Astoundingly good! ~Private Prince~

I found myself utterly astounded by this manga since I did not expect myself to really like it at first because it was just so cliche but then I read it for I was bored and the lack of a better shoujo manga to read at the time made me pick this one up randomly since it was already completed First of all, reading the synopsis of this manga makes you think "not-another-cinderella-story???" and, yes, that's what I thought but when I started reading it - it drew me in and now that I rationalize things, it was maybe because of the mature theme because the genre actually says josei (mature themes for female readers) since the main characters are in their early 20s.

Before anything else, the story is about a female graduate student named Miyako who is eager to finish her thesis on a prominent figure of the Kingdom of Estolia and what more can she ask for when at the same time the grandson, who a prince, of such prominent figure is in the same university as her as an exchange student. Miyako then goes to such great lengths as to approach the prince so as to complete her thesis. What happens when the well-natured prince is actually naughty deep inside? Until what length can Miyako tolerate such behavior for the sake of her thesis.
The manga revolves around these two characters and it really is a pretty good read. It is 5 volumes long so you could finish reading the whole thing in half a day or less. After reading the above statement, so cinderella and so cliche but it was enjoyable indeed and I know you'll find it enjoyable as well. It's kinda smutty but not really and you'll find the prince super cute. I loved it!

Red River, Indeed a Superb Shoujo Manga!

I have been planning on reading this manga but I got it on hold a lot of times but it only took me to read the first 3 volumes to actually have the guts to finish the whole 28 volumes in just 2 days! Got that???
It has been quite a long time now that I got hooked with a pretty long shoujo manga series and quite a long time as well to have come across a manga that made me feel the same way as when I read Tokyo Crazy Paradise (btw I really have to make a review on that manga!). TCP will have to be one of the best shoujo mangas for me and now Red River's part of that list!
First of all, Red River is about Yuri, a girl who got sucked into the past by a wicked queen who wanted her blood to kill the other siblings of his son so that he could take over the throne but, unfortunately, Yuri came across one of the princes and was saved by him. Yuri then get entangled with this kingdom or empire which is called the Hittite Empire (you have to research that one). How can Yuri get back to present-time Japan? Can she go back when her heart is not into it because she has started to have feelings for the prince who saved her? Read this manga and you'll know what I mean.
Red River was surprisingly something that I really got hooked on and since it's something new (it was actually made during the 90's) to me. For everyone's information, I definitely read shonen mangas such as Naruto, Bleach, One Piece, Nurarihyon no Mago, Psyren and lots more. Why? Because there's just something lacking in shoujo that only shonen mangas can give. Why am I mentioning this? My point is that Red River has catered to all the things I look for in a manga. It's like all the genres I love rolled into one manga. That's exactly the same thing as Tokyo Crazy Paradise. Maybe it's because it just doesn't focus on the female lead but her male counterpart as well. It has lots of politics in it and the art is pretty good given that it was made during the 90's. It's a great classic, if I say. Red River definitely captures the hearts of its readers because it's fun but dramatic. Action-packed but emotional. I don't know. As I said, it's definitely one of the best shoujo mangas out there and I regret that I just read it recently. I do.

I would say that to each and every shoujo manga addict out there-- YOU SHOULD NOT MISS READING THIS GREAT SHOUJO MANGA! Personally, I loved it. I so heart it! :-)

Arakure -- finished at last!

     Arakure, a.k.a. Wild Ones, is a manga I wanted to read and never had the chance to finish because the scanlations took so long to be updated but now I had successfully finished reading it and it was GOOD!
     I've always loved a yakuza setting or something just like how much I loved Tokyo Crazy Paradise, Totally Captivated (yaoi), Grand Sun, Iinchou Himegoto, Haou Airen and a lot more because of the intensity and not to mention all those hot guys who can kick asses! Woohoo! Anyways, this manga is about Sachi, a girl who has a personal sense of justice. When she was young, her mother died and she had to be taken care of her grandfather who is actually the head of a yakuza clan. There she met her caretaker, Rakuto. Rakuto has feelings for the heiress but has to keep it hidden for some reason so basically the plot revolves around there. There are lots of enjoyable stuff in this manga so you won't get bored.
     I love Rakuto!

Desire Climax -- an all-nighter!

