Love Roma
Love Roma
Minoru Toyoda
While I certainly consider myself to be a romantic, I've never been a Romance Reader. I think part of it, is that so many romances feel like too much fantasy to me. Unrealistic relationships may be romantic for some, but to me romance is about real effort between two people trying to do their best to connect in as genuine a way as possible.
I also don't read a ton of manga, though I do try to keep up with current titles. Again, part of the reason manga doesn't appeal to me is it doesn't often feel genuine, but instead is frequently filled with all sorts of melodrama, crazy plots and way too many angels.
But Love Roma is a romance manga that I absolutely adore. I just finished volume four this morning, and can't wait to get five (though I am sad to hear it may be the final volume...I may have to purchase these for re-reading!)
Hoshino is a sweet teen boy remarkable for his incredible earnestness, and his decision to win the girl he has a crush on, Negishi, with complete and utter honesty. This makes for many awkward situations, and often results in her hitting him to hide her embarrassment. But as far as romances go, this one feels completely real and delightful to me. There are hilarious moments (usually provided by the cast of supporting characters...mostly high school friends), and truly agonizing ones when they have to deal with hard choices that face everyone who approaches the end of high school. For the most part, this is a very sweet and innocent romance...but the occasional references to condoms will probably make this more appropriate for high school students.
Highly recommended.