Book description:
Tsukushi joins Kazuya and his family for Summer vacation at their villa in Atami. Friction erupts between Kazuya and Doumyouji after the latter accidentally kisses Tsukushi during a black-out aboard his ship. Even more juicy tension develops between Shizuka and Rui, but does anything become of it?! And what will happen when Doumyouji finds out about Tsukushi’s true feelings for Rui?

Review:
This series is such good crack! I swear I want to just gobble up every bit of it I have, but I’m trying to exercise some restraint.

I find it amusing that the “friction” between Kazuya and Doumyouji takes the form of… a fishing contest. That’s just an example of how this series mixes silly comedic moments with more dramatic fare. Sometimes this doesn’t work so well, though. There’s one tense scene where Doumyouji forces himself on Tsukushi—I don’t condone this sort of behavior, but it’s riveting to read—and then right afterwards, Tsukushi’s dad is being a total goof. That’s a pretty jarring juxtaposition.

The Rui and Shizuka scenes are good in this volume too. Rui calls Shizuka out on playing with his feelings, though I’m not sure he gets that he’s essentially doing the same to Tsukushi. He’s gotta know that she fancies him, and he goes from being disinterested in her to being sweet. I like, too, that Shizuka’s not just some random love obstacle, but actually gets a subplot and character depth of her own.

I know I recently called this is a shoujo classic, but I’ll say it again. Highly recommended.

From the back cover:
Tsukushi continues to fight back against the F4 and protect an old friend who has also been given the infamous “red tag.” Rui’s old flame returns from France. Can Tsukushi really compete with this “perfect girl”? Meanwhile, Tsukushi’s resistance to the F4 seems like it might actually work!

Review:
I really love this series. Sure, it’s over the top sometimes, with the pervasive bullying and the situations Tsukushi gets thrust into (the latest a deck party on a yacht during which she accidentally bumps into/smooches Doumyouji), but that doesn’t keep it from being awesome. My two favorite chapters are those in which Doumyouji has tried to straighten his hair (because Tsukushi once said she hated his hairstyle). I know he’s a punk, but I just find this endearing somehow.

Two new characters are introduced this volume: Shizuka, Rui’s oh-so-perfect love interest, and Kazuya, a “nouveau riche” boy who was once a classmate of Tsukushi’s. The camaraderie between Tsukushi and Kazuya provokes Doumyouji’s jealousy, and the two childhood friends spend much of the volume being chased and pelted with garbage. The relationship between Shizuka and Rui is also interesting, as she clearly realizes he’s in love with her and, though she seems to genuinely be a nice person, keeps sending him mixed messages about how she feels in return.

Tsukushi continues to be strong, and the chemistry she and Doumyouji share is palpable. One still completely buys why she’d develop feelings for Rui, though. Love triangles aren’t a new thing, particularly involving a choice between one elegant and one hot-headed boy, but somehow Kamio manages to do fresh and energetic things with these ingredients. This is deservedly a shoujo classic.

From the back cover:
Tsukushi Makino is accepted into the prestigious Eitoku Academy. Life changes dramatically for Tsukushi when her friend falls on Tsukasa Doumyouji. Tsukasa is the explosive leader of the “F4,” a group of the most powerful, rich, and handsome boys. Doumyouji refuses to accept Makiko’s apology and Tsukushi steps in to protect her friend. A red tag appears in Tsukushi’s locker the next morning, which is a sign from the F4 that she is to be bullied by the school. Tsukushi continues to stand up to her oppressors.

Review:
I’m not unfamiliar with this series; I’ve seen (and loved) the anime, but it’s been a while. Though this preceded Veronica Mars by many a year, I now can’t fail to see some parallels between the series. I swear Doumyouji even looks like Jason Dohring in a particular panel. Maybe I just like series where rich jerks fall for spunky poor girls.

Anyway, the story is good and moves along briskly. There is hardly a panel where something isn’t happening, so it probably took me twice as long to read as a volume of manga usually does. The art is sometimes a little distracting: when Doumyouji is looking particularly devious, for example, the artist draws his eyes and mouth in a way that reminds me a lot of a weird ghost shinigami from Full Moon o Sagashite.

There are also a few annoying editing errors on Viz’s part: text appears in the incorrect bubble a few times, text from one sidebar is repeated in another, someone calls another character by her own name, and the phrase, “I’m just got well” is employed in the bonus story. Not to mention the grammatical errors on the back of the book (corrected for use in this review).

The bonus story itself is called “Seikimatsu,” and is the story of high-schooler Miki who indulges in imaginative fantasies to avoid the reality of the world and her parents’ impending divorce. She dreams about a particular guy, and when she encounters him at the bus station, becomes a creepy stalker and tries to convince him that they’re destined to be together. It’s continued in the next volume, though I kind of wish it had been a one-shot without a romantic resolution; it’d be more interesting if it didn’t go the conventional shoujo route.