     I just actually finished reading Desire Climax hours ago. I finished at around 5am!
     Desire Climax is a 7-volume smutty manga with lots of drama. It's about this rich and egoistic guy and his poor neighbor. Sounds familiar? Yep, your typical shoujo but I am a shoujo manga addict so who gives a damn! This manga is about a poor 17-year old girl, Mio, who works so hard while studying to help her family get by but one night she witnessed this handsome guy in the middle of a fight and, suddenly, he snatches a kiss from Mio. He then said after the kiss, "I will buy you!". So who is this guy out of nowhere demanding that Mio is his?

This manga is good although if you don't like sappy mangas then this one's not for you but, overall, I enjoyed reading this especially since there are lots of bishonen in it and I so love the art!  No wonder, it's actually the same author who made S.P.Y. and BXB Brothers, both of which I liked. There's your typical shoujo drama thrown into it and it's good but not really the best because the drama did not make me cry. It also has some humor in it but typically it's subtle in its own way and not overly too emotional so I don't know if that's good or not but aside from the art, it didn't leave so much impression on me. S.P.Y was way better eventhough it was so short but nevertheless it is still a good read.

Iinchou Himegoto - so Heart-thumping!

     I love this manga so much because it made my heart thump so much almost all of the time I was reading it! I find myself reading Aikawa Saki's works and loving it to the max! Right now, I am currently reading Boku Kara Kimi ga Kienai.
     Iinchou Himegoto is about Ayano, the class representative, getting drunk during an after-class party and waking up the next day only to find herself in bed next to Kagura, her classmate, who does not have a really good reputation, only wearing her underwear! What is Ayano to do? Kagura is actually the heir of a mafia group and isn't it not good to get mixed up with that kind of lot now, right? After this encounter, what is our innocent Ayano have to do?

     This is a very funny and romantic manga that I have read more than 3 times when I don't have anything to do. The other thing is that, I love Aikawa Saki's art so much because it is so clean and the characters are very attractive! I just don't know why but I am drawn to her drawings. This is just a 2 volume manga by the way so it is not recommended to people who wants long series but you actually find yourself satisfied after reading this manga. Right now, I find myself reading one-shots or short series mangas because of Law School I don't want to get hooked up with long series - it might be detrimental to my study time and i so don't want that to happen!

Lasciviously annoying Haou Airen!

     Haou Airen is a very smutty manga but is there anything else to expect from no one else but Shinjo Mayu? I guess not.
     Haou Airen is about Kurumi, a girl who is struggling to live everyday after her father's unfortunate death. She strives to keep her family living a normal life. She is the head of the household and takes care of her twin younger brothers and her sick mother. One day, after work, when she was on her way home, she met a handsome injured stranger and helped him tend his wounds. After such incident, Kurumi's life is about to turn so chaotic that it gets irritating while reading it but I held on to it and read till the end.
     Haou Airen is a good manga for shoujo lovers but I got irritated and annoyed a lot of times because I don't quite understand why it always get so complicated and complicated but that's just how it is so I can't do anything about that, can I? Nevertheless, it was good but not the best from Shinjo Mayu ( I personally loved her work which was Love Celeb and Ai wo utau).
     If you are craving for a shoujo manga with a mafia setting and handsome guys, well, wouldn't you know, there's Haou Airen!

Orange Planet -- What a Disappointment!

     I just finished reading Orange Planet by Haruka Fukushima who happens to be the very same author who made Cherry Juice and AAA which I really love but this manga turned out to be quite disappointing. I initially want to post reviews of good mangas but I can't help writing something about this manga and how I really had an unsatisfying night after reading 5 volumes of this manga straight.
     First of all, Orange Planet revolves around the life of this teenage girl named Rui whose parents died whgen she was still young but she coped up with that lost because of "Haru", a middle-schooler then who comforted her and so from then on she had written letters to him regularly. She happens to be in love with her classmate during her 1st year of middle school but little did she know that her neighbor and childhood friend, Tarou, has also deep feelings for her. One day, on her way to deliver her love letter to her crush, Kaoru, she was caught up in some messy situation when she was in a fire accident of an apartment owned by a person named Eisuke who suddenly said that since she was the one who saved him, he should live in her home instead! But, oh well, surprisingly, the next day, guess who shows up as the student-teacher of their class? Well, that would be none other than Eisuke!
     I thought this was a good manga so I read it and had so much fun but the heroine in the middle of the story becomes so irritating and annoying but I endured because I was hoping she would change her mind but, to no avail, she didn't. That's why I so hate this manga but you guys might love this! I am not being sarcastic, really. It's just that a student-teacher relationship is not really my cup of tea.

Action-packed Grand Sun from Emura-sensei!!!

