Manga Review: Onani Master Kurosawa - Volume 1

It has been a long time since I've wanted to review a manga straight after reading it. I just finished volume 1 of Onani Master Kurosawa – a brilliant manga that is considered doujinshi because it is a parody of Death Note. It also helps that the scanlators dubbed this Fap Note, especially since “Onani” means “masturbation”. Now, if all you innocent young readers out there are getting a little shocked, I'll have to remind you that I've reviewed worse things on here, and I probably will review ones even worse than those! But at this point, don't underestimate this manga just because of the title. There is a substance to this that I so deeply adore.

Onani Master Kurosawa is a manga that isn't simply about a guy who likes to masturbate. That is only the general setting for the story. This manga is about a guy with a habit. And then one day he uses that habit to deal out justice. Then he kinda gets caught and is forced to use that habit a little more. And that habit is – yes, you've guessed it. Onani. His “daily duty”, he calls it. See, our leading man, Kurosawa, goes to the girls' bathroom in the old school building every day after school, and masturbates to fantasies of him screwing with the girls in his class. At first you're thinking “Ugh, honestly, where's the substance in this? He's just a horny kid who jacks off in a bathroom stall to images of his female classmates choking on his dong.” Well, honestly, it's more than that. The plot does thicken!

Aaaaand, random art fangirling off-topic starts now! Oh. My. LORD. I love this artwork. This is one of the situations when the artist of the manga is different to the author, and I'm not familiar with this artist. Did my research and figured out that since this is a doujinshi of sorts, this is the only work he has that has been published, but there is more in store for this blooming mangaka. I know I'm definitely going to be keeping an eye on him! This is sketchy and raw with gorgeous pencil lines and a meticulously careless way of shading things. To some extent, it's funny, but I love the way he draws hands. I notice lots of expressions through hands, and more so in this manga. Partially because the artwork is so attractive to me, and partially because this guy is a freaking talented genius. What I mean to say is, I noticed a subtle use of hand gestures here. The way a character might refer to something, an indicator of someone's stance or even force and movement. Aaah, good artwork satisfies me in a way nothing else could at 1AM. Also, might I say this man has a TALENT for drawing expressions. I love it. I must say I laughed when I saw the cover page for this manga. When this artwork is cleaned up and has colour added to it, I'm sorry to say it loses its charm. I can't imagine it being anything other than roughly done in that sketchy, unfinished style. I also hope he can improve on his line finishes when he inks, because the cover looked like it was done by an amateur, which was pretty disappointing after reading an entire volume then going back and looking at the front. Sad, I tell you! But I adore it anyway :)

Right, let's get down to talking about what this manga is actually about! Kurosawa, a boy with distaste for everything. Well, mostly for the people around him, like the annoying, clingy Nagastuka Keiji or the otakus or his teacher even. It's a little bit funny sometimes, because it reminds me of my high school days where I'd stare at everyone around me and go “Why am I surrounded by a bunch of shallow idiots?” - but that's not what this is about. It's about the good, the bad and the ugly of human nature. Now, I know you're sitting there shaking your head at the screen going “How can masturbating tell you about human nature?” Well, shut up and keep reading! That's why you made it this far, right?

There are various social settings that our protagonist partakes in, which are all essentially part of the same collective ruling – the brutalities, inhumanities and stupidities of school life. What perturbs me at times is the fact that these kids are only 14, but you get over it quickly once you become absorbed in the story – which I'm not sure is a good or bad thing. Apart from the fact that Kurosawa masturbates every single day after school, he's quite observant to the different cliques that the students hang out in and the social hierarchy that they've split themselves to – and he chooses to stay out of it. That, I think, is pretty smart, but at the same time it doesn't mean he's ignorant. He notices who has been bullied, who has the unspoken authority, who is downright annoying – all that. The beginning half of the volume is pretty much an introduction to this. You get to know more about Kurosawa's daily habits and you understand the social setting through his eyes. Mostly, this view is disdainful and judgemental, but you start to understand that this isn't just the harrowing monologues of a dark seething pre-teen. I think there's a truth behind it that you don't immediately realize, but it sneaks up on you quite well.

So the story so far seems like two disconnected things: a disgustingly realistic portrayal of school life – and a chronic masturbator. How these things come together (hahahaha, come. I'm so childish!) is from the help of a little mousy (she's described as “squirrel-like” in the manga) girl called Kitahara. She's the main victim of the bullying and after a gut-wrenching scene that will certainly make you want to gag and cry at the same time, Kitahara is filled with frustration and rage. Given the right opportunity, that combination can be quite dangerous. Now hold that thought while I go on to talk about some masturbating, then I can connect these two things together.

