Manga Review: Otomen, Volume 17, by Aya Kanno

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5-4

Publisher: Shojo Beat (VIZ Media)

Release Date: January, 2014

Volumes: 18

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. Powells. RightStuf.

Volume: 1. 16. 18.

Goodreads Synopsis:

This New York Times Manga Bestseller series features handsome, manly men who have cute, girly hobbies!

Asuka 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?

In her quest to get Asuka to turn away from his otomen ways, Asuka’s mom, Kiyomi, cancels his favorite shojo manga, Love Chick! What’s worse, she plans to break up Asuka and Ryo! Will Asuka succumb to his mother’s anti-otomen schemes?!

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

Review:

This was a sad volume. I just feel so bad for Asuka. For Ryo, too. They’re both obviously struggling, neither of them sure what to do, thinking that they can’t do anything. The poor, sad things!

And it’s all because of Asuka’s stupid mother. I rather hate her. She’s a selfish, horrible person. I’m not sure if, in the next volume, everything is going to wrap up neatly just by them talking, but I wouldn’t be surprised. Still, his mother is horrible, and I do not like her at all. 

I love Asuka and Ryo, though, and really look forward to seeing how it all wraps up in the next book. It’s the final volume, so it’s sure to be good, and I’m really excited to see how it all goes. I want to see their happy ending. They deserve it.