Our Favorite Manga of 2009

December 16, 2009 by Leave a Comment

pluto1Over at Manga Recon, we’ve posted the annual Our Favorite Manga of 2009 roundup. In addition to standard categories like “Best New Series” or “Best Continuing Series,” we also discuss guilty pleasures, biggest disappointments, and the worst manga of the year. Unsurprisingly, the excellent Pluto: Urasawa x Tezuka walks away with the most kudos, but there are some surprises, as well.

Here is the direct link to my picks with some brief elaboration, but here’s the short version with links to full reviews:

Best New Series: Pluto: Urasawa x Tezuka (Naoki Urasawa and Osamu Tezuka, VIZ)
Best Continuing Series: Honey and Clover (Chica Umino, VIZ)
Best Yaoi: Future Lovers (Saika Kunieda, Aurora Publishing)
Best OEL/World Manga: Nightschool: The Weirn Books (Svetlana Chmakova, Yen Press)
Best Manga for Kids: The Lapis Lazuli Crown (Natsuna Kawase, CMX)
Best Manga That You Thought You Would Hate: Takeru: Opera Susanoh Sword of the Devil (Kazuki Nakashima and Karakarakemuri, TOKYOPOP)
Biggest Disappointment: Nabari No Ou (Saika Kunieda, Yen Press)

I had considered writing about Vampire Knight for Guilty Pleasure, but I couldn’t think of much to say about it besides, “The story is crackalicious but the art’s so pretty!” I didn’t have one for the Worst Manga category, either. The manga I gave the lowest grade to this year was The Loudest Whisper: Uwasa no Futari, but I don’t expect greatness from BL (hence, the lovely surprise when I encounter it!) so it’s not like its crappiness was a big shock.

All in all, 2009 was a fantastic year for manga fans in the US. I’m particularly heartened by the increase in seinen and josei offerings. Thank you, publishers, for licensing goodies for older readers!

Filed Under: Features

Kaze Hikaru 6-8 by Taeko Watanabe: A-

December 12, 2009 by 1 Comment

kaze6Even though I’ve enjoyed the earlier volumes of Kaze Hikaru, it is these three volumes—which expertly combine romance, humor, character development, and historical events (with exciting bits of foreshadowing)—that have secured my undying love for the series.

We begin in the summer of 1864. The Shinsengumi is waiting for the Bakufu government to take a stand regarding exclusionism and is growing frustrated with the hesitant leadership. Instead of protecting the shogun, they’re being used to round up members of the radical Choshu clan. At one point, we see Vice Captain Hijikata torturing one of these fellows for information. I love that Watanabe-sensei doesn’t shy away from depicting these characters doing unheroic things (although I do weary of Sei objecting every time and showing no deference to authority) while managing to make them sympathetic anyway; it’s not as if Hijikata enjoys torturing someone, but he takes up the role of the hardass villain so that beloved Captain Kondo doesn’t have to.

The intelligence obtained by the torture indicates the Choshu clan will be gathering at an inn called Ikedaya to discuss an attack on Kyoto, which leads into one of the most awesome scenes in the series so far. Sei and Okita head out into battle together, and when he appears to’ve been killed, she is transfigured by fury and turns into quite a competent fighter. Further awesomeness occurs when, after seeing Okita safely to the infirmary, she doesn’t linger by his side but instead leaves him to return to the fray where her brothers are still fighting. It’s wonderful to see Sei so thoroughly exhibiting the qualities of a bushi, and I also love how much the Ikedaya incident will continue to influence the story from here on out.

kaze7One consequence of Sei’s impressive performance at the Ikedaya is that Captain Kondo wants to adopt her as his heir, an honor Sei must decline on account of her gender but without giving either a full explanation or offense. She wonders why Okita, who has essentially been raised by Kondo since the age of nine, isn’t the heir, and it is revealed that Okita has vowed to commit seppuku when Kondo dies. This explains a lot about Okita and his undying devotion to Kondo (further fleshed out in volume eight), and appearance of maintaining a carefree life. He can’t think about things like love, even though it appears at one point that he has begun to see Sei as something other than a child, because his life is not truly his to do with as he wishes. What a great reason for keeping two leads apart!

