to help save you from yourself

Here to inform you about all the ways different shoujos can betray you--or become the best thing that you have ever read.

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Title: High School Debut Author: Kazune Kawahara Summary: Haruna Nagashima gave her all to softball in middle school, and now that she's made her high school debut she's decided to give her all for a new goal. Getting a boyfriend and falling in love! However, she has one small problem. Since she never paid any attention to fashion or trend in middle school she has no idea how to go about attracting her yet-to-be-found love. But a chance encounter with with Yoh Komiyama provides her with the opportunity she needs. If he coaches her in how to become attractive, surely she can find herself a boyfriend! Completed/WIP: Completed  Overall Rating: 9/10 Thoughts: I fell absolutely in love with this manga from the first volume. Some characters are missing qualities that would make them realistic, while other characters completely come to life. I was really disappointed that Asami, who I was expecting to love, fell short in terms of writing. She had the potential, she just didn't reach it. On the other hand, Yoh and Haruna completely stole my heart. It just depends on the character. Besides the characters, I loved the fact that once Haruna and Yoh got together, they never broke up. The typical shojo manga drama only made them stronger. I also loved it didn't take  very long for them to get together. It was really nice that the majority of the manga took place while they were dating. Betrayals/Triggers: I guess you could say there's a few love triangles, since there are multiple love interests, but it's never "which one will she/he choose?" We know who they're going to choose. I was also uncomfortable with Asami's brother complex towards Yoh. There's also bullying in early volumes, and Asami can be pretty cruel to Haruna throughout the manga, though Haruna doesn't seem to notice or take it personally. While there's never anything graphic, sex is discussed in later chapters. I had to think about these, so I personally didn't notice anything too bad.

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Do you think you could do a review of MeruPuri? It's one of my FAVORITE manga of all time, but there are a few things in there that are troubling: a big age gap, for example. It's a relatively short manga, with only 4 volumes. Thanks for your time! :)

Yes!!! I actually read it a few years back and I enjoyed it a lot. I'll go back and reread it and do a review when I have the chance.

- Mori

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Title: Beauty Pop Author: Kiyoko Arai Summary: Although a truly gifted hairstylist, Kiri Koshiba has no interest in using her talent to pursue fame and fortune, unlike the three popular boys in the "Scissors Project" at school. Determined to become the best makeover team in Japan, they give showy makeovers to handpicked girls. As much as Kiri tries to shy away from the Scissors Project spotlight, she finds herself responding to beauty's call... Completed/WIP: Completed; 10 Volumes Overall Rating: 7.5/10 Thoughts: Honestly, I love this manga, but it can be kind of boring. It has a rather large cast and a lot of side stories that aren't relevant to the plot, but generally only Narumi, Kiri, or Ochiai get plot related stories. Still, I love the characters dearly, they all have a lot of development, and it's a really cute manga. Betrayals/Triggers: Love triangle,, bullying, Narumi's actually a tsundere about Kiri for the majority of the manga but in the later volumes he mellows out and isn't as big of a jerk. The main character is triggered at one point during a competition in case that makes anyone uncomfortable. There's also two side stories that briefly mention animal abuse. One of the endgame ships has an age gap of four years, with the younger one being 12 when they first met, but they were only shown to be together in the final chapter. The majority of this manga has to do with makeovers, so there's a lot of focus on appearance and being 'pretty'.

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Title: Say I Love You Author: Hazuki Kanae Summary: Mei Tachibana has spent her 16 years without making either boyfriend or friends. One day, she injures the most popular boy in school, Yamato Kurosawa, because of a misunderstanding but for some reason it seems that he takes a liking to her and one-sidedly claims that they're friends. Furthermore, he not only protects Mei from a stalker, he does it with a kiss…?!! Completed/WIP: Work In Progress (will be updated with more triggers and betrayals as the series goes on) Overall Rating: 8/10 Thoughts: I really love Say I Love You. The story is really sweet and realistic. It's just so real, and it makes the story so much better. All of the characters are relatable in their own ways, and human. It's also really nice to read a manga where the characters are actually together for the majority of the story instead of getting together. Sometimes things get a little crowded in Say I Love You, but for the most part this manga is really well done. Betrayals/Triggers: The beginning of Yamato and Mei's story starts with a kiss, one that Yamato doesn't get permission for, as well as Mei getting stalked by a middle aged man. There is also some intense bullying in Say I Love You, as well as a scene of sexual assault. (This happens to Kai, not one of the girls, but it is still very disturbing.) There's a scene of rough sex between two people that have consensual sex. There's also discussion of an eating disorder and body image which could be very triggering to some people.  

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Title: Lovely Complex (Love*Com) Author: Aya Nakahara Summary: Risa and Otani are in a similar predicament. Neither is dating anyone, they are both continually being laughed at as a comedy duo (courtesy of their loving sensei), and they both have height problems! Risa is taller than the average girl, and Otani is shorter than the average guy!  Determined to be in a relationship, they both decide to cheer each other on in the war of love. However, along the way, Risa begins to develop feelings for Otani... Are these feelings mutual? Can love win, no matter what the height?  Completed/WIP: Completed; 17 volumes Overall Rating: 10/10 Thoughts: This is my all time favorite shoujo manga. It was cute, funny, and the characters and their development made my heart melt. Every single character is dynamic and fun, the side relationships are adorable, it focuses on the friendships between the girls and the guys nearly as much as the relationships. It has a trans character who is treated with respect and called by her proper pronouns. It's just a really good, fun series, and it set my standards for other shoujos. Betrayals/Triggers: Risa and Otani have a slap-slap-kiss dynamic. I never found it particularly abusive or problematic, but I'm probably biased. There is always sort of a love triangle happening, but the rival love interests never even stand a chance. Otani's kind of inappropriate in his treatment of Seiko (the trans girl), but for the most part he calls her by the right pronouns. In one chapter, Seiko's voice deepens and she thinks it's puberty, so she decides to give up her female identity because she feels like having a deep voice takes away from her femininity, but Risa snaps her out of it. Chiharu throws a desk at her boyfriend. A boy kisses Risa and Otani sees, and he puts blame on Risa for putting herself in the situation (he also holds the guy accountable too). Overall, it has it's issues, but it's still a fun light hearted series.

