Pearl Pink #2 - Thief Handsome, You're Going Down!
I'm a little bit behind on this series. Volume 2 was released way back in May, and volume 3 hit stores about a week ago. Pearl Pink seems to be one of those under appreciated titles, and I can't figure out why. It's cute, sweet, and funny, and you finish reading it with a big smile on your face.
天然パールピンク # 2 by: 田中 メカ
Pearl Pink Vol 2 by Meca Tanaka
Rated: Teen
Price: 9.99
TOKYOPOP - Shoujo - Comedy/Romance
Review May Contain Spoilers
Tamako is still trying to catch Kanji's heart and prove to him what a worthy catch she is. While Kanji is ever ready to give her a make-over, he seems hardly affected by her undying love for him. How can she make him stop seeing her as a kid, and start loving her in return?
The lead characters in this series are so cute! It must be hard for Kanji being the only adult in the house. His father and Tamako's mom are far from good role models, and they act like a couple of kids. When Tamako announces that she's going to audition for the role of Idol P.I. Momoko's younger sister on her mother's TV show, Kanji is horrified. What if their secret gets out? It could ruin Mako's career and take down Dog Run with it!
Tamako chafes with her current restrictions. How can she continue to go through life sheltered and hidden? What kind of future does that leave for her? It's not fair to her that she has to sacrifice so much for the sake of the agency. Her stubborn streak kicks in, and Tamako chases this ambition relentlessly. Kanji is being selfish, afraid that his dream of taking over Dog Run will be in jeopardy.
Also included were the short stories, Destined Lovers and Diamond Half. Destined Lovers was a humorous look at Haruko and Akira's blossoming relationship. Akira is a giant of a guy; at 6'5", he towers over the petite Haruko. Haruko is so short that she's often in Akira's blind spot, and he doesn't even see her. The other students are afraid of Akira because he's like a ogre, and he doesn't know his own strength. After a perplexing incident on the way home from school, her boyfriend suddenly starts avoiding her, and Haruko is crushed. What happened? Nothing that a little old-fashioned communication can't fix! Yay for happy endings.
Diamond Half kind of caught me off-guard. The characters, Kou and Chiyo, are models for Kanji and Tamako. Kou is Chiyo's young step-father, and he's been raising her since the death of her mother seven years earlier. Now that she's 15, Chiyo begins to worry that she's become a chain around Kou's neck, and she's stopping him from finding happiness. In addition, she's become of aware that he's a handsome man, and he'd be a great catch for marriage. While I found some of the undertones of the story a little disturbing, I thought it was sweet, and Meca Tanaka's sharp pen strokes really brought the characters to life.
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!
天然パールピンク # 2 by: 田中 メカ
Pearl Pink Vol 2 by Meca Tanaka
Rated: Teen
Price: 9.99
TOKYOPOP - Shoujo - Comedy/Romance
Review May Contain Spoilers
Tamako is still trying to catch Kanji's heart and prove to him what a worthy catch she is. While Kanji is ever ready to give her a make-over, he seems hardly affected by her undying love for him. How can she make him stop seeing her as a kid, and start loving her in return?
The lead characters in this series are so cute! It must be hard for Kanji being the only adult in the house. His father and Tamako's mom are far from good role models, and they act like a couple of kids. When Tamako announces that she's going to audition for the role of Idol P.I. Momoko's younger sister on her mother's TV show, Kanji is horrified. What if their secret gets out? It could ruin Mako's career and take down Dog Run with it!
Tamako chafes with her current restrictions. How can she continue to go through life sheltered and hidden? What kind of future does that leave for her? It's not fair to her that she has to sacrifice so much for the sake of the agency. Her stubborn streak kicks in, and Tamako chases this ambition relentlessly. Kanji is being selfish, afraid that his dream of taking over Dog Run will be in jeopardy.
Also included were the short stories, Destined Lovers and Diamond Half. Destined Lovers was a humorous look at Haruko and Akira's blossoming relationship. Akira is a giant of a guy; at 6'5", he towers over the petite Haruko. Haruko is so short that she's often in Akira's blind spot, and he doesn't even see her. The other students are afraid of Akira because he's like a ogre, and he doesn't know his own strength. After a perplexing incident on the way home from school, her boyfriend suddenly starts avoiding her, and Haruko is crushed. What happened? Nothing that a little old-fashioned communication can't fix! Yay for happy endings.
Diamond Half kind of caught me off-guard. The characters, Kou and Chiyo, are models for Kanji and Tamako. Kou is Chiyo's young step-father, and he's been raising her since the death of her mother seven years earlier. Now that she's 15, Chiyo begins to worry that she's become a chain around Kou's neck, and she's stopping him from finding happiness. In addition, she's become of aware that he's a handsome man, and he'd be a great catch for marriage. While I found some of the undertones of the story a little disturbing, I thought it was sweet, and Meca Tanaka's sharp pen strokes really brought the characters to life.
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!