Kurosawa is also raging. His rage is due to the fact that everyone knows where the injustice is, but no one will do a thing to correct it. So what does he do? He takes matters (and his man-meat) into his own hands, and masturbates. All over the bullying girls' clothes. Not while they're wearing them, of course, that would be awkward. But through careful deliberation, Kurosawa deals some revenge – and justice – through jerking off. Since this is an entire volume review, I'm not going into detail, so I encourage you to read it and find out exactly what happened and how it all went down. Like some dick-tugging vigilante, Kurosawa anonymously becomes a saviour!

Or so he thinks.

Let's go back to raging, frustrated Kitahara. She's pretty smart and puts things together pretty quickly, so she seeks Kurosawa out and asks him for a favor in return for her silence about his “daily duties”. He got back at two girls, but there's still one that she thinks deserves some pain too. And how does she intend on doing this? By being “the catcher in the toilet” – appointing Kurosawa to do her dirty work for her. (I swear I'm not making all these bad puns on purpose!) The volume ends with Kurosawa accepting this arrangement – because he has no choice, and Kitahara about to state her proposition.

Then it's over. Honestly, you're just salivating for more at this point. And you have to admit, once you get this far, you know the next volume is really going to be worth it. It's right now that you realize that the story has only just begun, and there's so much that could be done with this story. So far, I'm impressed. My only hope is that it doesn't escalate into heights of stupidity, or lose the plot along the way.

Random notes on this volume are Kurosawa's hilarious punchlines at the end of each of his sessions (such as his references to his “man juice”. Is he serious? Haha!) – an obvious play on the style that this was written. This is a story that has its dangerous side while being subtly laced with satirical overtones, and it's then that the parody of Death Note comes out. The comedy in this is in its overplayed seriousness. Kurosawa's serious or malevolent expressions sometimes seem comical because you can connect it to Death Note so well that it makes you laugh. Especially when you realize that he's talking about jerking off. It's classy, smart and funny, in an odd masturbatey way. However, on a more serious note, the connections to Death Note are also in Kurosawa's observations of people, his distaste for them and his inner monologue that basically picks out every human flaw these people carry. It's sad, but true, because sometimes you can't help but agree with him, despite his magnified aversion to social situations. But somehow, you can't help but tie it back to his own habit. It's almost like a paradox, but who's judging who at this point?

Now, I've pretty much devoured my way through this manga, and I think you should too. So stay sharp kidlets, and keep your hands to yourselves! Or don't. Depending on how much you like this manga. I won't judge *wink wink*

MizzFWA

Chapter Review - Cheese in the Trap Ch44

This chapter's gonna be good!

Now that Sul and Jung are back in the game (and by back in the game, I mean talking to each other), the attention is one them once more. Sometimes I wonder why it is they receive so much attention. Is it the fact that Jung is popular or the fact that Sul is not so popular herself? Either way, Jung's cluelessness when it comes to Sul is adorable, and Sul's mini freak-outs are just as cute. So let me just say, it seems they're back to normal. He's unconsciously charming and naïve, and she's gullible and cautious. Interesting couple? I think so! The chapter starts out with them having a similar kind of interaction in class where you realize nothing's changed between these two. They're both just very stupid.

Now, at this point, I think it's cute that they're clueless to one another, but the way people talk about them is starting to get pretty obvious, and they both need to man up and do something about it. So far there's been no defining things to Sul and Jung's “relationship”. Are they friends? Are they more? It's pretty clear on some level that Jung is naively interested in Sul, and Sul is friends with Jung but cautious about it. The only cause of frustration (and awesome!) is the fact that Sul REALLY doesn't think that Jung isn't interested in her. Which makes me giggle. The reason I go on this little rant is because right now, instead of whispering behind their backs, people are starting to actually be forward about it. Classmates are asking Sul what's going on between them and classmates are asking Jung if he and Sul have “that kind of relationship”. Sul is frazzled, as usual, which is adorable. Jung kinda smiles and goes “what do you mean?” The only thing that saves Jung from answering the question properly is Jae Woo getting annoyed with everyone and going “cut the useless bullshit.” And Jung is just sitting there smiling.

Honestly, either he's playing dumb all the time or this kid is really stupid.

I mean, with how cunning and underhanded he can be (as we've seen in the past), has anyone found it strange that Jung is SO naïve when it comes to Sul? This is what I think makes a lot of readers distrust him. But we'll see how the plot thickens!