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Title: Stepping on Roses Author: Rinko Ueda Summary: Sumi Kitamura is the second eldest in a parentless family of six. One day after her older brother leaves town, her younger brothers and sisters are taken away. The only way for her to get them back is to make a lot of money fast. On her quest to find money, a man offers to give her the money if she marries him. Completed/WIP: Completed; 9 volumes Overall Rating: 2/10  Thoughts: I loathe this series, though maybe I should be grateful to it because it's the first series that made me critical of anime and manga. I bought this series originally because I loved the art style and I was, at the time, a fan of the Stockholm Syndrome trope (which, thanks to this series, I'm now highly critical of). This series honestly stopped me dead in my tracks, I stopped reading manga for four years because of it. I can't stress enough how much misogynistic, victim blaming, abuse apologist, and romanticizing abusive behavior is in this series. It will forever leave a bad taste in my mouth, and the only reason I gave it a 2 instead of 1 is because I still think the art is beautiful. Betrayals/Triggers: Well, a girl is bought. So human trafficking. Her new husband is an abusive scumbag who for some reason she falls for (hint: Stockholm Syndrome), but he's nothing next to her 'prince charming' who attempts to rape her multiple times in the series, and she's blamed for it, yet people keep placing her in situations where she has to be near him, giving him more chances to attack her. He actually kidnaps her later in the series and while she's struggling against his advances, the house they're in catches fire. He tries to manipulate her into falling in love with him by evicting her family from their home so he can swoop in and save them. And here's the kicker: he's her brother! She doesn't end up with him, but he still gets his happy ending. Ugh.. Also, if you haven't guessed it, it's a love triangle between Sumi and her abusive husband and rapist prince charming. Please avoid this series at all costs.

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Title: Strobe Edge Author: Sakisaka Io Summary: Having no experience in romance, the vibrant Ninako curiously explores the meaning of what "love" really is, and is surprised to feel a colorful range of emotions as she grows closer to the school heartthrob, the quiet yet gentle Ren, who also happens to be involved in a longtime relationship. With every intention of keeping her head held high, Ninako prepares to face the mental pain of this one-sided love that she had allowed to take root, facing a series of trials that would either contribute to her growth as a headstrong woman, or break her as it did with other girls. However, is this really a one-sided love? Or had something been silently sown in the most hidden part of Ren's heart? Completed/WIP: Completed Overall Rating: 7/10 Thoughts: Strobe Edge is a cute story, even if I feel like cute is about as far as the story gets. The characters are wonderful and realistic but each one is also a bit of a cliche, no matter how well handled. However, that being said, their relationships are all wonderful and complicated which is why I kept reading this manga even though a few times I felt like it was getting to become too much. Towards the end the story became too drawn out but everyone got their happy ending. Betrayals/Triggers: There aren't any triggers that I can think of. The only betrayal would be the fact that there's a love triangle but for the most part it is well handled, and the outcome is pretty much set from the start. 

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Title: Sand Chronicles  Author: Hinako Ashihara Summary: After her parents get divorced, Ann Uekusa and her mother move from Tokyo to rural Shimane. Accustomed to the anonymity of city living, Ann can't get used to the almost overbearing kindness of the people in her mother's hometown. But when personal tragedy strikes, Ann discovers how much she needs that kindness. Completed/WIP: Completed; 10 volumes Overall Rating: 10/10 Thoughts: Sand Chronicles will break your heart. All the characters are well rounded, troubled individuals and you will come to care about them all, in one way or another. We meet Ann when she's twelve years old, and by the time the series ends, she's thirty. We see her struggle, with love and friendships and depression. The characters are real, and your hearts will ache for them, whether because you've come to care about them or because you've been in or are going through similar situations. The series also has words of wisdom, that first loves are called first loves because there are more afterwards, and that the only person that can save you is yourself, but it doesn't hurt to have someone to help carry the load.  Betrayals/Triggers: Ann's mother commits suicide.Throughout the course of the series, Ann struggles with depression brought on by her mother's suicide. Years later, Ann attempts suicide, but changes her mind as soon as she tries. While Ann's mother died off screen, Ann's attempt is more graphic and triggering for self harm. Later on in the series, Ann enters a relationship with an emotionally abusive man, but it doesn't go far and it's quickly ended. A case of juvenile bullying nearly kills Ann early in the series. Shika and Fuji's home life is pretty toxic. There is a love rectangle between Ann, Daigo, Shika, and Fuji. All these issues are handled respectfully, but they could still trigger someone, so take caution. If this series sounds like it could trigger you, don't read it. Otherwise, it's a brilliant series, and one of my favorites.