Title: Kimi wa Sakamichi no Tochuu de
Author:MAKINO Aki
ISBN# 978-4-08-856833-1
Ribon Mascot Comics, 2008

Okay, here is a more recent release. I almost passed this one up because the cover is so dark, and I found it difficult to see what was going on in it. This cover design bothers me a little bit because I keep picking up the book the wrong way, and I have to flip it around every time I look at it ^_^;The scan I provide here is a bit more clear and detailed than the impression the volume gives in person. Anyway, I am glad I did notice this book, because it is a cute, non-smutty story with nice artwork. This is volume 1, so there will be more after this book. This series is still being published at the time I am writing this.

I like the heroine of this book. She is cute and friendly, and doesn’t get all emo and depressed over things. And while she is cheerful and nice, she isn’t a total airhead either (though I wonder about her hairstyle choices sometimes…). Her name is TAKESHITA Ayu, and she is currently living with some relatives, including her cousin Daisuke, who is the same age as her. Ayu, as I said before is enthusiastic and friendly, and has a nice, supportive circle of friends at school.Her relationship with Daisuke is very close, comfortable, and friendly, and he acts protective of her.

One day, on the way to school, Ayu sees an unfamiliar boy outside the trainstation. He looks like he is about to get into a fight and is badly outnumbered, but his expression is flat and serious. Ayu can’t look away from him, and when they make eyecontact, Ayu is instantly smitten. She really likes this guy! Could he be the new transfer student everyone is talking about?

Naturally he is. His name is KUDOU Chiharu, and while he is initially surprised to see Ayu (he recognizes her from their eye contact outside the station) he soon turns rather surly and unfriendly. But Chiharu’s moody behavior does not bother Ayu. Oblivious to it, she smiles at him and, through her friendliness, eventually wins him over.  His surliness can’t stand up to her niceness, and soon Chiharu is helping out in the restaurant Ayu’s family runs, and he (reluctantly, after some coaxing) becomes a part of their circle of friends.

But Chiharu has some unpleasant baggage in the form of a bad family situation, some very unsavory acquaintances (such as the guys he fought with at the train station), and some traumatic memories. Can Ayu help him move away from his past? Her own past isn’t pleasant either. Then there is the little matter of Daisuke’s possible feelings for Ayu…

Title: Kienai, Omoi
(Indelible, Feeling)
Author:YOSHIOKA Ririko
ISBN# 978-4-06-341513-1
Kodansha Comics Betsufure, 2007

This is another manga by the author of Kare wa Tomodachi, a series I am currently enjoying reading. I liked that series enough to go look for things by the same author, and this one doesn’t disappoint. I like the cover here — it reminds me of the Kare wa Tomodachi covers, with its school setting and blue and green colors. This is a collection of 4 school-life stories. Under the paper cover on this book, there is a cute little illustration of the characters from all 4 stories together in a classroom.

It is their third and final year of middle school, and YOSHIMURA Sayo is depending on her outgoing friend Maki to help her get by in a class she hates. Sayo is very shy, and not that great at meeting new people. What’s worse, the boy who sits next to her makes fun of her apparent desperate panic when trying to greet people. To top it off, her teacher decides that Sayo is going to be a class representative! This is horrifying to her, but amazingly enough, when she tries to figure out how to select another class committee member, Mikami-kun, the boy who had teased Sayo, volunteers to help her out! Everything works out, and Sayo is extremely grateful to him. He isn’t as bad as he seems, and Sayo finds herself starting to like him. Unfortunately, it appears that Mako has fallen for him too! Mako, the girl who had protected Mako ever since they were children! What is Sayo to do? Yes, this doesn’t exactly have the most original plot (heck, I just summarized one like this the other day), but what I like about it is the way things work out.The romance, while important, isn’t really the central theme here. While some authors manage to take this premise and create an entire series on it, this little short story manages to be very satisfying.

The next story is about the stress of a secret relationship, and what choices can be made once it is found out. Chiri is a first year high school student and is manager of the baseball team. She had a boyfriend, Hiro, who is the team’s catcher. However, because the coach does not allow anyone on the baseball team to have a girlfriend, they must keep their relationship a secret. They do their best, but Chiri finds herself envious of other couples who can be openly affectionate and be together in public. The stress of sneaking around soon causes some small misunderstandings and tension in their relationship, but soon things are put to the test when their relationship is discovered, and Hiro faces the threat of being removed from the team right before their big tournament.

