Title: Love for Sale (One Shot)

By: Yuwa Shiori

Genre: One Shot, Shoujo, Romance, Comedy (Slight)

Chapters: 1

My Rating: 5/10

Plot/ Story line:

A simple and short story line, in fact, I wouldn't even label this as romance, because there isn't much romance in this one shot. This one shot is more of Kanade and Hashiba getting to know each other better, and how they always meet at the supermarket because Hashiba works as a cashier there. And I think it's rather childish yet sweet of Hashiba to actually think of getting Kanade's attention by criticizing her all the time. So there were some funny scenes and occurrences that made me smile. I felt that this plot is actually very suitable for a one shot because there doesn't seem to be a proper continuation to this story. It's a bit too simple for me actually. At least Yuwa Shiori managed to sufficiently explain the relationship between Kanade and Sophomore Hashiba and Kanade's brother. Unlike many other one shots which tend to neglect the history between the characters, Yuwa Shiori did explain enough about the past relationship to allow readers to appreciate this one shot better. So yeah, it's quite okay for me.

(Spoiler!) The fire incident was rather ridiculous. Why wasn't there a fire alarm or something? It's quite silly for Hashiba to battle the fire with just a fire extinguisher. And how come the chick keychain doesn't even look dirty? I was quite unsatisfied for that part. BUT I COULDN'T STOP LAUGHING AT THE SCENE AFTER THAT! I'll describe it more at the 'Most memorable scene' section (:

Drawing:

I think the drawing is really just average ): Not be my standard at all, partly because I have very very high standards towards art and animations.

My benchmark is Walt Disney Classic animations and drawing. So yeah, sorry for being so critical ):

And I think Kanade's hairdo is really strange, at certain angles, it looks like a lion's mane!

Seriously! Even the body drawings aren't very good, but at least Yuwa Shiori did reasonably well (: Cheers to you!

Characters:

Ehh, not enough character development ): But I can say that Kanade is kind of tomboy-ish but she has this huge brother-complex thing. Well, it's not her fault, her brother is really popular and he is the president of the student council.

Hashiba can be so childish, but I believe it's because he is inexperienced in this aspect, but he can be really mean at times and really straight forward. Haha. I still can't help thinking about how he jump into conclusions!

Most memorable line/scene:

SPOILER!

IT HAS GOT TO BE THE PART WHERE KANADE'S BROTHER PURPOSELY HID THEIR SIBILING RELATIONSHIP! He did that to force Hashiba to admit that he has feelings towards Kanade! It was really very awkward and embarrassing for Hashiba, but it was so so so funny! That brother is really cheeky!

I would recommend it to:

Those who are into One Shots, this is not bad. But for those after the Romance genre, don't read it, I don't think it has enough Romance ):

Credits:

www.mangafox.com

Category: Manga

Title: Love Cruise

By: Tomu Oomi

Genre: One Shot, Romance, Josei (Two scenes should be censored)

Chapters: 1

My Rating: 4/10

Plot/ Story line:

I guess the story line's kind of average I would say. I mean, after reading this one shot, I was like, "Err okay. The end." It's super short though it has 67 pages. If you get my drift, I meant to say that it's rather draggy. This story is basically about this strong, independent women who just broke up with a man who is already in a relationship with another woman! Seriously wonder why they even want to have an affair! Anyway, apparently Yuri, the main character of this One Shot manga, felt hurt because she wonders why men always choose weaker women over woman like her. So she went on a cruise for the sake of pleasing her Aunt. And she went on the cruise, ALONE. Oh please la, when I read until there, I think that was like page 6 or earlier, I already could guess what's going to happen next. For such a gorgeous looking lady, OF COURSE SOMETHING WILL HAPPEN LA. Haiyo!

But anyway, I really felt that there could be more drama and action. Though the boy-turn-into-a-man part was rather surprising and at first I thought I was reading a Fantasy genre one shot. And there should be more development and clearer explanation about Shinobu's mom and all that. I was actually pretty confused as to what's going on. So yeah, I wasn't very pleased with it overall ):

It really could have been slightly better. Good thing it's just a one shot, or else I will have given up after the first chapter.

No offense, but I really didn't really like it ):

Drawing:

Well, I can really give good comments for this section!

Although I have to say Tomu Oomi's drawings are very simple, but they are very clean cut. Meaning, the eyes are really very nicely drawn! The eyes for both male and females are almond-shaped, not the usual manga kind of big starry-eyed kind of drawing. It's super elegant and graceful, and I really like it, because it fits this mature, Josei plot very nicely. The drawing of the hair is very silky and smooth, so when there's a slight breeze of wind, the hair floats about very gently and naturally. I thought it was really very impressive! However, I really felt that it would be nice if Tomu Oomi could have drawn the scenery and the rooms of the cruise in greater detail, then it would be even better!

