By Yutaka Tachibana (Tokyopop)
ISBN: 1-59816-153-9
This barbed high-school rom-com expands on the traditional romantic triangle by adding a fourth to the mix. Yuri Muroi is a cute young girl but has a chequered past. She’s sweet but a bit of a slut, and most of her previous boyfriends have been pretty bad boys.
Then she is noticed by the beautiful, but dangerously wild, Motoko Kagurazaka. She is the terror of the school and lives to shock and make trouble. Frightened and flattered, Yuri becomes as much a toy as a friend to Motoko.
Takahiro Yabe is the baddest boy in school and Yuri really wants him. He also seems to like her, but he seems to think of her a kid. This thug in waiting apparently only has eyes for Motoko, who is happy to keep everybody guessing.
By contrast Hirao is the perfect student, good-looking (of course), studious, responsible, and president of the Student Council. He is respected by all and has a spotless reputation. So why is he drawn to the “damaged goods†troublemaker Yuri?
Departing from many Shojo manga norms this compulsive modern romance is funny and sharp; a delight for the reader in search of a more mature story of young love. The early chapters, however, might be a little confusing until one gets comfortable with the major characters as well as the innumerable second stringers that populate the school.
This series is compelling reading, humorous but tinged with pathos, and harbouring a genuine potential for tragedy as well as the traditionally expected “happy ever afterâ€.
© 2001 Yutaka Tachibana. English script © 2006 TokyoPop Inc.