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This is definitely one of those series where my main reaction while reading it is, “Hahah only in shoujo manga!” This series is so silly and cracktastic, I kind of wonder what was going through the author’s mind while working on it. I think some of the random twists in this were thrown in for the heck of it. I enjoyed volume 1 of this ridiculous story, and look forward to see how far the story can develop. It’s really kind of a one-joke setup, so I can’t imagine it extending for very long, but who knows.
Anyway, this is the story of average high school girl, KOMACHI Kanade. While she is drawn very cutely, with long twin-tails and sparkles, the mean girls at school call her plain. It’s hard to tell if she really is, given teh way she’s drawn, but then again, everyone in this series is drawn cute. The author’s style is delicate and sparkly. Kanade doesn’t have a boyfriend, and has never been in love. Perhaps it is because she has high standards. After all, no real guys can match up to the ones in shoujo manga. Kanade is a big shoujo manga fan, and her current favorite series is one called “Hachimitsu Baby.” The guy in that series is so great! Kanade’s friends humor her romantic daydreaming and think she’s cute. They hope she can find a boyfriend.
Therefore, when a new boy transfers to their class, a new, TOTALLY HOT boy, Kanade is dazzled. He looks like a shoujo manga prince! This guy, MIYAHARA Hyuuga, is tall and sparkly, and cool. Naturally, he’s good at sports, and all the other girls at school quickly fall for him. Kanade also has her first crush on him when he discovers her love for “Hachimitsu Baby” and doesn’t make fun of her for it like all the mean girls do. Everything about Hyuuga seems so perfect!
Eager to help Kanade, her friends encourage her to write Hyuuga a love letter and make her big confession. Kanade is nervous (what could such a popular guy see in someone plain like her) but she gathers her courage and prepares for her big confession. She has her love letter in hand and a copy of her favorite manga to give to him as an expression of her feelings. Unfortunately, before she can give these items to him, Kanade is intercepted by the mean girls, who make fun of her for daring to confess to Mr. Popularity.
But just like in a scene from shoujo manga, Hyuuga appears to rescue Kanade right at the nick of time! He yells at the mean girls and, to everyone’s shock (as this whole scene plays out right on the school grounds where the whole school is watching the drama) Hyuuga accepts Kanade’s love confession and asks her to go out with him!
Ah, it’s a miracle! A real shoujo-manga experience! Could this actually be happening?! It seems to amazing and perfect to be true! …. and that’s exactly the case. It IS too perfect to be true. You see, as soon as Hyuuga accepts Kanade’s confession, and she agrees to go out with him, he makes a sudden startling revelation– he is actually the author of the “Hachimitsu Baby” manga! And you see all those flowers and sparkles that appeared in teh air during their big scene? He provided those with a box of flowers and a battery-powered fan 🙂 Hyuuga likes Kanade, for sure. In fact, he likes her more than she might actually be comfortable with. As the new couple walks across campus, he opens his jacket to reveal it’s lined with dozens of candid photos of Kanade! Where did he get those? Er, well, it turns out that in spite of his sparkly prince exterior, Hyuuga is a total Kanade fan and STALKER. He takes secret photos of her every day, and his bedroom at home is plastered with posters, dolls, and hand-crafted Kanade goods. ACK!
What was, moments ago, an amazing, shoujo-manga scene, has quickly turned extremely awkward. All the mean girls, who had not wanted Kanade to confess, now pity her and her situation. Hyuuga the hottie is a hentai! HE is extremely devoted to her though, and is totally excited that she is a fan of his manga. He clings to her and follows at her heels like a puppy.
What is Kanade going to do now, with a stalker pervert for a boyfriend?
This situation in real life would be awful and creepy, but in this manga, it’s drawn very funny and cute. Hyuuga nosebleeds in a funny way, and his total change from hot prince to Kanade-otaku is very silly. He is such an over-the-top character, and would obviously not deliberately do anything to hurt her. The art style alternates from delicate sparkly shoujo, to cartoony super-deformed, with some 70’s shoujo parody thrown in for good measure. Hyuuga IS a shoujo mangaka, after all! He knows the value of roses and sparkles 🙂 While I have read manga where the guy turns out to be a shoujo mangaka before, this is the first one I’ve read where the guy is also so crazy. Oh, and should I mention he has a twin? How random! Anyway, this is volume 1 of a continuing series.