those who retort once in a while with a snappy comeback. Well, settle no more folks! Here’s one heroine who fits the bill no matter how fastidious your standards for a shoujo heroine may be! She bats her eyelashes, she’s sweet and popular in class, she kicks butt when her friends are troubled and she takes initiative in her classroom just coz...! Heck she may even have the ability to walk on water, I don’t know, let’s wait for further chapters! All I know is, I’m in love with this girl, and want to read on if only to see her character be fleshed out further, bishounen be damned!

Overall, I have just read one chapter and I am impressed. Like capital I, capital M (and so on) in bold and underlines with neon signs pointing to it from all directions! I won't be greedy and say I want an anime version of this already or 18 volumes worth of their entire high school life charted out day by day, but I'm definitely wishing and praying that this title goes on serialisation for at least a couple of volumes!

You cannot afford to give this title a miss! Why? Coz it is just SOOO good. It's everything I've ever been looking for in a shoujo romance! It's light and refreshing, not soaked in melodrama, art is cute but clean, female lead can throw a punch but that's not her defining characteristic and the male lead... well let's just admire this title for making him the protagonist for once!!!

"Such as love, such as a kiss, such as the body" is the latest journey of tempestuous love by famed shoujo/romance mangaka Kozue Chiba, introducing us to pure hearted but hopelessly infatuated Sasa-chan who has been harbouring a one sided crush on resident hottie and school heartthrob Kaneda Senpai for a good three years now. So why is she not utilising every opportunity to get closer to him? Why instead do we catch her chastising him instead? And what purpose could addressing his cheeky errant remarks in front of his equally playboy-type friends possibly serve? Hmm... well read on to figure that out.

If you're already ... familiar with Chiba-sama's works, you know she's got the art part down pat. (That sounds like a tongue twister, or the name of a beloved elevator fart you let loose without intending to *snicker*) If you're a newbie, she's the cat's meow when it comes to drawing cute but sensible shoujos and sexed out bishies! She's not stingy with expressions, funny poses or rich backgrounds either. Even if you're not a fan of drawn out romances, you'll enjoy this read for the cheeky-at-times art alone.

This story delivers a power packed punch of tempestuous love, stirred in the heart of a lawless lothario who is anything but a prince, by our strong willed and no nonsense heroine Sasa chan! Characters seem trite at the offset, but I was delighted to see that they possess layers, and the mangaka does us the service of not stating that outright, but bringing it out through novel situations and circumstances into which she immerses both the leads.

If you're looking for a strong but soft heroine who tames a roaming playboy, look no further. I personally loved the way the story kept me engaged! I thought it was going to zig, and it zagged. I thought "Oh now she'll look teary eyed and succumb to his charms" and she gathers herself up to tell him to take a walk! You're on your toes with this story and that's never not desirable in a shoujo romance!

Dialogues and delivery is sharp, witty and unique. Very realistic in its character portrayal, tries to give both leads personalities beyond their external demeanor, though that doesn't really add up into the continuity of the overall plot so far (We're still at chapter 1). The experiences depicted are especially cool because while the heroine is constantly aware of her physical and emotional longing for Kaneda Senpai, she doesn't rescind her resentment towards his questionable morals or constantly-at-risk trouser flies.

Overall, I loved the sass, heart-ed the shy mood it starts off with and am enjoying the direction it seems to be taking so far. Unlike most stories which start off great with plenty of snark to spare but within an incident or two, the teeth and edge are lost and the heroine's resolve turn to jelly as though struck with a harry potter hex, this story seems to be going strong. Again I'm only at chapter 1, so I'll save the praise for when further chapters are released, but the story shows immense promise right now. Highly recommended for shoujo fans and seasoned romance enthusiasts looking for quality shoujo heroines.

"Glitter Tears, I was in love" is a not-too-short and oh-so-sweet oneshot shoujo romance with seriuzly smexed out art and a bishie you want to lock up in your personal basement sex dungeon (a la Alexander Skarsgaard in True Blood) to do with as you please, with his defined abs of steel and endearing tsundere personality owing to his Kansai dialect.

