In case you have a Valentine hangover, you might want to consider dipping into some moar Love is Everywhere manga and here are our recs. Who knows you might win in m&c!'s lucky draw if you buy these from selected Gramedia outlets (details here)
Kiss Me After School! by Shiiba Nana
Review/recommendation by Lina-chan
Rating: 8.5/10
Houkago Kiss © Shiiba Nana/Shogakukan
Published in Indonesia as Kiss Me After School! by Gramedia/m&c!
Kumpulan kisah cinta di sekolah yang romatis, fun dan sweet. Ada pasangan cewek tidak populer dan cowok sangar (Kiss Me After School, Another Kiss Me After School), cewek talent scout yang jatuh cinta dengan model cowok (Produce An Angel) dan cewek ceroboh yang jatuh hati dengan ketua osis yang perfeksionis (Prince Lock On). Jangan lupakan juga komik 4 panel yang menghiasi setiap kisahnya. Sangat lucu dan membuat komik ini makin oke
My suggest
Buy this comic ^_^
Time To Say Goodbye by Yamanaka Rico
Review/recommendation by huamulan03 and Lina-chan
Rating: Between 6 and 7.5 (huamulan03) and 8/10 (Lina-chan)
Sayonara no Jikan © Yamanaka Rico/Shogakukan
[First serialized in Sho-Comi Zoukan]
Published in Indonesia as Time To Say Goodbye by Gramedia/m&c!
Summary
Six one-shots comprise this anthology:
1) Time to Say Goodbye
Kume believes she and friend Fuji will always be together; to that end, she applies to a nearby school she thinks Fuji will also enter. Needless to say she is shocked to find out that Fuji has been scouted by a school out of town—that's at least two hours away by bullet train—for his soccer playing ability. Can Kume confess her feelings before Fuji leaves, or will she keep quiet and by default, bid him goodbye?
2) Couple's Temperature ~Lover's Time~
So Kume didn't remain silent and forever hold her peace, but the long-distance relationship is weighing down on her, especially when she sees this one particular girl keeps popping up in pictures with boyfriend Fuji.
3) What a Silly Love
AKA Nante Bakana Koi Nanda, this is the story of Ritsu who can't stand how somewhat socially-awkward classmate Yukimura always give in to girls.
4) Time to Love
Nico and Hiro are next door neighbors and Nico spends a lot of time at Hiro's house (especially at breakfast when she swipes his bread and milk). One day, Hiro tells Nico, Don't ever go into a guy's bedroom just like that,
which surprises Nico who has no clue why Hiro is so angry.
5) Time to Continue the First Love
Rika claims she has never fallen in love; can she find it beside her, in the person of transfer student Nisaki whom she used to know “intimately” (having taken baths together and slept together).
6) Lover's Time
Fuji's POV when Kume visits him at school: I am the happiest guy in the world.
Thoughts and impressions
Kume and Fuji are characters you can easily invest in, especially Fuji with his quirk of writing things down on his arm so that he doesn't forget. But for all Fuji's cuteness, he doesn't stand a chance against Nisaki who wins Rika's heart by employing tactics worthy of Machiavelli himself. Totally irresistible. Because of that, Kume and Fuji's stories (Time to Say Goodbye, Couple's Temperature ~Lover's Time~ and Lover's Time) all received a grade of 7.25 of 10 from me, while Nisaki's starrer Time to Continue the First Love got a 7.5. The rest I rate a 6 of 10 for their competent takes on the Friends Become Lovers shoujo convention.
Meanwhile —
Lina-chan sez
Kumpulan kisah percintaan dari cewek dan cowok yang sudah bersahabat sejak kecil. Artwork dan storylinenya sangat manis. Walau ada kata perpisahan, semua kisahnya memiliki ending yang bahagia kok. If you are a shoujo manga lover,then you must buy this manga.
Bus Guide Story by Sakou Watari
Review/recommendation by Lina-chan
Rating: 6/10 (for artwork)
Bus Guide Monogatari - Shoki kessakushuu © Sakou Watari/Kodansha
[First serialized in Dessert]
Published in Indonesia as Bus Guide Story by Gramedia/m&c!
I don't like the storyline (a rookie bus guide reunites with the junior who confessed to her back when they were still in school), though the artwork is fine. My suggest: get a friend to buy it and just borrow (or rent).
Reviews by Lina-chan and huamulan03 (Some rights reserved)
disclaimer
Cover images used here are © their respective intellectual rights holders. No infringement intended.
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manga · shoujo · review · Kiss Me After School! · Shiiba Nana · Time To Say Goodbye · Yamanaka Rico · Bus Guide Story · Sakou Watari · Flower Comics · Sho-Comi Zoukan · Shogakukan · Dessert · Kodansha · m&c!