I think the drawing really deserves a 3/5, that's what brought my rating for this manga to 4/10. (I think you can already calculate how much I thought the plot deserved)

Characters:

There wasn't much character development since this is a One Shot, but Tomu Oomi made it very clear that Yuri is a very independent woman who, unlike many other woman, doesn't show her weaknesses to others. So she hides and masks her feelings of hurt in order to portray a strong side. That is one character trait I like about her, but what I really find it strange was that,

HOW CAN YOU SAY THAT A MAN GOOD LOOKS SETTLED IN YOUR HEART AT FIRST SIGHT??

I truthfully believe attraction at first sight exist, which many people claim that this 'attraction' is actually love (when it is definitely not love), but how can Yuri say that he already set foot into her heart the very first time they met? I'm like, what the world????!!!!

But seriously, Yuri's a true beauty, a woman with elegance and grace. She has a kind heart as well, who is sensitive to other people's feelings and just know when to smile.

As for Shirou, he is indeed a Bishounen! (Personal opinion!) Rich, charming, handsome, polite, a gentleman! Though a super duper good flirt.

Most memorable line/scene:

It will definitely be this scene where… aiya I shall just show it to you.

For that moment, I actually went "HUH???"

I would recommend it to:

Those who are just damn bored and want to kill time reading a Josei One Shot.

Credits:

http://www.mangafox.com/page/manga/series/2101/love_cruise/ chapter.44623/page.13/

http://www.mangafox.com/page/manga/read/2101/love_cruise/chapter.44623/page.2/

Title: Mucha Kucha Daisuki/ Love You Like Crazy

By: Ako Shimaki

Genre: Shoujo, Tragedy, Drama, Romance

Chapters: 14

My Rating: 7.5/10

Plot/ Story line:

Actually, I would rate it 8/10, but I wanted to give a fairer rating, so after much consideration, I reduced it to 7.5/10. But seriously, even though the starting of this manga was super crappy, but till the very end, I felt it really moved me. As in, every single emotion and feeling that Tsuyoshi, Aoi and even Heita experiences, it was as though I was in their position and I could really feel it. And I have to be super honest and admit, I was crying like some idiot in the last volume. Seriously, I couldn't stop sobbing. Because I felt this manga was so so sad, and I just couldn't stop myself from believing that Tsuyoshi really fell so deeply in love with Aoi and vice versa. I believed it so much that for a split second, it made me wonder whether such a strong power of everlasting love really does exist in this universe.

(SPOILER AHEAD)

The ending was rather unexpected for me, because I thought Tsuyoshi would really commit suicide to leave together with Aoi, but he didn't. Instead, he stayed strong and helped fulfill Aoi's dream. I just can't forget the part when he said that he found what he was looking for when he met the field of flowers. Walou, memories are really something. AND AND AND, I REALLY DIDN'T EXPECT THIS TO HAPPEN! I mean, I really didn't know that Aoi was ill until she puked blood. I was completely taken aback!! I didn't even realise this would be a tragedy la.

It's just super heart-breaking. I really cried ):

Drawing:

To be truthful, I didn't really like the drawings. But at certain angles, Tsuyoshi and Aoi does look rather handsome and cute respectively. The crying scenes were really sad.

I think Ako Shimaki can really draw nice scenery. Other than that, I didn't exactly like the drawing.

But the plot was good (: So yeah! Well done (x

Characters:

I think Tsuyoshi is really very sweet when it comes to the one he truly loves. He even vowed never to fall in love again, which I actually wonder whether is that even possible in reality. I can't believe he can be so insensitive towards Aoi yet so sensitive towards her at the same time. He is truly a charmer and really knows how to make girls fall for him in an instant. But what I really like about him is that, even though at first he was super concern about other people's thoughts and impression about him, he soon realises that he should not bother about such comments and just be what he wants to be and just do his very best to make Aoi happy. From just 14 chapters alone, I feel that Tsuyoshi is the kind of guy who will be very faithful and go all out to be with the one he really loves.

(SPOILER AHEAD) Especially since he dyed his hair black for her and instantly wanted to marry her even though Aoi was going to die very soon. (SPOILER ENDS)

And Aoi, wow she is SUPER NAÏVE AND INNOCENT AND GUILABLE. But I think that's what makes her so special and unique. I think such qualities are what attracted Tsuyoshi to her. Aoi is just so cute la. There was once she mistook a couple having sex in the nurse room as playing sumo wrestling. I was like, "What the world? How dense can you get??!!" She gets tricked so often that others just make use of her weakness. I can totally understand why Tsuyoshi wants to protect her every single second. What I really like about Aoi is her big kind heart, who is so accepting and so kind. She goes all out to try her best to fit in and to be strong so that others wouldn't worry about her. And she tries her best to understand what others are feeling and thinking. She is just so kind and warm-hearted that I feel extremely heart-broken that she has to leave so soon. She is so sacrificial that I just can't help but cry.