I think this third story might be my favorite. Every day, SAITOU Ena rides a bus home from school, and almost every day she sees a boy standing in front of a bookstore, looking like he is waiting for someone. Who is he waiting for, and why? Is it a friend? A girlfriend? Ena is intrigued, and soon she has fallen for him without ever even speaking to him! Ena’s friend, a girl who is more forceful than Ena herself, and tired of hearing Ena talking about this guy, drags her to the guy’s school so they can look for him. Conveniently enough, they find him, and Ena manages to confess her feelings to him! Expecting to be rejected, Ena is shocked when the guy, SUGISAKI Yusuke, accepts her feelings, and agrees to be her boyfriend! Why did he do that? He doesn’t even know Ena! Does it have to do with the person he is always waiting for? Is Ena just a replacement for her?

The final story is brief and cute! Every day, Shindo-chan and Hagino-kun help out working in the school library. They have one of those always-fighting-but-really-close-friends sort of relationships. Shindo-chan is cute but very short, so stacking books on high shelves is always problematic. Hagino-kun is not much help with this either, as he is barely taller than her. When a handsome, TALL guy named Motonari takes an interest in Shindo-chan, she is dazzled by him. He is so tall and friendly, and considerate! They begin to date, but what is this? Hagino has taken a sudden interest in another classmate of theirs, and Shindo-chan feels reallly uncomfortable about it…

So, yeah. These are simple short stories, but they are sweet and adorable :D Worth a look!

Title: Masaka to Omou Kedo
(I thought it wasn’t possible, but)
Author:MOMOI Izumi
ISBN# 4-08-848818-0
Margaret Comics, 1998

Hah! Ok, stepping back in time a little bit with an older manga again. This one is from 1998 though, so it isn’t THAT old, really. This is yet another one I purchased because it was on sale, and there right in front of me, and had such a cute cover :D It is a one shot volume, with the main story taking up about 3/4 of the book. I would classify this amusing story as a supernatural romantic comedy.

This story begins with a happy event. Miku-chan is finally holding hands with Satoshi-sempai, a guy she really likes! However, it is not exactly in your normal situation. They aren’t on a date, they are at a club outing in the middle of the night, trying to do some sort of alien/UFO channeling! Sitting in a circle with the other club members, Miku isn’t too concerned with this weird activity she is taking part in because she is with her beloved Satoshi-sempai, and if this is his interest, she will go along with it!

But Miku’s enjoyment of the moment is ruined by the arrival of HIURA Teppei, a friend of Satoshi’s and another member of the club. He is not as enthusiastic about this whole “channeling” thing as Satoshi is, and it takes some coaxing by Satoshi to get Teppei to join the circle. Unfortunately for Miku, he sits between her and Satoshi, thus ruining her handholding bliss. She hates Teppei!

But when Teppei sits down and joins the circle, taking Miku’s hand, something strange happens. There is a shooting star, or SOMETHING shooting across the sky. Only Miku and Teppei see it, much to the disappointment of the other club members.  This shooting star seems to be the cause of some strange events that follow.

After the gathering, Miku returns to her room at the hotel the club is staying at and goes to sleep right away, exhausted after staying up late for the channeling. She soon starts having a strange dream… one with Teppei in it! It is as surreal as dreams can be, and she doesn’t get along with Teppei any better than she does when she is awake. They have a funny conversation and some strange adventures. And when Miku wakes up, she realizes she is still wearing a shirt that Teppei had given her in the dream! What is going on here, was the dream real? But Teppei shows no indication that he had the same dream or if he did, he has no memory of it.

For the next few nights, Miku finds herself dreaming with Teppei. Is she in his dreams or is he in hers? Things begin to get stranger when she is awake, too. She begins to be able to see through walls to hear his conversations in the neighboring room, and soon she finds herself speaking his thoughts and words out loud, without any control over herself! And he begins to do the same! It is like one of them will begin a thought, and the other will speak the rest of that thought out loud. Their friends are totally baffled by what is going on, and so are Miku and Teppei. But as time goes on, things just get more and more crazy. It is like their minds are connected, or on the same wavelength! How long can this last, how much more stronger will this strange bond with a guy she doesn’t even like get?

