Punch #1 by Rie Takada - Yo! I'm a big softie! Really!
Delving into the books that thought they could escape my prying eyes by hiding under the bed, I grabbed Punch! because it was on top of the stack. Thinking that it must be the ringleader of the wandering tomes, taming it was essential to stop other volumes from disappearing in a similar manner. I was slightly appalled by the number that made a mad dash for freedom, and promised to treat them better and put them lovingly on the book shelf. Over the weekend. Please wait while I read a few of you first.
Punch! #1 by: 高田りえ
Punch! #1 by Rie Takada
Rated: Older Teen
Price: 8.99
Viz - Shoujo - Comedy/Romance
Review May Contain Spoilers
Elle Nagahara just wants a normal life. She comes from a family of fighters, and she's sick of it! Her mother was a wrestling champ, and her father was a lightweight world boxing champion. Even her grandfather earned fame in the ring, being the first Japanese to become a world champion of Muay Thai kickboxing. Betrothed to an up and coming boxer from her grandfather's gym, Elle thinks of Ruo as an older brother and doesn't want anything to do with him. She just wants a sweet, nerdy guy to be her boyfriend. What's a peace loving girl to do?
After a run-in with a hoodie wearing thug, Elle learns that the guy she got into a tussling match over an MD player was Kazuki Shindo. Kazuki has a reputation as a street brawler and a trouble maker, and Elle wants nothing to do with him. She blurts out his name, however, when Ruo presses her for information on her latest crush. He thinks that she must be interested in someone else, or she wouldn't want to break off their engagement, which was arranged by their grandfathers before they were even born. It's during this encounter that hints of Ruo's dark and controlling personality peek out from the panels. He started being a jerk all the way back on page 30, but I was too blinded by his stunning good looks to notice. Grr.
Consumed by guilt for telling Ruo his name, Elle tails Kazuki, afraid that her unwanted fiancee will make sashimi out of him. Ruo has a habit of chasing off any boy that catches Elle's eye, and she's afraid that he'll soon be after Kazuki. When Ruo and his groupies confront him, Kazuki isn't cowed by their blustering boasts or threats to stay away from Elle. Instead, he seems to relish the encounter and rushes headlong into a fight with Ruo. Too bad he gets his butt kicked. Over a girl he doesn't even know.
Racing out to help him after Ruo and his buddies make their exit, Elle nurses Kazuki with an ice pack. She chides him for picking a fight with Ruo (she's slightly confused, I think!). He's a professional martial artist and the best fighter at her grandfather's gym! When Kazuki figures out that she's Elle, and recognizes her from the MD player incident, he doesn't seem so pleased to meet her. Elle, on the other hand, realizes what a hottie he is, and is saddened that he's a fighter. Why couldn't he be a nerd?
Later at the gym, Elle sighs with despair. Why can't she have a normal life? Why is she stuck hanging out in the gym? When the door opens, and Kazuki Shindo steps inside, she's stunned speechless. He wants to join the gym. And he wants Elle to be his girlfriend! How rad is that?
Alarmed because Kazuki thinks she likes him, Elle is too embarrassed to reveal the truth to him. Instead, she pens a letter to him explaining that she doesn't really like him, she just wants to break up with Ruo, but she has a change of heart and tosses into the trash. Maybe he has a crush on her. Why else would he have already come up with such a cute nickname for her? Isn't "Choppy" just the most adorable thing you've ever heard? When the inspiration for her nickname was revealed, the look on Elle's face is priceless.
I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. Punch is a fluffy, funny read that's low on depth but high on comedy. Elle's helpless, "why me" whining didn't even annoy me, because over all, she's a sweet-natured, appealing protagonist. You've read it all before, but Rie Takada stirred up the predictable plot elements enough to make this an entertaining read.
The art really kept the story moving, with the characters' array of facial expressions. Rie Takada bounced between exaggerated, comic looks for Elle, to more serious, come-hither countenances for her male leads. Kazuki is gorgeous, with his dark, wispy hair and his quietly smoldering eyes. Ruo, if he hadn't been such a turd, would have been equally appealing.
I have to give the book a demerit for the hotel scene with Elle and Ruo. I'm sorry, but I don't find attempted rape cute or sexy. It's scary and creepy and gross. It's also one of the most over used plot devices in shoujo comics. Ruo regains control of his baser instincts after a terrified Elle bashes her head on a night table, splitting her forehead open. Ruo's boorish behavior can't be excused, even when he apologizes for frightening the girl he claims to love. You jerk! A tender hug doesn't forgive the fact that you overpowered a helpless girl, and made her cry. And bleed!
Minus these unpleasant pages, Punch! #1 a perfect summer read. It's populated with a fun heroine and a dark, brooding hero who's not really a tough guy, he's just misunderstood. Really! Pick it up, settle in a comfy spot outside, and give it a spin. I'm sure it goes well with a tall, cold glass of iced tea, too.
Grade: B
This review was written by Julie for the MangaCast. Please drop by the Manga Maniac Cafe and check out the menu. There's always tasty reviews on display!