Now, there's a little explosion between Sang Chul (the little prick) and Jae Woo. I think there must be something personal Jae Woo has against Jung, and it seems to me because he thinks he has undeserved popularity – or that he's overrated. If he had talked more honestly and openly to Sul a year before I have a feeling they would have gotten along quite well. But at this point, it's pretty obvious that bringing up Jung around Jae Woo hits some pretty serious nerves. It wasn't even about Jung directly, but the mere mention of him seems to set Jae Woo off. I can't help thinking it's personal! Or maybe it's just plain old jealousy. Even at this point, Jung is a pretty mysterious character.

Now, The end of the chapter is Bo Ra, Eun Taek and Sul deciding to get something to eat when our lovely man In Ho turns up – just because he can. Oh! And just before I get distracted by the awesomeness that is In Ho and Sul, let me just take a few words to say that I think Min Soo is a creepy obsessive stalker. I'm not going to elaborate on that, but I can bet you this will come up later in the series! Mark my words, you'll remember that sentence. I'll take bets if I have to.

Anyway, back to this dynamic duo of what-the-hell-do-you-want-from-each-other. Honestly, it's obvious In Ho has some hidden agenda, but I don't know if it's Sul's naïve or gullible nature that makes her play along with him. If it were me I'd have either stopped talking to him a long time ago or just drooled over how goodlooking he is and never pay attention to a word he says. But let's see how Sul deals with him! Again, I don't think I can give too much away about their conversations, but it seemed unusually comfortable, for both of them. They still bickered a bit, but it's like they don't mind each other so much. I think it's better for both of them to get better acquainted but still keep their hilariously awesome dynamic. Also the fact that In Ho mentions his hand, he's given something away of himself, as well as revealing this hidden plot about Jung! Sul, being dense, doesn't really take the potentially dangerous side of it and thinks it must be an innocent mistake. At this point, we don't even know. I'm really anxious to find out the full story of In Ho's hand because we still don't fully understand the nature of Jung's character – and I think In Ho is the key to finding out.

The chapter ends with a bit of comic relief with Bo Ra and Eun Taek betting on who Sul will end up with - which is just the way I like them to react. Damn, I actually have no idea at this point! I think that's one of the things that gives me faith in this strip!

Until the next chapter, kidlets! Stay Sharp!

MizzFWA

All images (c) Soon Ki. None of these images belong to me.

Manga Review: Ringo Nikki - Volume 1

This might sound odd, but at the ripe old age of 19, I almost feel like I've started to outgrow shoujo. I'll feel like as I mature, my tastes mature with me, and as I progress out of high school and into university, I almost feel like I can't relate to those school crushes and young teen romances anymore. Then what happens is I'll pick up a story like Ringo Nikki, and discover I'm still a 16 year old on the inside. Now, don't get me wrong, I speak like this ironically mostly. I know of women in their 30s who still enjoy these sweet fuzzy shoujo manga, and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. In fact, I think eventually I'll become on of them as well! I just see this as a personal reflection that as I moved out of one phase of my life and into the next, my manga would grow with me. Still, I'm pretty glad that nothing is changed. I don't really feel the fuzz as much, and I almost laugh at the over-the-top attitudes these young manga girls have towards what they call “love”, but I can still giggle like a little schoolgirl and enjoy it just the same!

Ringo Nikki, my feathered friends, is a manga after my own schoolgirl heart. It's got the classic element of “I really, REALLY can't stand you right now, but I'm probably going to fall for you later”. And you know what? I love it! Now, our hero isn't the kind of guy who's arrogant, he's the kind that is just cocky and mischievous enough to make him charming – endearing even, just about downright adorable! Trust me, I like me a guy that I can bicker with, because you know what? It just makes it all the more interesting! And that's the perfect example of what's happening here.

Ringo (I love her name!) is a 16 year old wonder. Takes care of her hopelessly hopeless father and is a picture of responsibility. It stems from your average mother-died-so-she-had-to-take-over complex. But what I love about this manga is Ringo's father. The manga has a quality to it that every character has their own personality. Rather than slapping on a generic mom and dad (which in manga are usually minor characters who are very passive and don't have opinions) and generic side characters, the mangaka has given everyone their own qualities. Ringo's father is cheerful with lame puns, but it's a cheerfulness that makes you go “awww”, because this fabulous family of two is poor. Their unfortunate situation is made worse when Papa Ringo (can I call him that? I want to call him that!) is laid off his job. They are forced to move away and Ringo must leave her life – and love – behind. And so our story begins!

What I absolutely hate in manga is clichés. And what I absolutely adore about this manga is its tendency to break away from a few clichés. Ringo already has someone she likes, but because she's moving away she thinks it's a hopeless case to pursue. The fact that she already has someone on her mind is perfect! It creates more tension for the bickering, arguing and all other mischievous behaviour that goes on between Ringo and Micchan, the hero of this manga. Micchan works at the bath house that she goes to and lives at the boarding house his family owns after her house burns down. And although at first Ringo finds him completely irritating, she starts to warm up to him, as she naturally would.