The other story that fills up the last quarter of the book is called “Romantic Ghost” and is also a supernatural story. It is about a girl who meets a mysterious boy in a mansion that is said to be haunted.

If you like supernatural romantic comedy, this is a nice little volume to get. Miku’s reactions to all the strange things going on between herself and Teppei are very funny, and his relative calm in the face of all the strangeness is cute ^_^

Title: Hyoko Romantica
Author:HATTA Ayuko
ISBN# 978-4-08-846135-9
Margaret Comics, 2007

Ahhh! This series is so crazy-cute-adorable! I liked this book so much, I can’t believe I haven’t seen more mention of it anywhere, considering it is reasonably recent. This is a silly romantic comedy with a great tsundere hero and a ridiculous heroine. The art is super cute and clean and detailed. Each page is filled with lots of stuff going on, and there are a lot of hilarious facial expressions. Hyoko Romantica is the main story, and it fills up most of the volume. There are two other amusing short stories after it to complete the book.

The main story here is all about a very romantic girl named NAKAMOTO Hiyori. Even though she looks like a tomboy, she is actually the type who wishes she were a princess and dreams of meeting her destined prince. She has a great imagination and a love of girly things. Her room at home is very princess-themed (canopy bed, cute plush toys, girly furniture, etc). Hiyori often gets a bit carried away with her imagination and at school she is very funny, wacky, outgoing, and a bit foolish. She has lots of energy. She doesn’t take things too seriously, and tends to go into “70’s shoujo manga mode” when she is thinking about her prince. (She is suddenly drawn in a retro shoujo style with sparkly eyes and simple lines)

Will the very spirited Hiyori find her destined prince? Well, there is one obvious candidate for that role, even though he would be the last one to say so. Naitou is the idol of the school, with hordes of girls drooling over his every move. But even though he is handsome and popular, his personality is very bad. He is arrogant and rude, and puts up with all the adoration rather reluctantly. Hiyori isn’t too impressed by Naitou (at first she didn’t even realize he was so popular) but then something happens that changes her mind.

Hiyori has a special place she likes to go to. It is her secret place. The place is a field, with some gentle grass-covered hills and flowers. There is a large tree that dominates the scene, and Hiyori likes to visit that tree and sit under it. One evening, she discovers that she is not alone in her special place. There, sitting under the tree, is Naitou! He sits facing away from her, and in her surprise, Hiyori begs him not to look at her, and sits on the other side of the tree trunk, facing away from him. They both sort of enjoy the atmosphere for a bit, before he asks if she believes in fate. He does. Hiyori does too, and thinks that there is one person we are destined to love and be with. He agrees, and for a moment they share a special bond.

Hiyori knows that she has found her prince at last. Naitou is her destined one! She immediately gets up to leave, and he says he has never encountered anyone at the tree before, and he hopes they can meet again. However, from the brightness of the setting sun behind her, Naitou is unable to see that the girl he just met is Hiyori.

Hiyori is ecstatic! She has met destined one! It is Naitou! Hiyori’s enthusiasm bubbles over and at school the next day she can’t wait to greet him (along with all his other fans). But Naitou doesn’t recognize her. While he does declare that he is destined to love one person only, obviously referring to Hiyori, he doesn’t realize Hiyori was the girl under the tree! In fact, he is his usual nasty self to her! No, he is even meaner than usual! Poor Hiyori!

What follows is a crazy story of clueless boys, crazy fangirls, mistaken identity, and general insanity. Will Naitou ever realize that Hiyori is his destined true love? This is such an amusing comedy, the characters are really so silly :)

The next story is about a very adorable and determined guy who is trying to woo a girl who refuses to date any boys. It’s not that she likes girls instead, but rather, she still feels traumatized from when a male childhood friend pinned her down when she was 13 and kissed her. Even though she rejects with lightning speed her new suitor’s request to date her, he doesn’t give up, and shows her that not all guys are bad after all. Really, he is insanely adorable, I am surprised she could resist him :)

The last story follows the plight of a girl named Suika. Her problem is that she has a rather large chest. So large, that most guys she knows don’t actually talk to HER, they talk to her CHEST. When guys ask her out, they never even meet her eyes. This is frustrating and humiliating to Suika. No matter what she does, she always ends up being taken advantage of because of her chest. Will she ever meet someone who will like her for herself?

