Obaka-chan, Koigatariki

I'm quite interested in the idea f 'yankees'.
We had 'bad girls' in my school but nothing too intense. Just the occasional bitch fight and yelling at teachers. Nothing quite to the intensity of, 'I'll take on all you assholes barehanded!'
But still I enjoy female yankee leaders. Theres something very female empowering about a girl being the leader of tough, rowdy men. Plus girls being badass makes it more fun!
Though when it comes to manga stories about female yankees, it's always the girl trying to run away from the yankee life. But they're still tough so i'm game!

Neiro wants to put her tough girl image behind her and enjoy life as a normal girl after she moves to a new town. she wants to fall in love and blah blah blah normal girl stuff.
However her first day in her new life and she fails miserably. She gets into a fight trying to help someone she thinks is being bullied, they weren't.

She gets relocated to the 'Obaka class' for social rejects. There goes her 'normal' high school life.

Of course she manages to make a rival, a new delinquent classmate who always wants to fight.

She also falls madly in love with an A class student, who also happens to be the most popular guy in school, at first sight.
She goes full force at this romance idea that she doesn't realise the feelings of others until it's too late.

Plenty of drama, including a love triangle and some badass fighting!
It's still ongoing so we'll see who wins the battle for the Obaka ladies' heart!

Author/ Artist: Sato Zakuri
Status: Ongoing
Released: July 2009
Genres: Comedy, Romance, Drama, School life, Shoujo

Kaoru-Kun To Hana No Mori

Tomboy.
I was a tomboy, just like the heroine of this manga.
Though unlike myself she was popular within her school and thought of as the 'Prince' of her all girls school.

She's completely clueless to the notice of romance, from the first few pages it's clear to see.
In my opinion it just makes her more interesting.

Two high schools are situated right beside each other. One all girls and the other all boys. Meaning these plenty of chance for meet Q's!
High school years are are filled with hormones and the excitement of 'falling in love'. The girls begin to confuse our cool Tomboy with those tough questions about romance and feelings.
Thankfully our heroine is easily distracted with helping the girls and the awkward questions of love are pushed aside.
She's observant though, she notices people and remembers them.
I like when other characters are surprised by the lead's... personality. Finding out how cool they really are, I especially like it when i'm also surprised.
As an experience shoujo manga reader there honestly isn't too much I haven't seen before. But when a scene is set up properly, and the right twists are made something done time and time again can still make your heart flutter and the excitement course through your veins!

A tall, weird and interesting girl, it's not long before she catches the eye of some guy/ In this case a short blonde playboy who can't seem to crack her. Right before he makes his move for a kiss a mysterious tall dark haired guy abruptly interrupts. DRAMA!
But before we can find out why the two slip away when a distraction is caused.
The girls and guys from each school are fighting.
Our leading lady comes up with a plan to make peace, it's a constant battle being a good girl!

High school is drama, especially when romance is involved.
Why do you think there are so manga stories based during school years! Free material from your youth!
Romance. It'll mess with you, confuse you and make every high and low feel world crushing.
For a girl who's always been seen as 'one of the guys' until she meets two men.

Both change her in separate ways but she grows through those experiences.

 

It's interesting how people say that love can make you more beautiful, well when it comes to shoujo manga that is certainly the case. With every new romantic experience out heroine becomes more and more irresistible!

Lovely story! <3

Author/Artist: Shiraishi Yuki

Status: Ongoing

Released: Jan 2013

Genres: Comedy, Shoujo, Romance, School Life, Slice of Life

Kataomoi Shoten

Over your lifetime, especially when you're young, you'll change your mind constantly about what to do with your life. 

I certainly did, still am. 

Well there are those lucky ones that know what they want. This manga is the story of one of those lucky people. But life is complicated, things aren't always perfect, actually they rarely are, but perseverance will get you through the tough times and you'll learn along the way. 

Okay rambling. 

Our leading lady is Oogaki Mebae, she's always wanted to work in a book store. 

It may seem odd, out of everything you could ever want to be, a bookstore employee. 