Now, I'm not going to go into too many specifics, I've had the habit in the past of ranting on for too long and possibly giving away too many things – but the dynamic between Ringo and Micchan revolves around Micchan bothering her, her unconsciously warming up to him, tantalisingly delicious moments of tension and Micchan egging her on to make things work with Sakura.

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, Sakura, Ringo's “first love”, does play an active role in creating a bit of a love triangle here. And another break from cliché is the fact that Ringo is not madly in love with both of them and can't decide between the two. In fact, she thinks one of them is annoying as hell, while the other is sweet, but somehow she can't bring herself to completely commit to him just yet. I found it refreshing that although Sakura thinks Micchan is irritating (does no one like this poor guy? How sad!) and sees him as a threat, Micchan does have his moments where he encourages Ringo to try harder with Sakura.

This story is only made more interesting when Ringo can never really read Micchan. Sometimes he hits on other girls, sometimes he hits on only Ringo, sometimes he tells Ringo she should be with Sakura, and sometimes it almost looks like he goes out of his way to come in between them by being as adorably annoying as possible. I think it helps with Ringo simultaneously wanting to fall for him and kill him. In that sense, I think Ringo doesn't know what to do with his casual affection or whether or not to ever take him seriously. As for Sakura, he has that rare determination and intensity that you could only get from 16 year old shoujo boys, straight out of manga. It's actually kinda sad, he's so serious that it seems he has no sense of humour at all!

The end to the volume, I have to say, is the perfect cliffhanger. It's like the mangaka spent the entire volume taking you to the very pinnacle of the peak of the height of the climax of the love triangle, then decided that you have to wait for the next volume, because she feels like dangling you there for a bit. And trust me, it's well worth the wait for the second volume – and you better believe that I'll be covering that as well! So, all you little shoujo lovers, if you've rediscovered that 16-year-old fangirl in you, whether you are a guy or a girl, you're going to love Ringo Nikki! Watch this space for a review of the second and final volume and we'll find out the fate of our beloved Ringo.

Stay sharp kidlets!

MizzFWA

All images (c) NAKAHARA Aya. I do not own any of these images.

Manga of the Month: Mars

Okay kidlets, it’s time for one of the best (and lengthiest written) features of this blog – Manga of the Month! This is one of the best mangas I’ve ever read. It’s up there on my all-time favourites, and because I’ve been more in touch with it recently, mostly because of Laura’s review on her blog, Heart of Manga (Which you can check out here) It’s an excellent review and I suggest you give it a read, really, because I really love the way she structures her reviews, gives different ratings and generally puts it all together.

When I read her review, I sat there thinking ‘I’ve seen this before – this is all way too familiar’. Once I got over my ditzy moment, I remembered that I’d already started reading this manga. I also remembered that I had adored it. I think this manga should be (and probably is) a shoujo classic. I suggest you read Laura’s review first. Tell you why… Her review is a REAL review. She summarizes the events and the feel of the manga wonderfully, giving you a synopsis and review separately. However, since this is Manga of the Month, what I’m doing is gushing about it – like the shoujo fangirl that I really am. So what are you waiting for! Click the link! :D

As for my bit, there’s more than enough gentleness, drama and passion put into this manga enough to develop into something amazing. I’d have to say, I’m quite biased when it comes to older manga. I’m not TOO fond of the art and usually shoujo back then was quite different. HOWEVER (and that’s a big however – even bigger than capital letters) I decided to stick it out, and once I got past the first couple of pages, I couldn’t care less. In fact, I enjoyed the wispy light feel that this manga has. I’m still not entirely happy with the artwork – sometimes Kira (the main character)’s eyes seem to be too big. Her expression in the first few chapters seemed pained – ALL THE TIME. It bugged me.

Wait, wait, wait. I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking ‘This is gushing?’ WELL, I’m taking my time. Working from the bottom up. I have a tendency to complain, remember? I’ll save what’s left of it for the next Ugly. This manga’s role as Manga of the Month will not fall short, trust me. By the way, what’s up with my unbearably long intros? I end up ranting about the manga without even talking about it properly. Isn’t that stupid? See? I’m doing it right now, too! I should shut up.

So on to the fawning over this excellent manga. This is four chapters of shoujo goodness, and a whole lot of drama. Something I loved was that the tension and suspense built up beautifully in this manga. It rises and falls, and there are moments that make you hold you breath.