     Grand Sun is a recent manga I just finished reading like2 days ago. This manga was made but no other than Emura who gave us, shoujo addicts, W-Juliet (I had a review of this manga earlier this year btw). Basically, expect a shoujo series full of action-packed stuff in it! I had so much fun reading this manga because it reminded me how much I enjoyed W-Juliet but, don't get me wrong, it's nothing similar to it.
     The story is about Asahi, a member of a vigilante group Nekomata, is one of the strongest there is in the whole of Tokyo. She then is asked by the Kisaragi Group to be a bodyguard of its heir, Sakuya, who happens to be someone you don't really want to be around with. Sakuya is the richest heir their is in Tokyo but he happens to be the youngest person to be awarded the Nobel prize. Sakuya is a selfish and arrogant, rich brat who happens to be the kind of person Asahi hates so much. So how will these two opposite individuals come to terms with each other? Well, that is why you should download and read it now from Mangatraders.
   

PENGUIN REVOLUTION --- A bitter aftertaste!

            First of all, I don't want you to think that this manga was bad but I just can't help feeling such a bitter aftertaste after reading the whole thing!

            The manga revolves around a tough girl, Fujimaru. She has had her share of good and bad times in her life. Her dad gets himself into bad situations, investing on businesses and meeting downfall after downfall. Fujimaru experienced being rich and poor simultaneously in her 16 years of living. She came to a decision to become a person with stable financial status unlike her dad which made her have a dream to become a public official but something is about to happen that would make her life a little more exciting!

            Fujimaru actually has the ability to see star potential in people and this occurs when she sees wings on people who has such potential. One morning at school she saw a pair of students (boy and girl) walking together who had such big and bright wings who actually happened to be the school's student council president and vice-president. After that incident, she saw the vice-president being bullied bya guy which she can't just let it slip her by.  She helped her out but, accidentally, they got themselves wet. Fujimaru then let the vice-president borrow her gym clothes when she unexpectedly walk in on her while she was changing but.. the vice-president is actually a GUY!!!!! What's a 16 year-old Fujimaru to do?!? So things got a little out of hand coz the vice-president is actually Ryo Katsuragi, an aspiring actor. Things happened and, oh well, it's for you to find out about the rest!

            I had so much fun reading this manga! It is one of the gender-bender manga that I now love. The art is fabulous and there are actually a lot of bishies to feast on! I know that you are totally wondering about the part where I got this bitter aftertaste after reading this enjoyable manga so I am gonna tell you but I hope this won't be the reason why you won't pick up this manga to read it because I swear to you that this is a fun manga! So here it is --- it is just that --- THE LOVE TRIANGLE IS SUCH A CLIFFHANGER!!!! There it is! I said it! If you want a fun gender-bender, showbiz manga then this is one that you shouldn't miss out on!

            BTW I love Ryo Katsuragi and Ayaori!!!!!!!!!!!! 

SPROUT - too much drama to handle!

     Sprout is a manga that has a lot of drama in it and if that is not your cup of tea then don't bother reading this.

     Sprout is about Miku who just entered high school only to find out that her house is going to have boarders. She was not favorable with the idea. Her parents then accepted a boarder who happens to be a schoolmate of hers. His name is Sou and he also happens to be going out with the most famous girl at school, Miyu. People call her Uzamiyu (Annoying Miyu) because she looks like she's flirting with just about every guy there is. So the story pretty much tackles on Miku's quest for her love and this very dramatic love triangle that she got herself into. There are a lot of tears in this manga but you might not find yourself empathizing with the characters though because the manga is not presented that well. It was good. I read the whole thing btw. I did like the ending but it seemed like it was rushed or something. The art is not so bad but it is far from being good. Overall, I am not recommending this manga if you are quite skeptical about art, story/plot and everything. It was a good read but maybe not something that would make me remember about it in the next few months. Or maybe I might still remember but it really didn't leave much of an impact to leave me with an unforgettable impression behind.

WILD ACT! The Hilarity and Stupidity!

              Wild Act is a manga I just finished reading. In fact, I just finished reading it yesterday! This is one of Rie Takada's work and I love her art so much! I read Happy Hustle High and am currently reading Heart which are both her works and it's just amazing. Wild Act is one of her first works back in 1998 but surprisingly it doesn't show any significant change of her drawings from then to now.

              This manga is all about a girl named Yuniko Sakuraba who lives alone and she may seem ordinary but she's actually not ordinary at all because she creeps at night to steal things of her beloved Akira Nanae who she's totally obssessed on! This caused her to have an unexpected, fateful encounter with the most popular young actor in Japan, Ryu Eba, who happens to look like Akira! What would this chance encounter bring forth to her already not-so-boring life! 

