squeak takes a shot at recs!
So. Because I'm bored and I can and I have a terrible addiction to shoujo manga, here are some of the ones I've been reading/read recently!
Mermaid Melody Pichi Pichi Pitch
Anyone who said this got deeper lied to you. The art got a little better and I guess technically it got deeper, if you consider a very cliche villain "deep." I keep reading this because I have a masochistic streak. I wanna bitch-slap the heroines half the time ^^; But there is (sometimes) pretty, and I have to give the manga credit that I can't actually hear them sing.
And the mangaka seems to be better at pannelling...except when she's not. One page will have them in one place and the next will be like twenty minutes later with absolutely no clue in that anything has changed except they're talking to different people/in different places. Or the ever wonderful "That girl was so pretty" in reference to the mermaid they met at the end of the last chapter...but the beginning of the new chapter is two months later. But they talk as though it happened yesterday. OH SHOUJO.
Totally makes me miss Sailor Moon, except SM was actually good.
Squeak's squee rating: 1.5 out of 5
Red River
It's a manga about sex. Well, actually it's about a girl sent back to a historical time period where she falls in love with the prince and there are political hijinks ahoy. (And boy are there politics -_-x) But what it boils down to is when will they have sex, and after they do it becomes how many times and in what ways.
The manga gets points for the fact that actions have consequences. When someone gets trapped with a guy what likes to make clothes outta peeps' skin, obvious consequence is obvious. And the girl actually realises she's the cause of a lot of things because she's stupid and doesn't listen, and eventually she catches on and can prevent such things from happening, which is a nice change. Eventually though I got bored after the third time she was kidnapped by Ramses, almost raped, but still treats him like a friend. OH SHOUJO.
Squeak's squee rating: 1.5 out of 5 (it goes here because at least it has plot)
Karin
Vampire story with a twist! ...That's still just a cover-up for a ridiculously cute boy meets girl story. Generic art abounds (oh gosh their profiles) but the characters are cute and quirky and I like the relationship between Karin and Kenta. Especially when biting is involved. They have a well-established build-up and decent amounts of drama that don't involve some other guy talking about how he'll steal the girl away.
STOP DOING THAT, SHOUJO. THAT PLOT WAS OLD BEFORE IT WAS MADE.
Squeak's squee rating: 3.5/4 out of 5
Special A
Eeeeee cute! Best friends/rivals since childhood, and the girl doesn't realise the boy actually likes her. No matter how many times he tells her. >.> The characters all feel like the friends they're said to be, and the romance makes me squee, mainly because I really dig stories where the man is the one to fall first. Also, his POV chapters are excellent.
And drunken kissing at hot springs is totally not something I will look down on. >.> The nice art doesn't hurt that, either, although it definitely got better from the earlier chapters. Like, by a lot.
Squeaks's squee rating: 4.5 out of 5
From Far Away
Another girl-transported-to-other-world story, but good. She actually has to learn the language! Has very (very) pretty peeps and clothes. Oh gosh I want the clothes ;_; Izark makes me happy happy despite the cliched "troubled but good" personality. Did I mention he's pretty? Has a plot that the romance takes a (sometimes) backseat to. Also it gets EXTREME POINTS for not having Noriko think "he's a hunk!" or any variant upon meeting Izark. I don't think she ever thinks that, actually. She's more worried about, y'know, important things. Like learning what "I don't understand what you're saying" means.
My problem is a lack of kissing, because dangnabbit they deserved some happy kissing time. *hugs them*
Very very good art and excellent plotting. At least I could tell what was happening from one page to the next (...not that I will name names, *cough*). And main characters I cared for and wanted to win, as well as support characters.
Note to self, get some icons for this series.
Squeak's squee rating: 5 out of 5
Lovely Complex
If you don't know what I feel about this manga then I haven't been spreading the love enough. Tall girl, short boy, Kansai-ben, hilarity ensues! And a really well-done relationship that makes me want to find my own Ootani. Maybe someday.
Quirky characters that don't let the romance change who they are and they don't forget their friends. And there's no talking about how a girl isn't a girl if she's not crushing on some dude or primping herself out for her boyfriend (or well, if it is mentioned it gets shot down because Risa is fine just the way she is thankyouverymuch).