We have our heroine Teshima who leads an otherwise shy life but desperately wants to try her hand at swimming which she has yet to master at the ripe ol' age of 16. She may need more training and assistance than she imagined though and ... who should happen upon her but class loner and mysterious boy-about-town Yuuma. A hesitant journey of self-rediscovery ensues for both sides, abound with uniquely tender moments, surprisingly mature decision making for 16 years olds and a wee bit of hanky panky which is to be expected when both leads are scantily clad for the main plot's premise!

Let me drool over the art a little bit more, so that those of you who missed it earlier may again realise that that is sufficient enough a reason to enjoy this oneshot. Hair is unrealistically perfect and tousled at all times, expressions are often a little too tasty for innocent audiences and background and actions all blend together to provide a smorgasbord of deliciousness for your shoujo aesthetic-senses.

The story is drawn out well, decently paced and employs sufficient situations to create a comfortable atmosphere for believable chemistry between Yuuma and Teshima. There are plenty of outfit changes to satisfy your shoujo impulses and a slow but sure build up of tension and romance which engrosses you thoroughly. It isn't all lighthearted fluff though. There is a bit of history which is fleshed out and provides the main conflict, though abruptly given the tone the mangaka had going for the majority of the story. The conclusion feels a bit off, not in what it is, but how it's delivered. Both characters utilise their eyelashes or hunched poses to express unsaid emotions very subtly, making you feel for them and pinch their little cheeks in sympathy!

You'll enjoy this read for its engaging pace, gradual build up and delivery of romance, and art (did I forget to mention the scrumptiousness of their expressions?). There are small situations which lead to shared moments and memories, making it personal and believable. Has a couple of "Kyaaa" moments, if only for the sake of fan-service! High re-readability and a very enjoyable story which will leave you feeling like taking charge of your romance life all over again!

"Fall in Love With You, Just like Magic" is a 6 chapter shoujo, slice of life, romance read about our heroine Ousawa Miko who is a keener for breads, cakes and all things baked, which I personally found a tad mediocre and uninspired. Her journey about discovering her passion, following through on it despite the challenges she faces and the eventual relationships she forges has it's moments which are unexpectedly cute or doki-doki but overall reads like a formulaic shoujo trope. Boy meets girl, boy and girl are neighbours AND working together and dull romance ensues slowly despite the ridiculous amount and intensity of time ... they spend together!

Art is just OK, a bit pointy and dated. Nothing new or unexpectedly cute about it. It's not annoying or shabby, just terribly simplistic, unoriginal both in art and dialogues and expressions. Direction of plot has potential and is commendable in bits, but not something you'll carry forward with you an hour after.

Characters, both lead and secondary seem a little interchangeable. While in the beginning you get a feeling that they'll each have their own story to tell and entertain you with their unique personality quirks, you soon realise the author may have just used them as filler and chooses to keep them in or out of the main story as she whimsically desires, with no thought for how they may affect the main plot.

The romance seems thrown in for romance sake; it carries a more naive, loud mouthed shoujo feel than any other genre. While there are the occasional honest and heartwarming moments, they are overshadowed by the raging typical-ness of the story and its overall execution. I had trouble focusing or feeling deeply for any of the characters three chapters in and after a while, just wished the oddly paced story would conclude already.

While there is a lot of potential for this story to be cute, in art, feel and dialogues I feel the story can seriously benefit from another artist taking charge and the author working on weaving more novel situations and intricate conversations into the mix, invoking more passionate expressions from the characters and creating a richer tone to engage the readers. I would not recommend this read for seasoned romance audiences but newer shoujo enthusiasts may appreciate the uncomplicated characters and unadorned execution.

I don't know about the rest of you folks, but when the boy I had a long standing crush on asked me out, I went apeshit! Correction, I redefined apeshit. There wasn't a moment I wasn't squealing inside my head and at school, the few times I did face him, I COULDN'T face him for fear of internally combusting under the weight of my own embarrassment. THAT'S what adolescent first love does to you! Given this highly dignified version of a first love experience, I had high expectations from this story's summary, fully expecting a read laden with "Kyaaaa" and much doki-doki. Sadly the romance ... gods did not smile, the clouds did not part and the gratification I so craved for was not delivered.