Meanwhile, two members of the Shinsengumi, Vice Captain Yamanami and Assistant Vice Captain Todo, receive a lot of attention in these volumes. Yamanami wasn’t able to participate in the Ikedaya incident due to illness, so he doesn’t receive the bonus pay that some men get and proceed to spend on whores. They feel sorry for him and lend him some money, and when he goes to the red light district, he meets Akesato, the lady with whom Sei stays three days a month while menstruation is in progress. Yamanami is a simple and kind fellow, and he and Akesato end up falling in love, but he’s reluctant to pursue it because it’d be a betrayal of his friend. Akesato finally admits Sei’s secret, so that makes two members of the Shinsengumi who know it now.

kaze8This development of Yamanami makes sense when, after a huge battle (Kinmon no Hen) ravages the city with fire, he and Todo (the sick members of the group who’ve been left behind to guard headquarters) think to head over to the nearby prison to help with evacuation. When they arrive, they find the magistrate in the act of murdering the prisoners rather than release them and react with hostility to his actions. While they await being sentenced to seppuku for their disrespect, Todo seeks out the source of rumors that the Shinsengumi was responsible for the atrocity and ends up falling in love with a prostitute. I guess no proper ladies want anything to do with these rowdy fellows.

I really don’t have any complaints. The historical moments are positively riveting, and though the slice-of-life aspects are understandably less so, they’re still quite good. I am kind of sad, though, that Okita’s backstory includes a scene where he runs into Sei as a child. What a shojo trope that is; I’m always kind of annoyed wherever it turns up, even when it’s in a great series like this one. And, make no mistake, it is great.

Filed Under: Gender Hijinks, Historical Fiction, Manga, Shoujo Tagged With: ,

Matilda by Roald Dahl: A

December 10, 2009 by Leave a Comment

matildaFrom the back cover:
Matilda is a genius. Before she was three years old she was reading the newspaper. By the age of four, Matilda was reading classics by Jane Austen and Charles Dickens. By the time Matilda becomes a student at Crunchem Hall, she’s bored stiff. When Matilda’s teacher, Miss Honey, tries to get her moved up a few grades she runs up against the Headmistress, Miss Trunchbull—two hundred pounds of mean, nasty, kid-hating bully.

Can even a genius like Matilda survive the rampages of Miss Trunchbull—or should she come up with a crafty plan to rid the school of the bully once and for all?

Review:
Matilda Wormwood is a genius, though her idiotic parents are completely incapable of recognizing this fact. Just when she’s about to start school, her father badmouths her to the cruel headmistress, Miss Trunchbull, who thereafter persists in having a negative opinion of Matilda, even after the girl’s teacher, Miss Honey, describes what a phenomenal child she is. When Matilda discovers that she possesses the ability to help the desperately poor Miss Honey and get back at Miss Trunchbull simultaneously, she leaps at the chance.

I really do think Dahl is remarkable among writers of children’s fiction for being able to craft stories that are equally appealing to children and adults. For example, although Matilda is moved to seek revenge against some odious adults in her life, grown-ups in general are not portrayed as villains, since her closest confidante is Miss Honey. And though the humor is clearly geared for children, it’s never stupid or crude and Matilda is generally polite and thoughtful. Probably a lot of this has to do with Dahl’s being British; I’ve seen plenty of obnoxious American tales about smug children humiliating adults and Matilda is nothing like them.

That said, how I wish I had discovered Matilda when I was ten! Like the lead character, I was the bookish daughter of TV-inclined parents, though at least mine were generally encouraging. I also had a dreadful experience in fourth grade of being presumed guilty by a teacher of something I didn’t do simply because I was away in Gifted class at the time and, unlike all of my other classmates, had not been given the opportunity to deny the accusations. Reading about Matilda and the similar plight in which she finds herself probably would’ve buoyed my spirits enormously at the time and made me feel less powerless.

I’ve now read and enjoyed two books by Dahl, which has spurred me to consider embarking on a more comprehensive effort. Stay tuned!

Filed Under: Books, Children's Fiction Tagged With:

Black Cat 6-8 by Kentaro Yabuki: B

December 9, 2009 by 1 Comment

blackcat6Black Cat is the story of Train Heartnet, who used to be an assassin with a group known as Chronos but has left that life behind to become a bounty hunter (Sweeper). He travels about with his gizmo-making partner Sven and Eve, a young girl/weapon, trying to life as free and peaceful a life as possible while nabbing wanted criminals. Of course, his past just won’t leave him be and he’s been approached both by Chronos and their adversaries, the Apostles of the Stars, to get involved in their conflict.