However no one has ever worked so hard! She becomes a slave to her new boss after getting her life long dream job, still she does it right and with amazing ability!

She absorbs everything she sees to become the best. 

Her boss, though tough, is as passionate as her, though more secretive about it...

Romance is sure to bloom between these two hard working bookworms! Only 3 chapters so far but the story is quite inspiring and beautifully drawn! 

The wait is torture!!

Author/ Artist: Hata Akimi

Released: March 2016

Status: Ongoing

Genres: Comedy, Drama, Romance, Josei, Slice of Life

April 2016- Japan Adventure

So I made a post a few back about my trip to Japan, but I'm going to add a few more pictures of the best moments!
I recommend everyone go visit! Kyoto is my favourite city in the world. Especially in Spring. The country is a perfect combination of futuristic modern and traditional.

 Kyoto 
Yasaka Shrine.
Festival stands set up throughout the shrine grounds.
There were loads of people in Kimonos, so pretty!

Osaka
Tea time! I wish we had cute little cake cafes like these! The cake tasted even better then it looks!

 

 Tokyo
New Sailor Moon Exhibit 52 floors up!
Very nostalgic! The first anime I ever watched.

Tokyo 
View from 52 floors up

KYOTO

 
 Me and my cousin rented Kimonos after getting jealous of everyone else. We became very popular, everyone was getting pictures with us!

 Tokyo
Crepes in Shibuya!

Tokyo- Shibuya

Maid Cafe! I got bunny ears and our cute maid taught me how to pose >.<

 

KYOTO

Ramen- best I have on the whole trip.....I miss you tasty noodles and soup...

 OSAKA

Universal Studios! They made a Attack on titan exhibit! Insanely awesome!

Tokyo

A small Shrine in the middle of Ueno market place.

 Tokyo- Akihabara

There were lines outside this cafe! Akihabara has plenty of fun places to eat though. Such as maid cafes!

Hiroshima - Osaka

Evangelion Train.
These weren't our seats, didn't mean to get you too excited there haha This is in the first car of the train. You could come up and get pictures. You also weren't allowed to fit in it.
Still! Pretty cool.  

Base of Mount Fuji for the flower festival. The flowers are only 30% in bloom and because of the rain and clouds we couldn't even see mount fuji.....

Tokyo - Shibuya

Cat Cafe!!
So cute! Though you weren't allowed to pick them up or pet any cats with bells on.....a lot of them had bells on....

So yeah, theres some of the main pics to make you all jealous! 

Last Game

A great life love story.
It begins in elementary as a rivalry, one sided.
Yanagi-Kun is an entitled rich boy, living off his father's accomplishments and basting in the glory of his popularity. Until Kujou Mikoto arrived.

She tested him in everything. Talented as much as Yanagi-kun, if not more she excelled in sports, test scores and morals.
One day she changes his life forever. While angered and embarrassed over his current loses to Kujou, Yanagi-kun calls out Kujou for being arrogant and not knowing her place. He states that he's an heir to a powerful rich man and that she should respect him.

Kujou's face doesn't flinch, she tells him that his father's accomplishments don't make him great also.

Yanagi-Kun quite clearly becomes more competitive, taking extra lessons and cram school, one day he collapses from exhaustion, Kujou finds him sleeping and takes him back to her home. When he wakes he comes to understand more about Kujou.
She is very 'pan-faced' meaning she doesn't show much expression on her face. She reacts only slightly at rare moments, she doesn't seek glory of fame. Just a pure aim to make life easier on her single mother.

Yanagi goes home feeling defeated. He quits all his extra lessons and cram school to compete with her on an even playing field.

It drives Yanagi crazy how calm she always is, how she never reacts like the other girls. Time passes and Yanagi follows her from elementary school to middle school, to High School and then even on to College. Even though being from a rich family could have him going to any middle, high school or University he wanted, he stayed by Kujou and Kujou went with what was most convenient for her.  For years Yanagi denied how he really felt about Kujou, but I think just from hearing how he followed her it's quite clear he's hooked.
Not that the incredibly dense Kujou can tell.
So far there are 50 chapters and the poor girl is only beginning to understand her feelings!
Gotta feel for the guy...

