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Nov 22, 2014
I usually steer clear of yaoi. I do read adult mangas from time to time and I don't mind yuri, but I'd gag at the thought of gay men sex scenes.
Yet, I dare to say Kyuuso wa Cheese no Yume wo Miru is by a long shot the best adult manga I've read and one of the few (adult or non-adult) mangas that do portray what could be a real homossexual relationship.
Questioning and exploring one's sexuality was something I've always been fond of. I believe sexual identity is a grey and foggy area where nothing should absolutely labeled or defined.
Kyouichi finds
...
himself hanging on the very same thoughts as he pursues a relationship with his kouhai from college, Imagase. For them, sex is the absolute acceptance of each other's demons. The characters are extremely flawed in a good way. They slowly strip themselves from all the social and conventional layers that get in the way and reveal themselves as humans.
The sex scenes are all too good. They're revigorating and exciting. Trust me, this comes from a person that disliked yaoi at first. There's no clear separation from the sex and the dialogues in between, so don't think on skipping them.
The art is not utterly perfect but it does justice to everything else. The boys are drawn in a way that enhances their sexual features (Kyouichi being the more masculine type and Imagase the more feminine one).
Also, do read the sequel. They complement eachother and give more meaning to Kyouichi's conflicting soul-searching and a clearer view on Imagase's feelings for his sempai.
In the end, this manga left me thinking about my own sexuality. If by chance I meet an attractive gay woman that falls in love with me, what will I do? Will I go for it? Would it be just for the thrill of it? Could I call it love?
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Nov 17, 2014
I have to say, I'm slightly disappointed with this manga.
I can see it is a very popular manga and shoujo manga readers are head over heels with this one, but I just can't understand why.
Don't get me wrong. I'm a fan of Io sensei's previous work (eg.Strobe Edge) as she usually takes shoujo elements and wraps it up into a nice meaningful story.
STORY
The mangaka starts by setting a strong foundation in this manga: catchy plot, interesting and lovable characters and some good slapstick comedy.
All is well until the main characters start doing idiotic things without explaining themselves properly. It's like "Ok, you did
...
that. I don't agree but can you at least have a good excuse to do it? wtf"
There were a lot of unnecessary and cliché things done in order to drag the story.
Then the course of events goes from those situations onwards in a very unrealistic way. It feels as they shoot themselves in the foot and then try to make up for the mess by doing something far-fetched from reality.
ART
The art style is a strong quality of Io sensei. I would like to see more mature-looking heroines in the future, though. Usually, they look a little bit child-like compared to the male main characters.
CHARACTERS
There's some good character development in the beginning.The main characters' issues are relatable.
It all goes in vain as the story progresses. Io sensei really makes us believe that these characters are different from the vulgar shoujo characters by adding some unusual features to them. However, in the end, they end up doing the most predictable things and it is pretty disappointing.
Also, I don't understand the need for a love triangle. It is just there to fill a gap I guess. I wish the mangaka would have conveyed more meaning to it. Perhaps, she should have explored the unrequited love theme and the codependent relationships that unfortunately do exist in real life.
There's very little character development for the supporting cast, but in the rare moments that it does occur, I do appreciate it.
ENJOYMENT
I had pretty high expectations in the beginning. I think part of the enjoyment I once had faded away a little. I can't feel that much empathy as I used to for the characters as well. I still think it is a good story that catches your attention right away but I did get dissatisfied in the end.
Well, it is still an on-going manga so who knows?
Overall: 7/10
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Nov 10, 2014
Since I read this manga on a whim, I decided to do a review about it as it already ended (even though MAL sets it up to 90 chapters wut).
Well, at first I had pretty low expectations on this one.
Hirunaka no Ryuusei (HnR) combines some well-known elements from stereotypical shoujo mangas: the love triangle, the teacher-student relationship,etc.
Yet HnR does it in a very original way, much closer to reality than any other ordinary shoujo.
Usually, characters do the most unspeakable, idiotic things no human being would ever thought of doing.
In HnR, the mangaka chooses to appreciate timing as the most important thing when making life-changing
...
decisions.
STORY
When I look at the big picture, I did thoroughly enjoyed it.
