Manga Review: Orange Planet, Volume 2, by Haruka Fukushima

Rating (Out of 5): ~2.5

Publisher: Del Rey

Release Date: 2009

Volumes: 5

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble.

Volume: 1. 3-4-5.

Goodreads Synopsis:

SCANDAL AT SCHOOL!

Rui has many boys interested in her–including Taro, the cute guy who’s always loved her; Eisuke, the gorgeous teaching intern; and of course, Kaoru, the one she really has a crush on. But then word spreads that Rui and Eisuke are roommates, and the school is none too happy about the coed living arrangement. Rui says it’s innocent. Will scandal destroy Rui’s love life forever?

Review:

Why do I keep reading this authors books? I honestly don’t even know any more. I guess I liked it when I was younger, but now I just get annoyed.

I don’t like Rui. She’s exaggerated and freaks out over everything and she just gets on my nerves. Having her freak out over every kind of sexual situation and hate on Tachibana for his playboy ways was so cliché. Most of the plot and the characters are so cliché, none of it is new or exciting for me. The humor is too exaggerated and over-the-top.

In the first volume, having Tachibana move in with her made no sense, mostly just convenient. Having someone find out and freak out about it also seemed convenient for dramas sake. Same with having Rui’s parents pass away and her move in with her aunt, then live on her own. Though I guess since that’s changed, maybe that’ll be good for her?

I was annoyed with them changing Nakamura be gay. If that had been a thing, maybe for awareness or actual characterization, then okay. But it was simply to throw a twist in. Completely changing the end of the first volume for it to work pissed me off, but it also didn’t make sense with everything he did with Rui, unless it was to make Taro jealous. Only none of that was given any development.

Then we skip ahead two years, and Rui thinks she’s found the guy who gave her the bear, and (surprise!) he’s a jerk. I was already convinced it was Tachibana, since the boy is supposed to be significantly older than her.

Why am I even contemplating picking up the final three-in-one, even if it is only one book? Ugh. This was annoying and so not my style anymore, but I do hate giving up on a series so close to the end. I don’t know if I’ll finish it or not.