Warning: Recommended readers: above 18 as there are sexual situations
English: Today, I'll start our love
Synonyms: 3, 2, 1 ... Liebe!
Type: Manga
Volumes: 15
Chapters: 97
Status: Finished
Published: Nov 24, 2008 to Nov 20, 2011
Genres: Romance, School, Shoujo
Authors: Minami, Kanan (Story & Art)
Serialization: Shoujo Comic
I accidentally stumbled upon this manga and I really liked it in the first two chapters itself.
And then I realized that it's really rather popular and I've heard a lot about it too. If you are trying to read shoujo romance with a bad guy and a good girl, you have to try this... but its little beyond the sugar coating level of other shoujo mangas. (Hope you understand what I mean)
Tsubaki is a girl who loves making her younger sister’s hair pretty every morning, but she doesn’t think that kind of style suits herself! The day of her High School Beginning Ceremony, after she failed in being the top student (who usually makes the ceremony speech), she finds herself sitting next to the actual top student of the first years, the worst rude guy ever, Kyouta.
She ends up cutting his hair on purpose because of the bad things he says to her. Kyouta demands that Tsubaki pay him back with her body, but Tsubaki fixes his hair instead – making it even shorter!
After that, Kyouta unexpectedly kisses Tsubaki and swears that he’ll take all her firsts.
Tsubaki Hibino looks like a very strong heroine for a shoujo manga but later she turns to be like the typical same old ones. She has a very nice fashion sense. She always makes the hair of all the girls on the screen but she never made herself look cute before she met Kyouta.
Regarding Hibino, the Character devolpment is poor but the other way Tsubaki Kyouta character is well developed.
Tsubaki Kyouta is an a**hole to start with but the kindness is revealed later, He takes interest in Tsubaki hibino since she cuts his hair and also because they have the same name (may be). His past was later revealed and then the character becomes likable. He has a very bad attitude towards girls and has a deep interest in astronomy.
As the series goes on, you see the relationship between the two progress and watch the development of true feelings. It's all very heartwarming and "kyaaa~~!" inducing like your everyday shojo.
The story itself isn't exactly farfetched or stupid, it's just very conventional: the plot is all relatively predictable and nothing really along the lines of breakthrough creativity. That's not to say a series needs to be a breakthrough to be successful and interesting, just pointing out that if you're looking for a series with fresh ideas and unexpected plot twists this manga probably isn't the one for you. Drama it has (oh boy does it...), but the drama is predictable.
The art style is actually pretty good. Of course this all depends on your opinion (I for one have some weird standards for art), but I find the art style to be at least a bit above average. She does clothing rather well, and I enjoy the way she draws hair. The hands bother me a tiny bit mainly for proportion and shape reasons, but in general she does a good job with hands as well
Overall, this manga isn't a bad series. Sure it's on the predictable side, the leading protagonist can at times get on your nerves, but it's a nice story of teenage love and one that is more realistic than some: it's a bit mature.
Therefore, for anyone who wants a shojo to read, isn't looking for a highly unpredictable and can deal with maturity in manga, this is really enjoyable ^_^.
By the way there is OVA of 2 episodes and its pretty good too.