I think the first meeting of Kira and Rei is quite lovely. She keeps pressing her dislike for Rei on you, and it’s interesting. I think she unpicks every single thing she doesn’t like about him. But being a certain way and having a certain mindset of her own, Kira makes assumptions about him. She probably has reason to, but I think it was the foundation for their relationship. There are all these stereotypes as to the kind of person Rei is, but he works pretty well at beating down any misconceptions about his personality.

But first off, let’s introduce them properly. Rei is your typical bad boy. Drives the bikes, plays the women, smokes the cigarettes and only goes to school because he’s promised his dad. Otherwise, he wants to be a professional motorcycle racer – and as he confesses later on in the series, you don’t need school for that. Kira is the quiet art student who doesn’t really show any emotion – not because she doesn’t care, but she doesn’t see the point. Something Kira says in the beginning of the manga strikes me as quite insightful. She says “This classroom is so strange to me. I’m just different. No one pays any attention to me. But that ‘s okay… It’s easier that way.” NOW. Tell me that’s not insightful. I think part of the reason that Kira resists Rei in the beginning and the way he seems to want to talk to her is because she feels that it’s drawing attention to herself. Being a person who’s kept quiet so she can stay in her own quiet space, this must be a big change to be hanging out with the one guy that gets the most attention.

The development of Kira’s outlook on Rei happens pretty quickly, if you ask me. By the end of the first chapter, she’s got feelings born inside her and she’s starting to see him differently. Rei’s the kind of personality that’s high on life – literally. Because of it he takes chances and pushes every boundary possible. I can see why someone like Kira would find him distasteful to begin with.

Notice I said “to begin with”. This is only the beginning! Of course! There are events that ensue, which I think are great. For starters, there’s your typical shoujo plotline here. Timid, quiet, different girl is getting attention from the most desired hottie in the class, and other people start noticing. Anyone want to take a guess? :D

She becomes the target of other girls’ jealousy, and they proceed to bully her. Now, I’ve read manga bullying. This is on a whole ‘nother level. NOT because it’s more extreme. I mean, what manga was it that they wanted to crush her hands with dumbbells? Oh, wait! It’s this one! :D So, it IS extreme. I’ve read mangas where they splash cold water on the girl or lock her somewhere or put ink on her clothes… Kira’s had her shoes incinerated and her fingers nearly broken by these girls.

Honestly, I don’t know what high schools these people go to. To be honest, when I read manga, I’d like to think that it teaches me something about Japanese culture. Like calling asking someone out “confessing” or karaoke or the nature of bentous and Valentine’s Day chocolates. I’m not sure I like what it’s teaching me about high school and dealing with girls that you don’t really like. I’d hate to think that it’s actually like that. Where I went to high school, it was more about whether you were lame or not. However, by the last 3 years of school people outgrew it, and it was more about personal feuds than hating someone for the sake of being a grade A bitch.

These girls are grade A bitches – signed and certified. Nonetheless, this stands out because it’s not just “Why are you hogging all the attention?” – but there’s actually something personal to it. The main bully actually had a thing for Rei, waited for him for ages (even when he had a girlfriend) and he didn’t do so much as breathe in her direction. Not that this justifies what she’s doing, but it just makes it much less of a cliché.

Okay, although I’ve already revealed things about the plot, this to me is considered a real spoiler, so either light your screen on fire (to avoid reading) if you don’t want spoilers. Or you can be boring and do the conventional thing of clicking on something else.

I think I didn’t completely understand the random exchange between Rei, Kira and Tatsuya, Rei’s best friend. It served a very strange purpose in contributing to Rei and Kira’s silent attraction to one another. In Kira’s case, it’s the early feelings of love creeping up on her to whack her over the head with a plank. Whatever happened to Cupid, right? That’s old-fashioned. Love walks with a new swagger now. Anyway – Rei… this is the part I didn’t get. Maybe it’s the fact that he didn’t exactly recognize his attachment to her (I don’t think he even fully gets grips on it in this volume) but what’s up with the whole setting her up with his best friend? Granted Tatsuya has a thing for her, but STILL. Aren’t her feelings coming out on the surface – even just a little? Or is it because we see her narration that it’s clearer to us? Because I think her growing feelings seemed increasingly obvious. She has a quiet dependency on him, which is sweet.

However! I think she doesn’t realize it yet, either, so there’s a balance. I don’t think it’s the cute naivety that Aozora Yell has, but in a sense, they share a common ground. How, you ask? Let me walk you through it. Without comparing this to another manga (in the sense of bringing up names and events) there’s the fact that both protagonists have become quite attached to each other without necessarily being an item, or being all fluffy and cute and blushing around one another. This is a good thing, really, because it makes for good development. Something Kira said about her feelings towards Rei blew me away. I think it was beautiful in the sense of admiring someone and having that kind of adoration, rather than being romantic feelings being involved. At one point, Tatsuya sort of confronts (in a non-aggressive way) Kira and asks her whether she’s in love with him. She says she isn’t (filthy LIAR) and that she just has a crush on him (That’ll do… for now). But it’s what she says next that super-inspirational to me. She says “I love Rei’s outlook, his strength. I probably would’ve felt the same way if Rei were a woman.”