In volume six, the gunman of the Apostles of the Stars grows impatient with the plans of his leader, Creed, and decides to challenge Train. He hurts Eve as a way to lure Train out, and it’s nice to see Train be furious for a while as he and the other gunman battle it out. Afterwards, Sven tries to leave Eve behind but he’s miserable without her and Train covertly engineers a reunion.

blackcat7Volume seven introduces Jenos, another of Chronos’ Numbers (an elite group of assassins), whose job is to recruit Rinslet (a thief and occasional ally of Train’s) for information-gathering purposes. While Train and friends encounter a string of various small fry—he tells Sven that he knows Creed’s going to challenge him again one day, but until that time he’s going to carry on his Sweeper work—and help a kid whose desire for revenge sparks memories of Train’s own past, the plot with Jenos and Rinslet ramps up and they seem poised to work together.

While each volume has featured its fair share of fighting, volume eight, which introduces still more of the Numbers, has perhaps the most, as Rinslet and a team of Numbers find their way/are lured to Creed’s hideout and must make their way past his minions in order to get to the man in charge. It’s kind of weird that the series’ protagonist is absent for such a long stretch, and I think I’d like this plot better if Rinslet wasn’t so obnoxious to the Chronos commander. In any case, the volume ends on a cliffhanger just as Train is about to enter the fray. In place of a final chapter is a bonus story called “Stray Cat,” which was a trial version of the series.

blackcat8Black Cat is a lot of fun in general, and my complaints about it are few. It’s to be expected that a shounen series would involve a lot of fighting, so I don’t consider that a flaw whatsoever, even if such chapters don’t afford a reviewer much to say except “the art is clean in action scenes.” The big issue is the overarching plot. It’s not difficult to understand or anything—Chronos and Creed are at odds and they both want Train on their side—but I don’t really care about it much. More, I’m enjoying the series on a purely volume-to-volume basis and while characters’ actions are propelled by this plot, it’s not as if I’m particularly invested in its resolution or anything. The real strength of the series is the camaraderie between Train and his team, and it’s for those interactions that I truly stick around.

That said, there is something nice in knowing that Black Cat wraps up in only 20 volumes. “Only?” you might scoff, but that’s actually rather short for a Shonen Jump series. With endearing characters, enjoyable action, and the promise of a story that will resolve without (hopefully) dragging on so long you no longer care, Black Cat is definitely a series worth checking out.

Filed Under: Manga, Shounen Tagged With: ,

The Nine Tailors by Dorothy L. Sayers: B

December 8, 2009 by 5 Comments

theninetailorsFrom the back cover:
The nine tellerstrokes from the belfry of an ancient country church toll out the death of an unknown man and call the famous Lord Peter Wimsey to confront and contemplate the good and evil that lurks in all of life and in every human’s actions. Steeped in the atmosphere of a quiet parish in the strange, flat fen country of East Anglia, this is a tale of suspense, character, and mood by an author critics and readers rate as one of the great masters of the mystery novel.

Review:
Before I checked The Nine Tailors out of my local library, I was laboring under the misapprehension that it would feature a nonet of suit-making suspects. Imagine my surprise when instead of haberdashery, I got campanology, as the title actually refers to the nine tolls of a church’s largest bell (dubbed Tailor Paul) that announce the death of a male adult in the parish.

When Lord Peter Wimsey is stranded in the village of Fenchurch St. Paul over New Year’s Eve while awaiting repairs to his car, he is drafted by the kindly yet absentminded rector to fill in for a sick man for a nine-hour spate of change ringing to celebrate the new year. Wimsey proceeds on his way the following day, but when a body turns up in the parish some months later, the rector writes to ask whether he would be willing to assist the local investigators. Although the cause of death cannot be determined, it’s obvious that the body didn’t find its way into someone else’s freshly dug grave on its own. Wimsey is intrigued and very quickly works out that the case might have something to do with a jewel theft that occurred 20 years ago.

On the whole, I found The Nine Tailors to be an entertaining read. It doesn’t provide any new character development for Wimsey—he doesn’t seem to show much emotion when Harriet Vane’s not around—but offers a nicely puzzling mystery in a quaint and unusual setting. While I found the identity of the dead man relatively easy to guess, I was genuinely surprised by the ultimate solution. Two things dimmed my enjoyment of the title somewhat. First, each chapter is prefaced by an instructional quote about change ringing and egad, are these passages both boring and confusing! Second, the local official seems to be a bad influence on Lord Peter, because the two of them together spend a great amount of time concocting various scenarios that would make all the clues fit together. I’m sure that’s human nature and all that, but I suppose I subscribe to Sherlock Holmes’ caution against theorizing in advance of the facts.

