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Ah! Here is one of those series that follows the shoujo manga plot device that I call “Whew! We’re Not related after all!” (or ARE they?!) I bought this because of the cover, which is very cute, and because the title makes it somewhat obvious what it’s about. Now come on, this series ran in ChuChu, which is a magazine aimed at younger kids (Not quite as young as the Ribbon/Nakayoshi magazine group, but certainly not the older readers of Magazines like Sho-Comi or Cheese). I seriously doubt they would publish an all-out incest manga in ChuChu magazine. However, this series does focus on a relationship between siblings that think they are related. If I lived in shoujo manga land and had a twin, I would assume, unless we were identical girls, that we are actually unrelated, because there is an unusually high rate of parents raising kids a siblings when they may or may not be…
Heck, I could take another recent manga, “D.N.A.” by KURUMATANI Haruko, and switch out its manga cover with the Usotsuki na Gemini cover because they have nearly the exact same plot 🙂 I think you can consider this as a review for both series, they are so similar. Anyway, this is the story of twins, Rin and Aoi. They are 3rd year Jr. High students. Aoi is tall and cute, and is great at kendo. All the members of the school club respect her and some even have crushes on her, she is so popular and skilled. Her twin brother, Rin, used to participate in kendo, but when they entered Jr. High, he quit to join, of all things, a sewing club. Rin is also popular with girls, and has even worked as a “rental boyfriend” for some of them!
Rin and Aoi are close, but, like siblings, they fight a lot. Aoi is still somewhat bitter over Rin quitting kendo. She still doesn’t know why he quit.
Things start to get interesting when Aoi hears that an old acquaintance of theirs, Izumi-kun, is going to be at Aoi’s kendo tournament that is coming up. The twins knew Izumi when they were kids. He participated in kendo too, but would always end up crying in the bathroom at matches because he was weak. Aoi remembers this weak, crybaby Izumi from her childhood, and thus is not prepared for the sight of the tall handsome guy she meets at the tournament. Is this really crybaby Izumi? Even more surprising, he wins their match! Aoi vows there will be a rematch, but when she goes to challenge Izumi, he does something even more unexpected. He kisses her!
Aoi is flustered by Izumi’s attention and his interest in her. Izumi is very upfront about his interest in her. Meanwhile, Rin is also aware of Izumi’s interest, and it makes him… angry! His own feelings for Aoi are difficult to admit to. Especially since he knows something about why Aoi has no memories about anything from before she was 6 years old.
Aoi finds Rin’s behavior to be puzzling. Here is her brother, getting all jealous and strange! What is up with him? And wait, did he just KISS her too?! Now Aoi is REALLY confused… are they really related or not?
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