              I enjoyed reading this manga so much because it is full of ridiculous adventures and I just can't help laughing so hard while I was reading this! You can also feast your eyes on not just one, not two, not three but four bishonen! It's just packed with them! It combines all the elements I want in a shoujo manga perfectly! There's a little hint of drama in it but the hilarity just goes overboard! I don't know what to say! If you love a manga full of bishonen and a strong manga heroine - this is exactly the manga that you are looking for!

Getting all jumpy with Kimi ni Todoke

          Kimi ni Todoke or Reaching You in english is a manga about a girl named Sawako who doesn't know how to interact with people and is always alone for a reason that resulted to her being known as "Sadako" which is, of course, as everyone knows, the very same character from The Ring. Why do you think so? Well, she actually has this very long black, silky hair that she hides her face with, she rarely speaks, she has a very scary aura and rumors make everything even more exaggerated than it actually is. Amidst all this, Sawako deep inside desires to be able to reach out to people and to talk to them. She doesn't have any friends btw and she wants to have some. With this, she starts admiring her classmate, Kazehaya, who seem to brighten the class' mood everytime he speaks. As the story develops, Kazehaya starts to help out Sawako to realize the things she want to do which is to have friends and interact with people.
           This manga is very nice and has a certain subtlety that just makes me want to read it even though I don't get too excited over stuff and it's not something you laugh so hard with. This is a serious manga but with some hint of humor in it. You'll love reading this manga as the story develops. The art is also pretty decent. Overall, I would recommend this manga for anyone who wants a good read when they don't have anything else to do, that is. Right now, I definitely would recommend this since the most recent scanlated chapters is getting my heart jump right out of my body!!!!!! I don’t know!!!! OMG!!!! I’m just loving this manga more and more!!!!!

Chaotic love triangle with Peach Girl!

               Peach Girl is a manga I have reread like more than 15 times already but that only applies to the last 5 volumes though. Although it really shows how much I liked this manga but I think not many people agree and I don't blame them for it since the best thing to describe the manga would be that it is so annoying that it just gets on your nerves most, if not all, of the time. It is actually your usual shoujo heroine caught in a love triangle or a quadrangle or whatever angle that might be but I would say that how the manga ended makes up for all those because I really, REALLY love the ending so much!

              The manga is about a girl who loves to swim and that is the reason she has a very tan skin that usually get her to be misunderstood by just about anybody. People usually see her as a slut, bitch, or a party girl. Amidst all this, she is a very tough girl who is not affected by these rumors or first impressions of her. When she entered high school, she was so happy to be in the same class with her crush, Toji. Unfortunately, she was befriended by Sae who is gonna be ruining her life for like more than half of the manga. One day, Sae suspected her of having a crush of one of their schoolmates. At this point of time, she already notice how Sae just runs around following her every move and the fact that she practically steals (although not literally) everything she wants.  When Sae popped out the question of who she likes, she was afraid that Sae might steal him so she randomly points at this guy and said that he was the one she likes. Well, it just so happens that this guy named Kiley is one of the hottest guys in school and lots of girls are drooling for this hunk so Sae believed it right away. This is then the start of their entanglement of  a very long high school journey of love. From here on, her life will turn out to be just plain chaotic. Life is never just black and white after all. So who ends up with who?

              Before I end this review, I just wanna say those Kiley expressions at the last volumes are like PRICELESS! I just love 'em! I just do! Don't ask.