Gaudy Night is finally next, and I’m feeling pretty giddy about that, though I really hope I don’t find it disappointing after hearing so much good about it. You may expect a review before the year is out!

Filed Under: Books, Mystery Tagged With:

Tsubasa: Those with Wings 3 by Natsuki Takaya: B-

December 7, 2009 by Leave a Comment

tsubasawings3After a disappointing start and lackluster middle, Natsuki Takaya finally delivers a mostly satisfying conclusion in this, the final volume of Tsubasa: Those with Wings.

We begin with Kotobuki and friends (sans Raimon, who is prohibited from leaving the country by a bomb in his brain) in Japan, where they conveniently meet the Tsubasa’s creator and learn the secrets of its origin. After several tedious chapters featuring characters sitting around and talking, the plot picks up when Raimon is captured by the army. Kotobuki wants to rescue him but lacks confidence so Rikuro, a mysterious boy who has helped her on a few occasions, shows up and replays Raimon’s past for her so that she can see how much she has helped him already. Painful backstories are Takaya-sensei’s forte, and Raimon’s proves to be unexpectedly touching.

From there, the story morphs into an enjoyable sci-fi action tale, with Kotobuki making her way through a sprawling military complex to rescue her love and ultimately facing off against the big villain (who, of course, has angst of his own). Along the way, she lends encouragement to allies and enemies alike, showing a profound resemblance to Tohru Honda from Fruits Basket. Indeed, this quote about Kotobuki could easy apply to Tohru, as well:

She isn’t supposed to have the time to be worrying about anyone else right now. Still… her foolishness somehow always winds up becoming much-needed support for someone else.

Coming back to the same themes and character types might, in some creators’ hands, feel like uninspired regurgitation, but with Takaya it feels more like someone playing with and fine-tuning ideas. If nothing else, Tsubasa: Those with Wings is interesting as a milestone on the way to a greater work.

Review copy provided by the publisher. Review originally published at Manga Recon.

Filed Under: Fantasy, Manga, Shoujo Tagged With: ,

Honey and Clover 7 by Chica Umino: A

December 6, 2009 by 6 Comments

honeyclover7From the back cover:
Takemoto’s journey across Japan continues, and though he’s sleeping in empty lots and subsisting on convenience store food, he seems to be getting closer to understanding what made him ride away from school and his friends. But with his money running out and his bike on its last legs, will he have to give up on his quest before he finds what he’s looking for?

Review:
Comedic antics can sometimes overshadow the thoughtful depiction of young adulthood in Honey and Clover, but then a volume like this comes along, full to the brim with gentle metaphor and universal observations, and I realize anew just how great this series is.

The spotlight in this volume is pretty evenly shared by Takemoto and Hagu, each of whom is trying, in their own way, to work out what it is they want from life. Takemoto’s journey has taken him to a tourist town, which takes him by surprise, as he realizes he was so obsessed with how far he could get that he hadn’t actually been paying any attention to the scenery. This parallels his predicament at art school, where he was constantly comparing himself to others and had no clue what he wanted for himself.

After a stint with a temple-restoration group—with whom he’s tempted to remain because the feeling of usefulness banishes his doubts and insecurities quite effectively—he continues on to the northernmost point in Japan, this time paying a lot more attention to the world around him. It’s easy to see how valuable the experience has been for him, and when he finally returns to school, though he claims he didn’t find any big answers on his journey, he’s clearly a more relaxed and confident person than he was when he left. I love how Umino portrays his growth with subtlety; it’s evident in simply his expressions that he’s not the same Takemoto that he was before.

Hagu, meanwhile, is tasked with running a summer art course for kids. Most of her students are appropriately child-like and able to have fun with it, but one boy, who’s under a lot of self-imposed pressure to succeed academically, asks Hagu for pointers on how to win a prize, believing this will give him a boost towards getting into a prestigious middle school. Various people have given Hagu advice lately on what to do to win certain competitions, but she realizes that when she sets a certain target like that, she loses all ability to paint freely and spontaneously. In talking to this kid, they both have a kind of catharsis and help each other find the simple beauty in art again.

It’s no exaggeration to say this volume made me teary twice, when each of these characters finally figured out what it was they needed to do to remain true to themselves and find happiness. I also liked that this volume has very little to do with romance, despite the fact that Takemoto realizes the purpose of his journey was to figure out just how much the life (and people) he was leaving behind meant to him. Both of the series’ two love triangles do get touched on a bit, but now it feels like they’re really ready to be addressed in the final few volumes, as Takemoto is finally in shape to be a viable contender for Hagu’s heart.

