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Today, I will review Motomi Kyousuke sensei's Otomae! Beads Kurabu. This is my first time writing a review.
Have you ever seen a "very manly girl"? The heroine in this story, Oikawa Ibuki, is just that type of girl. To find her true soul mate, after transferring schools, Ibuki was determined to act like a gentle lady. Yet on her first day of transfer, due to her righteous sense she went to save a small dog, and at the time she was seen by the suspicious "crow messenger"! Is Ibuki's whole image ruined!? And who is this mysterious "crow messenger"!?
[Baka-Updates]
As usual, Motomi sensei delivers the manga with all the charm from his previous volumes. Ibuki is not your typical shoujo heroine as she is exactly as the summary describes: a manly girl. However, unlike the 'manly girls' in some of the shoujo mangas, she is aware of her feminine side, as she is determined to have a manly boyfriend and deceiving the other students outside the Beads Club with her 'cute' acts. The 'crow messenger' is Takumi, the President of the Beads Club, which is in fact a front for his 'true' identity.
The romance between Takumi and Ibuki is warm and fluffy without being sappy. The side characters, the members of the Beads Club all have interesting personalities, and they do not get sidelined unlike in other shoujo mangas when the side characters are obviously there for show. The characters in Motomi's works always seem to come alive off the pages, and this manga is no exception. All the characters are unique while still being believable and likeable. The jokes are delivered perfectly (warning: do not read this in public, there is danger of breaking into giggling fits or grinning like an idiot.) and the art is gorgeous (Motomi sensei is a genius in matching screentones to create a certain atmosphere), which can be expected from Motomi's work.
The side stories, Handsome! Beads Club "Hyper Version" and
Very Black White Day are also a good read. Very Black White Day is about a girl named Hitomi who was dumped on Valentine's Day. Her childhood friend, Yuki, helps her to get revenge on her ex-boyfriend in the most heartbreaking way on White Day, hence the title. But is revenge truly what Hitomi wants?
I would have really like to have known how Takumi gets the members of the Beads Club to join the club in the first place, as well as their back stories. But I guess for a oneshot, Motomi sensei does well with limited pages.
On an interesting note, Motomi sensei is a guy. After the shock of knowing that male shoujo mangaka existed wears off, I truly appreciate how his works are free from any 'ecchiness' that most male mangaka seem to indulge in. There is not even a single panty shot of Ibuki, despite doing a fair share of kicking. It makes for a refreshing change.
His previous manga, Purikyu, also centers around school clubs, the predecessor set around an archery club.
Rating: 7.0/10
Have you ever seen a "very manly girl"? The heroine in this story, Oikawa Ibuki, is just that type of girl. To find her true soul mate, after transferring schools, Ibuki was determined to act like a gentle lady. Yet on her first day of transfer, due to her righteous sense she went to save a small dog, and at the time she was seen by the suspicious "crow messenger"! Is Ibuki's whole image ruined!? And who is this mysterious "crow messenger"!?
[Baka-Updates]
As usual, Motomi sensei delivers the manga with all the charm from his previous volumes. Ibuki is not your typical shoujo heroine as she is exactly as the summary describes: a manly girl. However, unlike the 'manly girls' in some of the shoujo mangas, she is aware of her feminine side, as she is determined to have a manly boyfriend and deceiving the other students outside the Beads Club with her 'cute' acts. The 'crow messenger' is Takumi, the President of the Beads Club, which is in fact a front for his 'true' identity.
The romance between Takumi and Ibuki is warm and fluffy without being sappy. The side characters, the members of the Beads Club all have interesting personalities, and they do not get sidelined unlike in other shoujo mangas when the side characters are obviously there for show. The characters in Motomi's works always seem to come alive off the pages, and this manga is no exception. All the characters are unique while still being believable and likeable. The jokes are delivered perfectly (warning: do not read this in public, there is danger of breaking into giggling fits or grinning like an idiot.) and the art is gorgeous (Motomi sensei is a genius in matching screentones to create a certain atmosphere), which can be expected from Motomi's work.
The side stories, Handsome! Beads Club "Hyper Version" and
Very Black White Day are also a good read. Very Black White Day is about a girl named Hitomi who was dumped on Valentine's Day. Her childhood friend, Yuki, helps her to get revenge on her ex-boyfriend in the most heartbreaking way on White Day, hence the title. But is revenge truly what Hitomi wants?
I would have really like to have known how Takumi gets the members of the Beads Club to join the club in the first place, as well as their back stories. But I guess for a oneshot, Motomi sensei does well with limited pages.
On an interesting note, Motomi sensei is a guy. After the shock of knowing that male shoujo mangaka existed wears off, I truly appreciate how his works are free from any 'ecchiness' that most male mangaka seem to indulge in. There is not even a single panty shot of Ibuki, despite doing a fair share of kicking. It makes for a refreshing change.
His previous manga, Purikyu, also centers around school clubs, the predecessor set around an archery club.
Rating: 7.0/10