THAT is what I loved. That’s what took this manga to a whole new level for me. There’s loving a manga, and then there’s loving a manga. Here we are, constantly breaking away from character clichés, plot clichés, and now: relationship clichés. Think of your warmest, fuzziest shoujo manga. This isn’t it. That’s the beauty of it. The fact that the mangaka can forge a relationship that isn’t entirely based on “oh em gee he gives me flutterz lol” is admirable – and refreshing. It makes me feel like I’m reading something real, and not the slightly unrealistic – and yes, admit it – superficial relationships that seem to be based on attraction that the majority of shoujo titles seem to flock to. Therefore, big ups to this manga. It gets major brownie points in my book.

Wow, this has turned out to be my longest post yet! Talk about lengthy. Which is why this review is coming to a close. Speaking of closes, the end of the volume, anyone?

Spoiler. Oh, yeah, you knew this was coming. How would I talk about the ending without some major spoiler being slapped into our faces? Moving on? :D

Some threats, Tatsuya letting go of Kira – blah blah. Do I care? Well, I probably WILL care about the threats later – because despite Rei sticking up for Kira, it’s not over. In my opinion, it was healthy (and such a relief) that Tatsuya forgot about her. Saves us all the time, doesn’t it? Yeah, there was all that random stuff, and the kiss and some boring dialogue and then it ends. WHAT THE HELL! :D

The kiss? Yes, the kiss! Oh wow, that was a breathtaking moment. And how they dealt with it later… that was even better. In the sweet scent of the night, swept up in the moment (this is BEFORE Tatsuya gave up, by the way) Rei kisses Kira. However, the next day he tells her to forget about it because it’s just some habit he picked up in the states – blah blah blah. What impressed me and REALLY made me smile was Kira’s response. Him just trying to (maybe) earnestly tell her not to take it the wrong way is one thing, but Kira’s cool and cheerful reaction was perfect. She’s totally in the zone, she gets it, she doesn’t get weepy or needy or insecure – she just smiles and goes “Yeah dude, it was totally in the moment. Don’t sweat it!”… but that’s just how it sounded in my head haha. But that’s more or less her reaction. And Rei is so surprised and probably very taken by her confident, open-minded and easygoing response. Well done, Kira – break the shoujo heroine cliché!

This turned more into a review of the manga than I expected! Rather than simply highlighting what I loved – which I think I did plenty of – I’ve given you a lovely review of the first volume at the same time. You know what that means, don’t you? That I’ll continue to review the volumes of this manga! I hope this has given you something to look forward too ^_^ Stay sharp, kidlets!

MizzFWA

(Images © SOURYO Fuyumi. None of these images belong to me)

Review: Blooming: Bring It On! - Volume 1

I must say this as a starter: I love love love manhwa. And this is no exception. If I wasn’t so impatient, this would be the Manga of the Month (even though technically, it’s manhwa), but I think I should wait and see what July yields before making a decision. This manhwa has two separate titles, if you’re going to search for it. Blooming, and Bring It On are what you can look this up under.

First off, a small rant about manhwa. Drawing-wise, it’s got subtle differences from manga. For example, the eye-to-face ratio. What I mean is, the size. In Manhwa, the eyes tend to take up more space on the face. Why do I notice this? I don’t know. The fact that manhwa is left-to-right just messes me up and I find myself disoriented a lot of the time. I’ll read a whole page right-to-left and wonder why it doesn’t make any sense before I realize my mistake. Other than that, they’ve got similar themes to manga, so it’s not too much of a difference to read. Oh! And I like the way they draw the irises. Don’t ask, simply observe the next time you find yourself picking up a manhwa – and make sure that manhwa is this one :D

This story is funny, deliciously mischievous and on its way to one of my top shoujos. So far, I’ve only read the first volume, and will do a review based on that, and keep updating as I go. Our lovely main, Miha (thanks to her brother) is a sporty, martial arts-doing, tomboy. She basically doesn’t have much of that girl appeal, and does things like run to school and relieve stress through physical activity. Enter Seung-Suh, gorgeous, lethal with an attitude of his own. From the very beginning, these two don’t get along. Just a quick side note: I was really pleased with this manhwa because of the names. Normally with manhwas, I can never get a good hold of the Korean names, and I find them hard to remember and pronounce. Here, the names are pretty simple, so I was a happy Mizzy.