Filed Under: Josei, Manga Tagged With: ,

Heat Wave by Richard Castle: B

December 3, 2009 by 1 Comment

heatwaveFrom the front flap:
A New York real estate tycoon plunges to his death on a Manhattan sidewalk. A trophy wife with a past survives a narrow escape from a brazen attack. Mobsters and moguls with no shortage of reasons to kill trot out their alibis. And then, in the suffocating grip of a record heat wave, comes another shocking murder and a sharp turn in a tense journey into the dirty little secrets of the wealthy. Secrets that prove to be fatal. Secrets that lay hidden in the dark until one NYPD detective shines a light.

Mystery sensation Richard Castle, blockbuster author of the wildly bestselling Derrick Storm novels, introduces his newest character, NYPD Homicide Detective Nikki Heat. Tough, sexy, professional, Nikki Heat carries a passion for justice as she leads one of New York City’s top homicide squads. She’s hit with an unexpected challenge when the commissioner assigns superstar magazine journalist Jameson Rook to ride along with her to research an article on New York’s Finest. Pulitzer Prize-winning Rook is as much a handful as he is handsome. His wisecracking and meddling aren’t her only problems. As she works to unravel the secrets of the murdered real estate tycoon, she must also confront the spark between them. The one called heat.

Review:
If you’re not familiar with the ABC series Castle, the premise is that famed mystery novelist Richard Castle has wrangled a standing arrangement to follow Detective Kate Beckett around on her cases as research for his new novel. They, and her underlings Kevin Ryan and Javier Esposito, solve a murder each episode. The cases are usually pretty lousy—someone seriously needs to start a drinking game (if they haven’t already) with instructions to sip every time an adulterous spouse is involved—but Castle’s charm and the witty banter amongst the sleuths makes the show quite entertaining. In the context of the series, Heat Wave is the book that Castle writes based on his observations and experiences. (Entertaining note: When Castle gives Kate a copy to read, he informs her that the sex scene is on page 105. It really is!)

In a nutshell, reading Heat Wave is exactly like watching an episode of Castle. Kate Beckett is the inspiration for Nikki Heat, and Ryan and Esposito have been renamed Raley and Ochoa. Castle’s even written himself in, in the form of a wisecracking journalist named Jameson Rook who, like Castle, never follows instructions to stay out of the fray when something potentially dangerous is going on. They’re investigating a case that involves marital infidelity (sip!) and a bunch of stereotyped characters like real estate tycoons, Russian mobster thugs, and discontent trophy wives. As in the show, the case is rather lame, but the humor and interaction between the characters make it an entertaining read anyway.

There are some differences, though. Beyond the mild profanity, sex, and heightened level of violence, there’s the matter of perspective. Castle, as the title would imply, is the main character of the series and the actor who portrays him, Nathan Fillion, steals every scene that he’s in. In Heat Wave, Nikki/Kate is the protagonist and is fleshed out to a far greater extent than the show manages. One thing bothers me: I’m not sure if we should assume that whatever is true about Nikki is necessarily true about Kate. We know that Castle has made up some things for the novel—like the aforementioned (and remarkably not icky!) sex scene, for example—so are his insights into Nikki automatically applicable to her television counterpart? If so, then this book is essential to understanding where Kate is coming from. If not, then it’s going to be confusing to reconcile the two.

I’m not sure how Heat Wave will fare with someone who’s never watched Castle. As a regular viewer, I found it impossible not to superimpose the actors’ voices and physical traits onto the novel’s characters and presuppose the same lighthearted tone featured in the series. There’s enough humor in the book that I think an outsider will get the feel eventually, but I worry that the lackluster mystery might turn them off before they discovered the amusing parts.

Ultimately, Heat Wave is very successful as a media tie-in book, going beyond a faithful adherence to the show’s story and characters to possibly offer valuable new information. As a stand-alone work it is perhaps less worthy of praise, but based purely on its own charms, I can still honestly say that I’d want to read more. Hopefully I’ll get that opportunity!

Additional reviews of Heat Wave can be found at Triple Take.