Umibouzu~
Squeak's squee rating: 5 out of 5
Mermaid Melody Pichi Pichi Pitch
Anyone who said this got deeper lied to you. The art got a little better and I guess technically it got deeper, if you consider a very cliche villain "deep." I keep reading this because I have a masochistic streak. I wanna bitch-slap the heroines half the time ^^; But there is (sometimes) pretty, and I have to give the manga credit that I can't actually hear them sing.
And the mangaka seems to be better at pannelling...except when she's not. One page will have them in one place and the next will be like twenty minutes later with absolutely no clue in that anything has changed except they're talking to different people/in different places. Or the ever wonderful "That girl was so pretty" in reference to the mermaid they met at the end of the last chapter...but the beginning of the new chapter is two months later. But they talk as though it happened yesterday. OH SHOUJO.
Totally makes me miss Sailor Moon, except SM was actually good.
Squeak's squee rating: 1.5 out of 5
Red River
It's a manga about sex. Well, actually it's about a girl sent back to a historical time period where she falls in love with the prince and there are political hijinks ahoy. (And boy are there politics -_-x) But what it boils down to is when will they have sex, and after they do it becomes how many times and in what ways.
The manga gets points for the fact that actions have consequences. When someone gets trapped with a guy what likes to make clothes outta peeps' skin, obvious consequence is obvious. And the girl actually realises she's the cause of a lot of things because she's stupid and doesn't listen, and eventually she catches on and can prevent such things from happening, which is a nice change. Eventually though I got bored after the third time she was kidnapped by Ramses, almost raped, but still treats him like a friend. OH SHOUJO.
Squeak's squee rating: 1.5 out of 5 (it goes here because at least it has plot)
Karin
Vampire story with a twist! ...That's still just a cover-up for a ridiculously cute boy meets girl story. Generic art abounds (oh gosh their profiles) but the characters are cute and quirky and I like the relationship between Karin and Kenta. Especially when biting is involved. They have a well-established build-up and decent amounts of drama that don't involve some other guy talking about how he'll steal the girl away.
STOP DOING THAT, SHOUJO. THAT PLOT WAS OLD BEFORE IT WAS MADE.
Squeak's squee rating: 3.5/4 out of 5
Special A
Eeeeee cute! Best friends/rivals since childhood, and the girl doesn't realise the boy actually likes her. No matter how many times he tells her. >.> The characters all feel like the friends they're said to be, and the romance makes me squee, mainly because I really dig stories where the man is the one to fall first. Also, his POV chapters are excellent.
And drunken kissing at hot springs is totally not something I will look down on. >.> The nice art doesn't hurt that, either, although it definitely got better from the earlier chapters. Like, by a lot.
Squeaks's squee rating: 4.5 out of 5
From Far Away
Another girl-transported-to-other-world story, but good. She actually has to learn the language! Has very (very) pretty peeps and clothes. Oh gosh I want the clothes ;_; Izark makes me happy happy despite the cliched "troubled but good" personality. Did I mention he's pretty? Has a plot that the romance takes a (sometimes) backseat to. Also it gets EXTREME POINTS for not having Noriko think "he's a hunk!" or any variant upon meeting Izark. I don't think she ever thinks that, actually. She's more worried about, y'know, important things. Like learning what "I don't understand what you're saying" means.
My problem is a lack of kissing, because dangnabbit they deserved some happy kissing time. *hugs them*
Very very good art and excellent plotting. At least I could tell what was happening from one page to the next (...not that I will name names, *cough*). And main characters I cared for and wanted to win, as well as support characters.
Note to self, get some icons for this series.
Squeak's squee rating: 5 out of 5
Lovely Complex
If you don't know what I feel about this manga then I haven't been spreading the love enough. Tall girl, short boy, Kansai-ben, hilarity ensues! And a really well-done relationship that makes me want to find my own Ootani. Maybe someday.
Quirky characters that don't let the romance change who they are and they don't forget their friends. And there's no talking about how a girl isn't a girl if she's not crushing on some dude or primping herself out for her boyfriend (or well, if it is mentioned it gets shot down because Risa is fine just the way she is thankyouverymuch).
Umibouzu~
Squeak's squee rating: 5 out of 5