Manga Review: Otomen, Volume 14, by Aya Kanno

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: VIZ Media (Shojo Beat)

Volumes: 18

Spoilers?: Very Minor.

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Goodreads Synopsis:

A shojo series that features handsome, manly men wAsuka Masamune is a guy who loves girly things--sewing, knitting, making cute stuffed animals and reading shojo comics. But in a world where boys are expected to act manly, Asuka must hide his beloved hobbies and play the part of a masculine jock instead. Can Asuka ever show his true self to anyone, much less to Ryo Miyakozuka, the girl that he's falling for?

Asuka and Ryo join their friend Kitora on an adventure abroad to find the legendary delamezla flower! Meanwhile, things get complicated when Asuka encourages his cousin Kasuga to confess his feelings to his crush—especially when Asuka becomes involved in more ways than one...!

Reads R to L (Japanese Style) for teen audiences.

Review:

I like this series. I rather enjoy it quite a bit, actually. But it’s kind of slow, tends to have episodic chapters, plus it’s being released rather slowly. Still, it’s very enjoyable. It’s fun, lighthearted, cute.

The first part of this volume featured most of the group going on a snowy vacation, mainly for Kitora (the flower guy). Some special flower is supposedly popular in this one area, but when the group gets there, they find that it’s extinct, or maybe never even existed at all. This storyline has a bit of a supernatural element, but it’s cute. I like Kitora, and did enjoy seeing some more of him, and getting to see him with his love interest.

The second part features several things. There a hint of the future and how several of the characters don’t know what they’re going to do after high school. Tonomine (the make-up guy) is conflicted by his pushy father and his actual wants. Kasuga (Asuka’s cousin or whatever) decides to confess to Jewel Sachihana, so Asuka has to dress up as her again, and before that he helps Kasuga make a cake, which means that we got to see a good amount of Asuka's father (who I like a lot, actually). Asuka is also being pressured by his mother to not be girly.

I don’t really have a whole lot more to say, I don’t think. I like this series; it’s cute and enjoyable. I kind of wish something more heavy in plot would happen, or something more romantic with Asuka and Ryo, or at least to get more of Ryo (I think she might be my favorite character, oddly enough). As I said, this is kind of a slow moving manga, and it’s being very slowly released, but I like it, and I tend to get every volume as they’re released.