Filed Under: Books, Media Tie-In, Mystery, Triple Take Tagged With:

Manga Marching Orders, 11/30/09

November 30, 2009 by 37 Comments

fromfar1Wow, y’all sure can pick ’em! The results of the last Manga Marching Orders post, in which I asked for help in deciding between several shoujo fantasy series that take place in other worlds, were overwhelmingly in favor of From Far Away, and now I see why: it’s awesome! You can find my review of the first five volumes here. I’ll definitely be continuing that series through to its completion—how I let it languish in my to-read pile for so many years is beyond me!—but in the meantime, I’m soliciting advice once again.

Recently, I read the first three volumes of Honey Hunt, which was my first time reading anything by Miki Aihara. I liked it a lot, and it made me intrigued about the series she’s best known for: the ultimate guilty pleasure of shoujo, Hot Gimmick. This, in turn, got me thinking about other shoujo/josei classics with possibly over-the-top/raunchy romance drama that I really should read.

Here, then, are the five series I’m trying to decide between. All are complete and owned by me in their entirety, inveterate hoarder that I am. I note, too, that 80% of these series were released in the US by TOKYOPOP. They sure don’t license them like they used to.

hotgimmick11. Hot Gimmick by Miki Aihara – shoujo, 12 volumes
Believe me, I have heard the complaints about this one. Forewarned is forearmed, they say, and since this series is still being talked about so often, I feel like I should experience its icky-yet-addictive blend for myself.

2. Peach Girl by Miwa Ueda – shoujo, 18 volumes but split into two series by TOKYOPOP
I want to read this for the same reason I want to read Hot Gimmick. I’ve been reading Miwa Ueda’s newest series, Papillon, and have seen other reviewers note its similarities to this earlier story. I remain ignorant of any recycled story elements, and this just won’t do!

3. Tramps Like Us by Yayoi Ogawa – josei, 14 volumes
I’ve heard many good things about this series and though I’ve read some josei, I’ve never read a josei series as long as this one. Plus, I’m always ridiculously excited to read about a heroine who has a career.

4. Happy Mania by Moyoco Anno – josei, 11 volumes
Connie mentioned this series recently in a review over on Manga Recon and it really intrigued me, especially when she said, “the series reveled in dragging the characters through all sorts of relationship miseries, then having them beg for more.” I went out and procured it (got a great deal on eBay!) based on her recommendation. I think it’d be fun to read about a succession of guys instead of just one true love. Sex and the City in manga form!

5. Mars by Fuyumi Soryo – shoujo, 15 volumes + 1 one-shot
From what I’ve heard about Mars, there doesn’t seem to be much really raunchy about it, but I’m willing to bet that in a series this long there’s going to be some major crazy drama somewhere along the line. I’m also intrigued by this mangaka in general; her seinen series ES: Eternal Sabbath looks really good, and I feel like I should read this one first to better appreciate the contrast.

Reader, help me choose!

Filed Under: Features

Very! Very! Sweet 5 by JiSang Shin and Geo: B+

November 30, 2009 by Leave a Comment

veryverysweet5Be-Ri thought she’d been doing a good job hiding the fact that she is in love with her sister’s boyfriend, San-Ne. After he humiliates her by revealing he’s known all along, she seeks out a relationship where she won’t get hurt and agrees to date her ardent admirer, Mi-Hyuk, for whom she feels nothing. Japanese transplant Tsuyoshi, who has formed a friendship with Be-Ri, is unexpectedly bothered to see her with another guy and tries various ways to convince her to break it off, short of actually confessing his own feelings.

Very! Very! Sweet is a really interesting series. There are always parts of each volume that I’m not too fond of—usually these involve the clingy Mi-Hyuk or Erica, Tsuyoshi’s ex-girlfriend who will not accept that things are over between them—but there are many great scenes and surprisingly complex conversations throughout, as well. I once described the romantic entanglements in this series as a “love polygon,” and that still holds true, but lately an emphasis on the fleeting nature of human feelings has introduced a melancholy element to the series that I like very much.

I’m also impressed by how much character development the leads have received. Tsuyoshi was initially a spoiled brat, but has embraced the move to Korea as an opportunity for change and has almost entirely left his old persona behind. Be-Ri, meanwhile, has begun to question whether she liked San-Ne for the right reasons and, though her earnest attempt to develop feelings for Mi-Hyuk is bound to end in failure, she is at least attempting to move on from unrequited infatuation.

All in all, Very! Very! Sweet is a series that has improved as it has progressed. I definitely recommend it.

Review copy provided by the publisher. Review originally published at Manga Recon.

Filed Under: Manhwa Tagged With:
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