The story starts out as summarised, with the heroine being granted her deepest wish when the boy of her affections casually calls her out on her infatuation and asks her out. Thus begins their (or only hers?) first love journey. There's awkwardness, kawaii stolen moments and plenty of wide eyes from the heroine, but little transpires that makes you sit up and take notice.

Art, while not unappealing feels a bit unoriginal and wooden sometimes. The heroine's expressions look a bit hentai-ified in most panels, while the bishie seems a tad like a one dimensional oaf. Their kisses feel rather clinical and empty, no racing of pulses here.

Character's try to tug at your heartstrings, but fall short of successfully stirring your senses. There's a rogue hiding beneath the exterior with Ryoutarou, and a coy geisha wishing to brighten her master's day under Hanamori's bumbling expressions. But while there's plenty of potential for tender moment given the plot and established dynamic between the leads, their chemistry isn't palpable or sizzling.

To the mangaka's credit, the story HAS its cute and doki doki first love moments but they don't take. It could benefit from matured art and addition of some sincere expressions rather than one constant character defining grin or simpering smile in all panels, regardless of the situation. While storytelling and pacing may be a forte for Momoi Sumire, she may consider joining leagues with an artist skilled at playful and tender expressions and art to be able to better deliver oneshot masterpieces with cute plots such as this one.

"Beginning of Spring" is a chaste but deeply personal yet relatable read about the experience of our diffident heroine Miyako when she has a chance meeting with her long time crush Takeshi before a pre-arranged group meeting. Here's an opportunity to take the leap... if only confessing at the end of Junior High was as easy as bungee-jumping off a ledge! There's no safety rope which will make the free fall experience end smoothly and you may just end up ruining the nice status quo along the way.

It reads like a journal entry, every moment of their shared experience, how the initially shy conversation leads ... into a running April Fool's day joke and allows Miyako and Takeshi to discover and reveal more about each other. The comfort in their dynamic is established at a nice pace which is rare in any story, let alone a oneshot. Dialogues and expressions range from kooky and moody to lighthearted joshing around, again reminding you of the possible verisimilitude of the situation.

Art feels more josei than shoujo in that it's more mature, less sparkly. It evokes an overall pleasant but subtle feeling. Not too high on the "Kyaaaa" factor but the final few pages definitely make your heart race and face grow warm when you recollect the mortification of growing up and confessing all over again.

Both characters are free from stereotypical shoujo tropes and are neither overly edgy and unpredictable or maudlin little sissies. Their frankness and confidence in certain moments endears them to the reader and makes you wish they would just get together already, shyness be damned!

Overall a light and refreshingly free of misunderstandings read. Good for the occasional 5 minute distraction from life. Highly recommended for shoujo romance fans, but could be considered mediocre by seasoned readers. This one had the potential to end not quite so quickly and perhaps be fleshed out better in a couple of chapters, but it manages to redeem itself with decent pacing and innovative delivery.

Letter of Babel is a short and sweet little morsel of romance, not decidedly shoujo in nature, which tells us the story of a Russian steward and the path not taken. It's written from the point of view of a masterful scribe who is known far and wide to be able to put feelings on paper you didn't know you possessed and our long suffering hero succumbs to this indulgence if only to relive his early life once more and lament for love lost and maybe, just maybe... have another go at it...

It starts off ordinarily enough, set in a Russian noble's house, introducing the ... few primary characters one by one, etching their character traits through cleverly crafted panels replete with outraged expression and petulant poses letting the readers make up their own minds about their personalities rather than force feeding us trite adjectives. Art really stands out as clean, elegantly so with a neverending vernacular of heartstrings-tugging expressions and chic backgrounds which takes you away to the Russia of yore.

Story delivery is slow paced, but not dragging. It draws you in when the hero wants to share his longing and wistful memories and moves along quickly when you're transported back into real time. Characters feel tragic yet relatable and you want to reach in and change their actions and fate when you see the possible consequences they may be lining up for themselves, but alas... you are only an audience in this extravagant tale, with as little control over their destinies, as they themselves seem to exercise.