It's an innocent, beautiful and always a little heart breaking.
I've been following their love story now for a few years, I can't wait to see how it ends but at the same time I don't. If you understand me?

Author/ Artist; Amano Shinobu
Released; Sep 2011
Status; Ongoing
Genres; Comedy, Drama, Romance, Slice of Life, School Life, Shoujo

MANGAHERE RANK; 33rd

Watashi Ni xx Shinashi

Love Triangles.

I really enjoy a good love triangle, however she usually doesn't end up with who I want her to be with. The nice guy never gets the girl. The saying, 'Nice guys finish last' is completely true, at least in manga scenarios.
Regardless the story is interesting and intense. I remember when I was 15 years old and I began to read this manga for the first time, it was scandalous stuff, even now 7 years later it still makes me squeal with nervous excitement. Talk about living vicariously through someone!

As the chapters go on it starts becoming more serious, you start learning about each of the characters. What makes them, them.
Our lead is Yukina- chan. She's always been avoided by others due to her sharp eyes, people are afraid of her, even spreading rumours that her stare will give you frost bite. They call her 'Absolute zero Snow Woman' like a super villain.

Yukina-chan however doesn't mind so much, she enjoys 'observing' them. She writes an online novel series based on her classmates in a fantasy world. One of her classmates however she can't use, he's fake and boring to her. Though in real life he the most popular and handsome guy in the school. 

One day she discovers the truth about Kitami Shigure's personality. 

Her novel has been suffering due to a lack of romance, having never experienced it before she decided to use her new found information about Shigure to black mail him into helping her practise 'love tasks'. 

Everything is going great at first, she gets new material and her online novel's popularity is rapidly growing, but things turn for the worse when Shigure discovers Yukina's weakness. 

The battle of secrets commences.

True feelings begin to bloom, naiveness ruins progress and rivals for love arrive!

Exciting, Scandalous, Dramatic, fun goofy manga! 

Drawing style is 8/10, story line is fun and exciting, over all a great read!

Author/ Artist; Tooyama Ema

Released; May 2009

Status; Ongoing (apparently)

Genres; Comedy, Drama, Romance, School Life, Shoujo

MANGAFOX RANK; 111th 

Love So Life

I personally don't want children, at least thats my current decision.
But this manga is so lovely, the relationships that develop throughout feel so real and perfect.
There is tragedy and pain in this story, quite a lot actually, but far more beauty.
Love is a kind of magic, and children really help it to come alive. At least this manga makes you believe so.

Shihara-Chan.
A young, beautiful High school girl with a heart of gold. So loving she can melt anyones heart in minutes! Magic.
You may find it hard to imagine this pure treasure of a girl is an orphan or maybe you can, people that have suffered can sometimes become very compassionate to others. Shihara had a way with children, as one of the oldest residences at the orphanage she often looked after the younger children. She grew to love being useful and looking after the pure and innocent, helping them grow. She worked part-time at a nursery after school.

Thats where the story really begins. Twins join the nursery after their mother dies in childbirth and their father runs away from a broken heart, they are taken in my their young, handsome, news presenter Uncle. The twins don't get along with anyone and are hard to handle, especially for the very inexperienced Uncle/ Guardian, but Shihara has the magic touch. They adore her.
Once their Uncle sees how well she can handle them he immediately offers her a huge raise to become their babysitter.

A bizarre little family begins.

Beautiful story and art. Theres currently 99.1 chapters so the relationships really do develop in a life like manner. You see each character grow, the children get older and begin to get their own little personalities. Shihara considers her future more seriously as her time at the orphanage grows near to an end and also her feelings for the twins and their Uncle become more complicated as time goes on.

I completely recommend this manga to anyone looking for a heart warming, problem solving, romance riddled story!
One of my Top 20. (I'll make the offical list sometime soon)

Author/Artist; Kouchi Kaeda
Released; September 2011
Status; Ongoing
Genres; Comedy, Drama, Romance, Shoujo, Slice of Life

MANGAFOX RANK; 69TH