Suki, contrary to first guess, isn’t the name of the young girl on the cover; she’s Hina. Instead, it’s from the phrase “Suki, Dakara Suki” (”I like you, that’s why I like you”). That kind of simple acceptance is a hallmark of Hina’s naiveté.
Suki Book 1
Hina lives alone with only two [...]
As I thought previously, this series is growing on me, just like Macharu, the boy who looks like a baby monkey, is growing on Haruna.
Monkey High! Book 2
When I first started this series, I thought it was another shojo high school romantic comedy full of hijinks, but it’s turning out to [...]
Yû Watase is best known for her two fantasy series, Fushigi Yûgi and Ceres: Celestial Legend. Although it takes place in a more normal school setting, Imadoki! (Nowadays) still has quite a fairy tale air about it.
Imadoki! Book 1
Tanpopo is so eager to check out her new Tokyo school that she [...]
Transfer student Leona is both beautiful and good at sports. She manipulates her way into sitting next to Haruna, who can’t figure out why Leona keeps following her around and staring at her. As expected, it turns out they have history together, although Haruna’s too busy living in the present, planning a [...]
Yoh and Haruna are finally dating, but neither one of them is very good at it, having had little practice. Haruna’s competitive nature makes this very funny, since once she gets an idea in her head, she’s determined to do it to the best of her ability.
High School Debut Book 4
Take, [...]
This series keeps growing on me. (I’ve previously recommended Book 1 and Book 2.) I like that the twists move quickly, but not too much so. Concepts are explored thoroughly, but nothing is left to run so long it gets stale, and changes make sense based on what the cast is [...]
Haruna thinks she’s in love with Fumiya, good friend of her “love coach” Yoh. As soon as she tells Yoh (and his sister Asami) about her feelings, they question her. It’s not pushy or inconsiderate, but they want to be sure she knows what she feels. Maybe she’s just reacting to someone [...]
A typical shojo plot — young woman desperate to get a boyfriend as she starts high school — is made highly entertaining through dynamic characters and art.
Haruna is used to working hard to get what she wants. She’s a softball player (and girls’ manga fan) who thinks that slavishly following teen magazines for [...]
Tokyopop promoted Fruits Basket as its “most eagerly-awaited manga series”, and sales figures and top rankings have borne that out. With its blend of comedy, romance, fantasy, and drama, all expressed in an attractively mainstream art style, there’s something here for everyone.
An eternal optimist, Tohru Honda is proud of taking care of [...]
I tried one of the Antique Bakery volumes two years ago, when it came out. I don’t think I gave it a fair shake, because I recently read all four books in the series, and I enjoyed them a lot.
Antique Bakery Book 1
The first book opens as though this is a yaoi [...]