You just want her to be happy.

You wouldn't care about anything else- not even your own pain,

you just want her to leave, with a big smile on her face.

What the hell, why am I getting all emotional again.

Most memorable line/scene:

Two damn tear-jerking scenes!

Firstly, it's the scene where Aoi was teaching the little children and smiling away. The part where Tsuyoshi said to Heita,

"Let this burn in your eyes – Aoi's smiling expression."

Wah I tell you, while I was reading the last volume, I was listening to songs like 'How do I live without you' by LiAnne Rimes and 'Helpless when she smiles' by Westlife.

Please la, how do I stop my tears from flowing at times like this?

Secondly, it's the scene where Aoi was praying out loud in the temple, and she said this,

"I wish for Tsuyoshi-kun to be happy from now until forever."

What the hell, and she was leaving so freaking soon.

I would recommend it to:

Shoujo lovers and those who are easily satisfied with super short and super simple love stories.

Credits:

www.vnmanga.com

http://www.manga-news.com/public/images/vols/dingue_toi_03.jpg

Title: Love Monster/ I Love a Monster/ Love's Monster/ Rabuu Monsuta

By: Miyagi Riko

Genre: Shoujo, Romance, School life, Comedy, Smut, Fantasy, Drama

Chapters: 82 chapters

My Rating: 9/10

Plot/ Story line:

I have such a strong urge to write a review for this because so many thoughts and emotions rushed through my heart, mind and soul when I read through all the 82 chapters! This manga is really very sweet and touching, and quite sad towards the end! So my feeling towards it is very mixed up. There are times where I just can't help but smile at its sweetness, and there are times where I can go, "What the world? This is so dumb!" But for some strange reason, it has impressed me enough to make me give it a rating of 9/10, equivalent to Vampire Knight, Kare First Love and Akuma De Sourou status! This manga is also very mysterious, with all the White Crow and Demon King issues here and there, which made me think of VK. In addition, I thought the ending was rather similar to the anime Petite Princess Yucie (aka Puchi Puri Yuushi). But this manga is however revolving very much on the strong love and bond between the two main characters Tenma Kurou and Osora Hiyoko! This manga is super fantasy like because it has crows and vampires and snakes and cats and monsters and all that crap, but it was so fun and interesting to read (:

There is a strong feel of friendship between the characters that made this whole manga even more touching and sweet! It's like, there were many times where characters were willing to go all out to protect and save their friends, like the Chihwahwa twins for Kon the fox, and K and J the vampires. Their friendship is just so unbreakable!

And of course, there were some scenes, which we thankfully censored, that aren't meant for the young to see (x LOL. But it was really really very sweet (: I mean, I have to agree with Hiyo, sometimes there is really no right or wrong, everyone just has different perception and different ways of loving others.

I think one of the more adventurous chapters was the part during summer vacation where Hiyo had to go to the China branch of St Monster High to help them choose a student council president. That was the part when I was most confuse about Tenma Kurou's intentions and I was super confuse about Rin-san. But that whole scene actually showed the true suffering of commoners and victims of wars. That's what I really like about manga, the mangaka really use their wonderful art to display the true side of the world we live in today. It's like, in the midst of fantasy, there is reality. It's super cool and I absolutely love it whenever mangakas do that. So, thumbs up for you Miyagi Riko (: One other thing that I really enjoy when I read this manga is that, I NEVER GOT BORED. As in, there is always something new or a change of events or something more mysterious that will pop up, and in the end, everything is revealed and the reader will finally understand everything that the mangaka showed in the previous chapters.

Okay, let's talk about some of the bad points of this manga. (Must be a balance argument right? Haha)

Anyway, there were some times when I felt that Miyagi Riko made things too simple, or she was just plain lazy to make it more interesting. Okay, take for example, (SPOILER AHEAD) the part when Hiyo's friend got 'kidnapped' mysteriously, and everyone thought that she was kidnapped because they were after Hiyo's white feathers! So I was getting all excited and started speculating who was the kidnapper, WHEN ACTUALLY, it was Gin and Yuki and Kon who made a mistake and mistook Hiyo's friend for Hiyo and brought her friend back to SM High. I was like thinking, "WAH SO ANTI-CLIMAX!" I was seriously ready for some butt-kicking action! (Well, partly because I think Tenma Kurou looks really cool when he's fighting! Haha (x )

