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Monday, December 5, 2011

Manga Review: The Stellar Six of Gingacho, Volume 1, by Yuuki Fujimoto

Rating (Out of 5 Stars): 4
Publisher: Tokyopop
Goodreads Synopsis:

In this delightful shojo romantic comedy, childhood friends Mike, Kuro, Iba, Kyuu, Sato and Mamoru - The Stellar Six - are the children of various stores located in the Galaxy Street's shopping center. When they get together, they're invincible... but, sadly, after middle school, they fell out of touch. Now they have to get to know each other again -- and discover new feelings while rediscovering old ones!

Review:

I didn't read this when it first came out, as I didn't read any of Tokyopop's new stuff, because I was wary that they were starting so many new ones at the same time. Which I guess I should have been, since they closed not long after. But it looked interesting, and I got it after Tokyopop had closed, and just got around to reading it. For some reason, it took me a while to actually sit down and read through it, and I don't know why, because it was actually really good.
It's about a group of six friends who have always been friends that have parents who own shops on a street market. In the first chapter, they've just recently been put in different classes, and are starting to be not so close. Mike wants to break the gap forming, but she doesn't know how. And then they enter a dancing contest at the last minute to help a friend of theirs who owns a bar that got trashed by an old friend of his.
We get introduced to all the characters in the first chapter, and they're all very different, and I like them. And then the second chapter focuses on Mike and Kuro's relationship. They've always known each other, and have been the same size, and Mike is just realizing that Kuro is getting bigger than she is. She doesn't know how to feel about this, but then they get in a fight over the way he reacted to this girl's confession. They're both upset about it, and Mike doesn't really understand the feelings she's getting, but it's obvious, and pointed out by their friends, that Kuro loves her, but they don't tell her that. And then they get locked in the gym storage shed together during a storm, to which they are afraid of lightning.
The last chapter is about Granny Fuji, an old lady who owns a candy shop on the street market, who is very tricky and tough, almost mean. She's getting sick, but doesn't want to admit it, and she has this challenge to all the kids, which the six work hard at fulfilling before she leaves to go to the hospital. It's all very sweet.
The art is nice, a little rough at times, but nice nonetheless. And the story is told kind of nostalgically, as Mike remembers things and hopes for things. It's very sweet. Plus, I like all of the characters, and the story is moving along nicely. The sidestories are nice, but I am hoping that the plot between the six moves forward soon. They are all still pretty young, but I'm interested in finding out how things go romantically between them all. Of course, I would have been if more of the books were published. I believe the second volume got released, but I don't think, or remember, if any more did. I'll be getting the second, at least, if I can find it, and can really only hope that someone picks it up.

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