Smitten with Hana Yori Dango

     Some people know about Hana Yori Dango as Boys Over Flowers and this thing about all the HYD franchise has made the whole world go crazy! Isn't that enough proof how this manga is so good and totally awesome? I don't wanna go into a hot debate about manga vs. anime vs. the 4 or 5 different live action versions all over asia but what I want to tell you is how this story has captured the hearts of oh so many people not just in asia but the WHOLE WORLD! You got that right! The whole world!
     If anyone asks though, that is if anyone is curious on where I stand, but nevermind I am still gonna tell you where I stand... THE MANGA IS THE BEST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Everyone who loves HYD shouldn't miss reading the manga because it has everything in detail! Well, that's not really surprising, is it? Hmmm... let's see why it isn't... because I am a CERTIFIED SHOUJO MANGA ADDICT!!!! THAT'S WHY! :-)
     First of all, the story revolves around Makino Tsukushi who comes from a poor family but her parents want her to attend a school for rich kids, Eitoku Gakuen. Yup! Rich kids... the usual... spoiled brats who only knows how to spend their parents' money for just about anything they want... kids of prominent people. In Eitoku, there are 4 guys who stands out from the rest. From these 4 people, their leader Domyoji Tsukasa has the most popularity because of his family who literally is the richest in Japan. How do Makino's and Domyoji's paths cross? That's a story everyone knows but I am not gonna tell you since you'll be missing out on all the fun!
I just want to tell you that this is a classic manga made in the 90's so don't expect the art to be similar to those we have today but you could actually see how the art improves as the story goes along especially since I find Domyoji so handsome especially in the last volumes! This is, by the way, a 36-volume manga so feast your eyes to all the drama you can read and, don't forget, the laughter. I just love this manga so much ever since I read the first volume back in 2002 – 2 months before the Meteor Garden (Taiwan version) made its way to the Philippines. I was like... hey that looks familiar and “HEY! I read that!” At that time, there weren't any online manga stuff that I looked for it but unfortunately I read until around volume 18 and I had to give up since I couldn't find any more of HYD. I actually finished reading the manga last October when I had bought my laptop. I had an HYD marathon for 3 days. I read the whole thing from the first to the thirty-sixth! I felt so happy that I read the whole story. I do. Believe me, you shouldn't miss out on this read especially if you loved HYD – for whatever version you love. The manga is awesome. I actually watched HYD movie live action and I also loved it! Yeah. I love the Jap version of the live action the most because they are the ones who got the whole jist of the story and they portrayed the story well based on how the manga was since I loved the manga so much! I love Domyoji. I just do. If you watched the live actions, you might choose Rui but when you read the manga, you get to love Domyoji more... Believe me... Well, that is in my own perspective though.
There it is... The eternal Hana Yori Dango. The whole is still going crazy for this even after more than a decade of its existence.
     Note: I was planning to make a detailed comparative review bout the HYD franchises in my animerevz blog but I never had the time... maybe in the future. Just check out some updates.

One of the best gender-bender there is! W-Juliet!

               W-Juliet is one of the best gender-bender manga that I enjoyed so much! It just has a lot in it that I think they never miss out on anything and that all the characters have its own share of the limelight. No one is totally left out in this manga.

              The manga is all about Makoto who dresses up as a girl while attending high school because of a deal that he and his father made. The deal was that Makoto could pursue his dream of being an actor only if he could successfully graduate high school as a girl without anyone finding out. Unfortunately, his classmate and fellow member in the drama club, Ito, accidentally found out about his secret just right after a few days when school started. Although Ito was willing to help him keep his real identity a secret but it is not as easy as it seems since they can't stop the attraction that they both feel for each other. It's not just those feelings they have to deal with but all the people around them especially each of their families and everyone else are starting to get suspicious but no need to worry since they have their own set of allies to help them get through the hard road known as high school.

              The story is just superb. I was amazed at how totally hooked I was into this manga because I never expected it to be this action-packed (both the protagonists' families actually practice martial arts), funny, family-centered, and emotionally focused. As I said earlier, they have all the essential things I look for in a manga so I definitely would recommend this gender-bender manga to just whoever wants a good time and a good laugh. The art is also very good eventhough I could say that it is quite simple. What more can I say? Oh! Wait a minute! I just want to add that I just love those brothers that Ito have!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Well, that's just about everything!

Certified Shoujo Manga Addict

This blog will feature the different shoujo mangas that I have read. I'll make a review/feedback about it but since I have read more than a hundred mangas so the manga that would end up with a review in this blog would be one of my favorite or recommended ones. I am a person who is easily pleased so I tend to read different sorts of manga from time to time but still get this pleasant feeling after. I am not so picky and I even tend to read those manga that just gets to your nerves.
I love reading shoujo mangas the most but unfortunately I have appreciated the existence of yaoi recently so forgive me because I have been neglecting shoujo this past weeks and I have put a lot of shoujo mangas on hold but I promise to make up for it.
The first shoujo manga that I read was Hana Yori Dango 7 years ago and online manga were not available yet then so I didn't have the luxury of reading it till the end but Hana Yori Dango would forever be at the top of my shoujo manga list. The next one that got me totally hooked on was Skip Beat and after the discovery of mangatraders, I've read manga after manga after manga and so forth.
I hope this blog would be of great use to anyone who discovers it! Thank you and enjoy!
Note: I actually have an informal blog/journal of the different shoujo mangas that I have read. .. its at www.mistressnicey.livejournal.com. Please visit!