Oct 11, 2013
I started Strobe Edge thinking it was another typical shoujo manga, and honestly, it was at first. Nothing seemed to be out of place. They had your seemingly nice male protagonist who performs chivalry and your curious, ignorant teenage girl fresh in the usual high school setting. After a few encounters with Ren, Ninako quickly comes to realize she has fallen in love with his rich kindness and caring nature. Though, before I realized it, I couldn't keep myself from wanting to know what happened next.
What shoujo manga tend to lack that Strobe Edge strongly holds is that real sense of development. Most of the
...
time, the mangakas have the male characters save the female in typical situations, and only then does she gain confidence to stand up for herself and others, but in this story, Ninako goes through self-discovery and develops from the hardships of unrequited, first love by herself. I personally feel that female protagonist make too many cliche mistakes by deciding to go with an easier, less painful route in predicaments, which is why I love Ninako so much. She follows her heart and doesn't let others persuade her to think otherwise.
Ren was also an interesting character. It isn't until much later that we find out why he is the way he is, and because the backstory's not overly dramatic like most pasts we see, it's simple yet heartwarming to the point where it's easily relatable. He seems like the mysterious type in the beginning, but the small twist in this story make it perfect for steering his real personality progressively throughout the manga without losing our attention completely.
In truth, there's no character I thought was unnecessary. Every chapter, every subplot seemed to fit itself perfectly and weaved into a very charming manga that's perfect for those who are looking for a romantic classic to read. I highly recommend it for first-time readers of manga, as well, to try out this page-turning read.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
What did you think of this review?
Nice
0
Love it
0
Funny
0
Confusing
0
Well-written
0
Creative
0Show all