Title: Isshoni Ofuro
(Bathing Together)
Author:Taamo
ISBN# 978-4-09-130855-9
Flower Comics, 2007

I have been picking up a lot of manga by this author, Taamo, recently. I really like her art style. It is very distinctive. I can tell right away when browsing the bookshelves if something is a Taamo series. The cover artwork is sort of light and delicate and feminine, and usually has a lot of white space in the background. Very cute! As far as I can tell, she has only done one-shot volumes or collections of one-shot stories. I hope to see a longer series from her! This book here, ‘Bathing Together’ is also a collection of one-shot stories.

The first story is the one that matches the title of the book. It is about a girl named sana who is stuck in the inconvenient situation of having a non-working bathroom at home. Until repairs are done, she and her brother have to go use the local public bath house. While Sana’s friend Mako thinks this must be a huge pain for Sana, Sana herself doesn’t mind too much. Besides, there is an interesting person at the bathhouse. Every time they go, Sana always finishes her bath first and has to stand around outside, waiting for her (hilariously narcissistic) brother to finish his bath. Usually when she waits, she is joined by a strange guy, who is also waiting for someone to finish. He is cute in a ’silent type’ sort of way. Sana has never spoken to the guy, but they often exchange glances, acknowledging each others presence. Sana thinks he is strange, and wonders who he is waiting for. She doesn’t know who he is, but she thinks she is starting to like him… Unfortunately, things take a turn when Mako excitedly drags Sana to go see the guy she has fallen for. Because Mako previously went through a harsh breakup and never thought she would like anyone again, Sana is happy for her friend until she realizes… yeah, you guessed it…. the guy Mako likes is the guy from the bathhouse!
What is Sana to do? It’s not like she has any claim on him– they have never even spoken. But her feelings for him…

The next story is about an amusing case of mistaken identity. Every day at school, Hina-chan observes all the girls in her class going wild over the very handsome Andou-kun. He is the type that sparkles everywhere, causing his fans to “kyaaa!” in delight. It makes Hina sick. She, on the other hand, likes her classmate Shimizu, and she thinks he really likes her. She is waiting for him to confess to her, but unfortunately, she waited too long. Instead of confessing to her, he tells her that he has found a girlfriend. He used to like her, but thought she hated him, so he ended up falling for someone else. Hina can’t believe it. She missed her chance! Totally depressed over this, she goes to a local planetarium and watches a show about the planets and stars. She is surprised to discover that the weird guy in the seat next to her making shadow puppets with his hands is none other than Andou-kun! Why is he there? After the show, Andou is just as surprised to see it was Hina sitting next to him. He had no idea that Hina was really his email/texting penpal “Athena”! He was supposed to meet her there for the first time, and he never guessed that it would be Hina from his school! Now, Hina actually ISN’T this “Athena”, but how can she break that to Andou, especially when he looks so excited and cute? It’s very different from his sparkly personality at school… and what happened to the REAL “Athena”?

Next up is an adorable story about a naive “oujou-sama” or wealthy girl, and a part-time Santa Claus. Kanta-kun is an average guy working a part time job selling Christmas cakes. The job requires him to dress in a Santa outfit (minus the padding and beard) and stand out on the street, trying to get customers to stop and buy. One day he witnesses an old guy harassing a cute girl, and he steps in and drags her away, saving her. The girl, Seno, really likes Kanta-kun, and soon he can’t get rid of her. She insists on calling him “Santa-san” and she comes to visit him a lot (usually accompanied by her servant, the old man he “rescued” her from). Kanta-kun puts up with her antics, and soon Seno’s cheerful, naive ways, begin to charm him. Can she restore the Christmas spirit to this scrooge of a Santa? I like this story because it is told from his point of view.

Finally we have a sweet story about a girl going to her middle school reunion. Her boyfriend is driving her. On the way there, she finds herself lost in the memories of her past love, a childhood friend, and their innocent, cute love story. Will she see him again at the reunion? What about her current boyfriend?