Manga Review: Otomen, Volume 18, by Aya Kanno

Rating (Out of 5): ~4-4.5

Publisher: Shojo Beat (VIZ Media)

Release Date: May 2014

Volumes: 18

Spoilers?: Vague.

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

Volume: 1. 17.

Goodreads Synopsis:

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?

For the sake of his mom, Asuka turns away from his friends and Ryo… But the unimaginable happens when Asuka’s friends stage an intervention at his graduation! With everything on the line, how will things end for our beloved otomen?!

What Did I Love?:

•  Ryo. I quite love her, and will definitely miss her.
• I really do enjoy the premise of the story, and how all the boys take part in some kind of supposedly girly activity, particularly Asuka.
• I enjoyed Kanno's artwork and storytelling, and I've read one of her other translated mangas (Blank Slate, which is very different from this one) and enjoyed it. I would enjoy reading more of her work.

Review:

I am hugely impressed by this volume. I wasn’t quite sure how the series would end, although I suspected what did happen, and I’d been warned about what happened with Asuka. I was afraid that it would be too cliché, or cheesy, or overdone. But it wasn’t. Instead, it fit the series perfectly, I think.

Some people think that what happened with Asuka was cliché, but I honestly think it fits really well. Having that happen really brought home to his mother what she’d been doing. I think it made her change believable, especially given how horrible she’d been. Plus, Asuka was seriously adorable during that.

Now, the moment leading up to it was a little overdone, particularly Juta but really everyone (except Ryo). But I’ll let it pass, for how it all ended, and for Ryo’s part in it. Ryo is just amazing.

The one thing that really makes the ending so great to me, is that it takes place several years later. Having them wait so long (purposely or not) to do it, makes it seem more believable, and not like they were jumping the gun. I mean, they’re perfect for each other no matter what, but it means more that they waited, that they grew and are settled in who they are and what they’re doing. Also, what happened with Asuka’s dad makes me happy for him as well.

This was just a perfect ending to the series, and it really brings home how good it really is, and makes me happy that I read and collected it all the way through.

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.

Manga Review: Otomen, Volume 16, by Aya Kanno

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5

Publisher: Shojo Beat (VIZ Media)

Publish Date: August, 2013

Volumes: 18

Spoilers?: Not really.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Powells. RightStuf!

Previous Volume. Next Volume.

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?

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

Review:

This series is drawing to a close soon, along with several other Shojo Beat titles, surprisingly. Several of them didn’t feel like the end was near, but I definitely don’t mind. This series does need a conclusion soon, and I’m looking forward to the main plots being concluded, but I still wasn’t really expecting it.

Asuka’s mom is, like, psychotic, you guys. She feels so strongly against boys doing girly things, it’s ridiculous. And now she’s watching her son closely, wanting to sabotage him. She needs to knock it off, get some sense put into her. I’m looking forward to that confrontation.

Aside from that, there was the rest of the Yamato plot line, then one where the group stars in an ad-lib play. Something big happens with Juta at the end, and that should cause some problems.

I think the shining star in this story is Asuka and Ryo’s relationship. They’re just so sweet and cute together, so secure in their relationships and mature about it. I enjoy relationship drama, but this is very nice to see as well. And I’m honestly starting to wonder if those two are ever going to kiss, or do anything overtly romantic. Hopefully something will happen by the end of the series, since there are only two books left.

This isn’t a series that really sticks out, it’s not high in drama or dark material or anything. It’s very lighthearted and sweet. But that’s nice, too, going into it expecting light and fluffy, drama over little things that get fixed easily, a very sweet read. I’m enjoying it.

Manga Review: Otomen, Volume 15, by Aya Kanno

Rating (Out of 5): ~4-4.5

Publisher: VIZ Media (Shojo Beat)

Volumes: 18

Spoilers?: Some, major ones with warning.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Powells. RightStuf!

Goodreads Synopsis:

A shojo series that 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?

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

Something Specific:

Quotes:

• "'No one is perfect. Everyone has things they can’t do or aren’t good at. I think we should support each other and teach each other how to do things…’” Says Ryo.
•  "'Looking manly, or being strong, isn’t what being cool is about. I think it’s about being open-hearted.’ […] ‘Good or bad, you accept yourself. It’s strength of the heart.’” Again, says Ryo. Isn’t she just amazing? More about her below.

Review:

So, I don’t really know what happened, given how before I was just enjoying the series, but now I’m kind of in love with it. It’s just… this volume was so good. It just was. And I loved it. And I really want the next one now.

The first half of the volume focuses on Tonomine, who I like, but am not a huge fan of. Still, the story was entertaining. I feel for Tonomine, I’m glad for how his story turned out. He’s being pressured by his dad to go into politics, while he wants very badly to be a makeup artist, and his sister knows this. There’s also a bridal show, which includes Asuka and Ryo and is just kind of cute. And even while it was being super cheesy, I was, for some reason, grinning. It was just so enjoyable, I don’t know why.

One of my problems with this series, I think, is that there’s so much drama and anguish over something, like how Tonomine’s father will react, and then it just turns out like roses and butterflies at the end. The conclusions are just too sweet, and sometimes the setups are too convenient. This bothers me, but I try not to let it, because I still really enjoy this series.

After Tonomine, the story shifts to focus on Yamato. Yamato is just an okay character, really, but I really enjoyed his storyline here. He has a hard time with the fact that he looks girly, because he wants to be so manly and tough. And then a guy who he used to go to school with, who bullied him, shows up and Yamato tells him that Ryo is his girlfriend. He doesn’t tell anyone else this, Ryo has no idea, and yet his charade goes on. And turns out rather well for him in the end, as he learns to embrace his girly looks, in a rather awesome, hilarious way. This whole half of the volume had me grinning and laughing, honestly, and I’m not even sure why. It was just so good.

The best part about this whole volume, though, was Ryo. I just love her. I don’t even know how to express my utter love for her, but she is simply amazing, and I love her. She’s so simple minded, and tough, and oblivious. And she’s so open, and happy to try anything. She’s not a good cook, but she tries anyway; she’s a girl and it’s unconventional, but she’ll happily fight with anyone. I mean, Yamato and his old bully are fighting it out at carnival games, trying to prove who is tougher, and she is beating all of their asses at everything, without even realizing what this means to them. And then, when she realizes Yamato is having a hard time with his self-confidence, she spouts off, twice, with very helpful advice, without even realizing how helpful she is being to him. I just love her, and I want more of her. I want her to get more focus in later volumes; I want her to get all the focus, really, because I want her, all the time. More of her. Please?

Anyway, on the romance front. (SPOILERS!) So, Yamato comes to realize that he’s kind of falling for Ryo, and want this to stop, but of course, when he goes to Juta, he spouts off about how “Love is a Battle”, which gets Yamato all worked up. This is surely not going to be good for Ryo and Asuka, but good writing material for Juta, and all around funny in the next volume.

On the other hand, I really enjoy Ryo and Asuka’s relationship. There is very little actual romance between them that is shown; they’re barely ever holding hands or kissing or even going out on dates but once in a blue moon. But it’s so obvious how they feel about each other. I mean, they’re always thinking about each other, they kind of light up when they’re around each other. Asuka would love to do love-dovey things with Ryo, while she is oblivious to it all, and he’s okay with that. They’re just happy together, and I love that. 

I am really looking forward to the next volume. I want it to focus solely on Ryo, and then on Ryo and Asuka, but as long as it has Ryo in it, I’ll be happy, I think.