To add on, I felt that the relationship between Osaru Shou (Hiyo's dad) and her mother could be more emphasised. I mean, they are both from different worlds, so shouldn't their relationship be very strong? Why didn't Miyagi Riko explained in greater detail their powerful love? I was disappointed in this aspect ):

Overall, I really like this manga and I felt that the 82 chapters were worth my time and energy reading (: I would love to reread it again, but maybe once I'm done with my homework ):

This manga is so just naughty and sweet and fun (:

Drawing:

I think Miyagi Riko is damn talented in drawing children. ALL THE CHILDREN SHE DREW IS SO CUTE (: Her drawing of eyes are super cute too (: Especially the Chinese eyes, they are super sexy and mesmerizing. I really enjoyed her drawing during the China branch part. All the Chinese costumes and scenery are really amazingly Chinese! Haha! Though I realise that most of her good looking guys look nearly the same, but those guy characters are really good looking (x Hehe.

Characters:

(THIS SECTION IS FULL OF SPOILERS)

I think the character that had the STRONGEST impression on me was actually L the vampire. HAHA, even though he isn't an important character at all, but he resonate the vampire effect created by Matsuri Hino in VK. So I was really sort of attracted to him. He's short but quite cute as well, and he seems the kind of guy who will really protect the one he loves (: I think I respect vampires even more after reading Love Monster.

Okay, I'll state the obvious now, I think Osora Hiyoko resembles the angel of hope and cuteness! She's so short and petite but she's just so lovable till SO MANY GUY CHARACTERS, namely Haine, L, Yamata, Kon, the child doctor and obviously Tenma Kurou fell in love with her! I mean, IS THAT EVEN POSSIBLE??? But of course, this is just a Shoujo manga, but Hiyo is seriously very cute and lovable that I think I will fall in love with her as well (: She is just so hopeful till the very end that she eventually saved the day! (Like D-U-H she is the main character after all) But like every other girl, she has her own fantasies and her own weaknesses, and she tends to get naughty, especially when she's alone with Kurou, which makes things rather cute and funny (: I think her white wings really suit her, she truly is a cute and clumsy and naughty angel!

I think guys like Tenma Kurou, one of the strongest crow monsters in Love Monster, deserve to live in only dreams and imaginations, because guys like him are impossible to even exist on earth. His love for Hiyo is just super unconditional and sacrificial that I was extremely moved by his actions during the time when the vampires intervened. He was so totally going to kill L if the Principal hadn't block his attack. Please la, even L was crying. (And for a full minute I seriously thought Hiyo was going to become a vampire) He is also such a show off and rather insensitive towards Hiyo's feelings towards him that I actually think it's rather amusing (: He can be just so immature sometimes (: And he just doesn't know how to love Hiyo that it makes me sympathise with him somehow.

Haine, the president of the SC of SM High's rival school, who is also a crow monster, actually reminds me of Hayate in Pretear. Strange isn't it? I have no idea why, but I thought Haine's love for Hiyo is actually very real that I was super shock to see him disappearing when he confessed the Hiyo for the second time. Haine really is a great guy (: He can be Hiyo's big brother or something (:

I think Miyako (Tenma Kurou's mom) or the Moonlight Goddess (or whatever Priestess she is), is a really loving deity that protects her love ones to the very end. I was rather touched when she chased her husband away by saying she hates him to be around, because she was actually trying to protect him. She is so mysterious and complex that I actually begin to like her after a while even though she continued being very mean and harsh. She really reminds me of Tomoyo in Tsubasa Reservior Chronicles!

Most memorable line/scene:

Three scenes that have left a mark in my mind.

One, the part when Tenma Kurou truly showed his unconditional love and sacrifice for Hiyo that I could feel a stab of pain through my heart. He was willing to let Hiyo become a vampire and allowed her to lose her memories about him because he wanted her to live.

And he said something like, "No matter what Hiyo becomes, she'll still be my Hiyo and I will still love her."

Bittersweet love. Nothing can ever beat that kind of power. Nothing.

Two, the scene where Tenma Kurou actually said something like this to Hiyo:

"The more light you shine, the more my hands will be stained with darkness."

I felt an overwhelming sense of fear and pain for both Kurou and Hiyo and I was seriously worried about what will happen next. I can never forget that pained look from Tenma Kurou's eyes at that time.

Three, this very scene:

This scene is so filled with hope that I just smiled and laughed to myself.

If only the world could be like this.

I would recommend it to:

Shoujo manga and Romance lovers who can stand a little ecchi and smut, and those who go crazy over Bishounens (Pretty boys) !

It's worth your time, trust me! :D

Credits:

www.mangafox.com

www.vnmanga.com

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v340/peiishaannn/manga.jpg