SO, she finds him passed out in the girl’s changing rooms one day and freaks out, wondering who this freak is. Through her brute strength, ends up carrying him along with his colossal hangover out of there. Since it’s the locker room, he gets a glimpse of her goods (well, just her bra, but you know what I mean :P) and when it turns out he’s in her class she freaks out and calls him a perv.

Here’s where his ‘danger’ comes in. He’s got a lovely face – and he knows how to use it. He turns everything on Miha, saying he wasn’t feeling well and she tried to take advantage of him, and that she’d ‘exposed’ herself to him. Naturally, everyone believes him – and that’s where the rivalry starts.

Before I continue, I bring your attention to Yun-Jin, Miha’s cousin. Drop dead gorgeous, silent, bosses Miha around, and is wildly sought after. It’s a bit of an oddity that Miha listens so willingly to whatever Yun-Jin says, and regardless of her tough exterior, Miha never backs down or complains. Ki-Ri, Miha’s best friend, doesn’t really approve of this, but there ya go. There’s a brilliant moment here where Seung-Suh butts in and reprimands Yun-Jin for using Miha and for not doing things for herself. However, even at that point (when you’re rooting for Seung-Suh, the only person who’s got the balls to throw it back in that ho’s face) Miha defends her cousin. There’s gotta be some back story to that – I can feel it.

On another side note, Ki-Ri seems to have quite the thing for Mu-Jin, Seung-Suh’s best friend. I’m really excited to see where that’ll go. He seems to be that ‘strong, silent’ type, maybe not paying attention to her TOO much. Not out of ignorance, but just one of those guys. It makes me giggle because Ki-Ri really makes attempts to be close to him, and I think that’s a sort of comic relief.

As IF Miha and Seung-Suh aren’t funny enough. What is it about couples like this that attract me? Something like Love Com, they can’t stop going at each other. Seung-Suh’s got some sort of past (I won’t reveal too much since I’m not going to hand out spoilers like candy – as much as I LOVE candy) which contributes to his danger. He’s got a very odd way of showing kindness towards Miha, especially in the one situation that he tried to help her. It was genius and hilarious – and insulting. He seems to handle Miha with a lot humour, if not that general rivalry they’ve got going. That’s the best part. I think he gets this inner giggle every time something happens between the two of them. Miha takes every opportunity to sabotage him, because she simply can’t trust or like this guy. Or does she? :D I think it’s one of those unconscious attractions. Unlike Risa from Love Com, I think it’s gonna take her a WHILE before she grasps it.

However, the end of the volume had me doubting, and also begging for more! Once I’d finished the first volume I jumped to find the second – only for the internet to crash on me. Perfect timing, yes? However, I’ve gotten my hands on the next two volumes. However, I can’t help but feel a bit bad that I’ve gotten so attached to it. It’s like falling in love at first sight. Is it real? In this case, I can only hope so, because a manhwa with this much promise should hopefully go well! I’ll be back with more tales of my sordid love affair with Blooming: Bring It On! :D

MizzFWA

(Images © BAEK Hye Kyoung. None of these images belong to me)

General Overview: Love Com

This review will just skim the manga as a whole, and the next review will cover the first four volumes of the manga. This seems convenient since one review for the entire series will not do it justice and a review per volume will take too long, and since this manga has 16 volumes it’s only sensible to do them in multiples of 2 :D Don’t kill me for nerding out at least a LITTLE on that. As with every other review I will do in the future, I will try to write with a minimum amount of spoilers. I’ll do a general review firsthand then go off in a tangent about the details. If any, there will be warnings of spoilers, so for those of you who haven’t read the volumes I’m referring to, you can do the visual equivalent of covering up your ears and going LALALALA really loud. If you’re not interested in the finer details and just want to get an idea of whether or not this manga is for you, this is the review to read. See? It says “General Overview” in the title. Mkay? Let’s begin! :D

Okay, straight off the bat, this'd have to be one of my favourite mangas EVER. When I started reading manga, and shoujo manga especially, it ever so slightly bothered me that the heroine was always this teeny-tiny thing while the hero was always taller and larger than any respectable guy would ever care to be. Why are they all ridiculously tall while the girls are like little chiclets? Because of the typical shoujo cliché - the vulnerability. Mangaka have a lovely habit of pinning down the fragile-girl image and playing up the men’s… manliness. Then THIS manga comes and smacks you in the face. In a good way! Now, not only is it unconventional and quite refreshing that the girl is taller than the guy, but it’s also one of the best complexes I’ve seen with couples in mangas. It’s not the whole “Does he like me? Am I pretty/daring/worthy/confident/good enough for him?” cycle that most manga heroines seem to go through – but it’s a bit more realistic, and also provides for some pretty good comedy. Therefore, NAKAHARA Aya is a genius, and Love Com is one of the most popular shoujo manga you can find.