Even though some situations where conveniently placed in order for things to happen, every character chose to respond to the course of events by staying true to their own personality and values instead of doing weird things just to please the "audience".
At times, it dragged along but I'm glad everything wrapped up into something cohesive and meaningful.
ART
As you can tell by the cover, the art style is gorgeous. The characters had the most mesmerizing features I've ever seen. Each and everyone had a particular style that reflected their personality.
CHARACTER
Good character development. Not the best one I've ever seen, as I sometimes cringed at their out-of-place actions, but nonetheless interesting.
Personally, my favorites were Mamura and Yuyuka (aka bad bitch). I think individually they were very intriguing characters that often gave valuable insights to our clueless female heroine.
ENJOYMENT
Draggy at times, but poignant and fresh. I enjoyed in particular the way characters responded to situations and the way they portrayed their emotions on various circumstances.
OVERALL: A very generous 8, though it probably deserves a 7.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Jul 2, 2011
First of all, you should know this is mainly a slice of life manhwa.
The romance story itself isn't the main plot of the story. If you're looking for an intense shoujo romance, this is not the one.
Still, you should try it because I believe it captures the attention of any reader.
Should people stop living in a carefree way in order to become adults?
And when exactly are we becoming adults?
Nineteen, Twenty-one revolves about this interesting matter.
Yun-lee is a 21 year old girl who lives her life in pain due to the fact that she has missed one entire year of her life and realizes
...
that she can't start over.
Ju Dong-hwi is nineteen year old boy that doesn't want to grow up yet, knowing he'll have to leave behind his youth days and become a responsible adult.
These two young lives cross paths because of a strong mutual interest in..cats.
Suprisingly this is what creates a beautiful friendship between them which causes each one to learn from the other.
The characters were also very entertaining.
Normally with shoujo you have people falling in love based on one aspect (either looks, money, position, personality etc.) but in this manhwa, the two bond over a common love for cats.
Dong-hwi is a very cheerful, optimistic guy, the kind of person that you'll want to be friends with.
Yun-lee, on the other hand, comes across as a very mature girl but in the end she learns much more from her friendship with Dong-whi as she begins to know how to appreciate the little things.
I think it's amazing how the manhwa author took such a random topic - the stray cats - and turned it in the main rising point of the story.
Actually, he seems to compare the cats' lives with the life of humans searching for the balance between these two paths.
The Art is full of details, pretty realistic and in color.
It's gives a relaxing feeling that soothes this mild love story.
Overall "Nineteen, Twenty-one" is a very unique, sweet, plain, good love without the cliches and third-parties you're used to in many shoujo mangas and manhwas.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Jun 3, 2011
STORY: Well, basically Kimi Ni Todoke shows you that no one should judge a book by its cover and that sometimes people who seem weird or unfriendly turn out to be kind and warm-hearted, afterwards.
Honestly, I cried in the middle of the 2nd episode. And for me, it's really hard to cry about something I would watch. I really can relate to Sawako's story even though I'm not like her when it comes to personality.
Even so, I know the feeling of people making false assumptions about you without even knowing the real "you".
Despite the fact that the story progress seems kinda slow and there
...
aren't many lovey-dovey scenes, Kimi Ni Todoke is an anime that will make you cry, laugh and smile for sure.
Art: I find the art very appealing. Mostly because it emphasizes the characters' feelings and in the end makes it look much more realistic than the common cutesy shoujo art you see every day.
Sound: This is to me the best feature in the whole anime. Throughout the series, you will recognize a collection of 22 original soundtracks including the opening by Tomofumi Tanizawa (awesome singer btw).
It just makes me feel relaxed with a warm feeling inside my heart. (cheesy but true) Whenever I hear them I feel like I want to daydream forever.
Character: From the synopsis you realize the main character, Sawako, has a very unique personality. But she's not the only one. The supporting cast also have their particular characteristics which once again sets a different concept of what you would usually see in this genre.
Enjoyment: Kimi Ni Todoke creates a great combination of a unique plot with very amusing characters, an awesome sound compilation and beautiful, simplistic art. If you are looking for something other than the typical romance/shoujo anime this is for you.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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