While beautifully drawn and elocuted, the thick me couldn't quite figure out some parts of the "conclusion". It may require a further couple of readings, which obviously means each time you read this, you'll discover something new. A definite rarity in short oneshots. Seinen/shounen fans will enjoy this non maudlin story equally (perhaps more, I was left a little wanting on the romance front!) and I highly recommend this to all who have experienced "The one that got away" at some point in their life or those who just wonder about the feelings accompanying that bittersweet experience.

"May I be in love with you" is a very cute and seriously fun shoujo-romance-school life read revolving around our protagonist, the scary looking (think Eustace from Courage, the Cowardly Dog when he put on his Ooga Booga Booga mask!) but secretly mild mannered and misunderstood Chigira who just wants to have a fun high school existence filled with friends, karaoke and maybe a first love. Instead his delinquent looks invite challenges from other delinquents further solidifying his unwittingly acquired reputation and scare away any poor sods who make the mistake of looking in his general direction. What's a boy to do?! Especially when a ... particularly gentle and sweet girl from his class has been kind to him once and he wants to explore the extent of that kindness more, but she maintains the same distance from him as his classmates since his demon eyes give her the Heebie Jeebies! And what's with this tsundere female Casanova who has assumed the status of his Love Guru despite her better judgement?

Shiiba Nana initially released a oneshot exploring this premise which may have gained favour, hence the short 12 chapter serialisation. The pacing and characters are all very enjoyable and the short length of each chapter will keep you hankering for the next one. So far, I haven't encountered any frustratingly overused shoujo tropes in this story. In fact, I am pleasantly surprised at the maturity and hilarity of each character's responses and reactions and their steadfastness in approaching their goals and aspirations, even if said aspirations are limited to confessing their long standing love to a classmate, making a desirable first, second or third impression or stalking the one they like!

Art: Shiiba Nana never disappoints with her artfully tousled haired bishies or her kawaii but feisty heroines. Expression range from subtle and coy to outraged and murderous which will invoke a mini guffaw in the most cynical of readers. Actions are also hilarious and unique enough at times along with cleverly matching dialogue to lend an air of sincerity and help you relate to the characters. The artwork definitely creates a memorable experience and is one the major reasons to pick up this title.

Story and Characters: Three primary characters have been introduced till the first 6 chapters, two of which have been extremely well developed. They are honest, clumsy, sneaky and vulnerable in equal measures which makes for refreshing storytelling. Just when you're about to conclude that a character's going to do something predictable at a particular moment, they surprise you and lend the otherwise lighthearted story some depth.
I'm not sure if the relationship dynamics which evolve were deliberate from the mangaka's side from the get go, or maybe it's because this is one of the few instances where a shoujo story has a male lead; but many of the situations, whether a love triangle or post confession heartbreak feel deeply personal without appearing hackneyed. Comforting a despondent friend doesn't necessarily lead to a heated embrace. The upbeat and type A heroine doesn't always get her way when she puts herself out there but she pulls through like a fighter... how can you not adore these characters and cheer for them despite the unoriginal plot of boy-loves-girl-but-girl-fears-boy.

Enjoyment: Immense. It's a page turner, this one. Humorous and warm, the hi jinxes of the unfortunate hero will keep you engrossed and invested, coming back for more. High re-readability. This is a fun and touching read more than a "Kyaaa" girly romance, but it won't disappoint any audience, be it the devoted romance enthusiast or a curious first time shoujo reader.

Overall A-: The character's could have definitely been more fleshed out and secondary characters and their agendas explored further, but this read will keep you entertained, is short and sweet, devoid of unnecessary angst and puts a smile on your face despite the apparent ugliness of the main character with the unexpected little heartwarming things all the characters do and say. It's like taking a peek into your classmate's journal, only your classmate's the school hulk, aggressive and taciturn and you never imagined he could write, let alone maintain a diary filled with such a colourful gamut of characters and experiences!