So meet Koizumi Risa. 170cm, taller than she needs to be and not particularly thrilled about it, especially with a name that means “Little Spring” (Koizumi) as opposed to “Big Spring” (Oizumi). Then you have Otani Atsushi, 156cm and just the opposite of Risa – but he’s not happy either, with a name, ironically, meaning “Big Valley” (Otani) as opposed to “Little Valley” (Kotani) – name blunders to which references are made in the manga. Together, they’re known at school as the All Hanshin-Kyojin comedy duo of their class, and their classmates find it entertaining to tease them about it. Now normally, they don’t get along, but when Risa develops a crush on a boy taller than her (wow, there is such thing? :O) and Otani decides Risa’s friend is quite yummy too, they figure they’ll join forces and help each other obtain the object of their desire! (Okay, Love Com’s not THAT kinda manga, I’m just dramatizing a little)

That’s how the relationship begins. Most of the comedy comes from their interaction, which is that they bicker bicker bicker like there’s no mañana – about their height of course. Although they (try to) help each other, one will always play on the other’s height as the source of their failure, and there are all these proclamations of “why would I ever go out with shrimp/giant (delete as necessary) like you?”


The funniest thing is that no matter how they deny it, try to encourage each other to go for someone else or have a major go at each other, everyone’s labelled them a couple. It’s nice to see them resist it, and I think it was a good thing that the development of their relationship didn’t come from other people’s opinions. The times I’ve seen mangas where the heroine will question herself and say “maybe they’re right!” are countless, so this was another fresh outlook that made this manga a little less typical and a bit more funny, too. Another part to add to that is that Otani is the THICKEST guy manga has ever produced. I loved and hated the mangaka for creating a personality like his – and the hate only came from the frustration of “When is he going to friggin GET IT through his thick skull?”

But I’d have to say, the wait was well worth it. The growth and changes of the interaction between Risa and Otani was well-timed, well-thought out, and not overdrawn. One thing is that although there was a lot of frustration with the couple’s timing of getting together, it wasn’t strung along for too long, or extended to the point that it got repetitive or boring. Much respect to the mangaka, again, for being able to pull off what most mangaka rush or try to milk for more than it’s worth. Something that’s never too good in a manga is when they make you WAIT, and you realize it wasn’t worth the wait – because it’s usually followed by stupidity, useless interaction and a story and relationship that goes absolute NOWHERE. THIS one, on the other hand… :D

So overall, I had no trouble with the story. Towards the last few volumes, however, I felt like the mangaka was trying to play up other characters now that Risa and Otani had settled a bit. It was a really good effort, considering she had a few tricks up her sleeve that were pretty admirable and she didn’t really lose touch of them. There was enough story to go around, which we all love, don’t we? :3

Now, I realize I’ve rambled way too much about the story, and I think maybe I should try focusing on other aspects of the manga.

The characters! I’ve explained the main characters, and I’m not the type to list out the characters, but the “supporting” roles are brilliant. Everyone had their own quirks and everyone did their bit just nicely. Like I mentioned before, it was nice that Nakahara took time to pay a bit of attention to other characters at times. It was cute, like doing a side-quest in FFX or something. You take a break and go do something else for a while, that’s maybe not AS important, but just as fun and exciting. <3

Just a short mention on the artwork – it’s great. I loved that it didn’t get lazy or rushed towards the ending (you know, like Bleach fillers or something where the characters start to look… Odd. And maybe a little deformed) It stayed faithful, it wasn’t too detailed but it was attractive, fun and I love those typical manga moments when characters freak out. Nakahara has a unique way of drawing out their expressions, and Risa’s faces when she tries to be “persuasive” or slightly evil or taunting are quite priceless, and the cute moments weren’t too flowery (you know that ‘roses in the background’ bullshit? What IS that?) and it wasn’t overdone. Overall I’d have to say I’m pleased with the simple yet striking art. The colour pages, by the way, are adorable and have a slight pop-art feel to them. Like candy! It’s quite lovely.

Okay, enough talk talk talk talk. I could ramble forever but two things would happen: 1. I’d end up going into detail and spewing spoilers, and 2. you’d get bored, providing you’re not already and you’ve read this far. To bring this endless rant to a close, I’d have to say this manga is well worth it. You can’t go wrong. It’s sweet, funny, real and one of the few authentically-themed manga out there. I hope you go for it! If you want reviews on the volumes, those will be coming soon! :D Till then, stay sharp!

MizzFWA

(Images © NAKAHARA Aya. None of these images belong to me)