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Kirameki Lion Boy, or Sparkly Lion Boy, is a series I’d somehow managed to collect 4 volumes of without reading any of them yet. I like the covers, so I just kept getting them but did not have time to sit down and read them. I finally managed it though, and I’m glad I did. I have 4 volumes, but I know the series has 10 total, so I have a ways to go, but it’s off to a cute start. The art in these volumes is very clean and detailed. It definitely has that specific look a lot of Ribbon comics have, with the pretty faces and gigantic eyes.
It’s the story of a high school girl named Miwa. She’s very cute, but also a bit reserved. She absolutely loves shoujo manga, perhaps more than she likes real life. She certainly likes the guy in her favorite manga (‘Sei-kun’) more than any guy she has met in real life. As far as Miwa is concerned, she’ll stick with manga. She doesn’t need real romance. As is the way in shoujo manga, Miwa’s best friend Niko has a very different personality. Niko is very loud and outgoing, and while she warns Miwa not to get too wrapped up in the fantasy world of manga, she also acts like a fierce watchdog to protect Miwa from harm. And yes, while Miwa does prefer the world of manga, she’s not a total airhead. She understands that manga is not real life, etc. She just had a bad experience in the past with another boy who was horribly rude, so now her opinion of guys is not the greatest.
In the tradition of shoujo manga heroines everywhere, Miwa is a bit (ok, VERY) clumsy. While walking with Niko, she somehow manages to trip and fall down some dreaded Shoujo Stairs. Oh no! But heroines are rarely seriously hurt when they fall down the stairs thanks to the ability of shoujo manga boys to be in the right place at the right time. The same holds true here. Miwa falls down the stairs but is caught by a handsome boy! He is with his group of friends who all go to the same school as Miwa and Niko. Naturally, Miwa is dazzled by this sparkly boy who caught her. And he actually seems dazzled by her! A mutual bedazzlement. It’s actually very cute. The boy is named NAKAJOU Kiriatsu, and he is a quiet sort of guy, but very handsome. And while he may be quiet, it doesn’t mean he’s afraid to speak his mind. Quite the opposite. He makes it quite clear right away that he likes Miwa. And surprisingly, he doesn’t harass Miwa or belittle her interest in manga or anything. He’s also upfront about his own lack of experience dating girls. It’s refreshing to have a lead guy who’s not the school player, lol.
Anyway, this series follows the growing relationship between Miwa and Kiriatsu-kun as they navigate becoming friends and then a couple. It’s quite refreshing how nice Kiriatsu is, considering the trend for sadist shoujo manga heroes. Miwa’s friend Niko is still extremely protective of Miwa and can sometimes be an obstacle to Kiriatsu and Miwa’s progress. Another obstacle is the boy who Miwa had the bad experience with long ago, not to mention her own preference for the world of manga over real life. This is a cute high school romance with an amusing group of characters and pretty artwork.
I need to get the 6 volumes of this series that i’m missing!