The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! 😌
akookieforyou's review
4.0
*3.75*
Bratz Readathon 2020
“This love is a secret.... It's love, but my heart is only filled with pain....”
Even though this story was short, it managed to pack quite the punch. This book grabbed my attention right away with the MC's (Anna) hidden feelings for her cousin, Reiji, and had me hooked until the end. The only real downside to this was the length, as I feel there should have been at least one more volume, to expand on the characters further. I have read Io Sakisaka's work previously (Strobe Edge, and Ao Haru Ride), and this wasn't as good as her later projects, but it's definitely worth the read, if only because of how great a character Rumi was (I actually started to ship Anna and Rumi together lol).
Bratz Readathon 2020
“This love is a secret.... It's love, but my heart is only filled with pain....”
Even though this story was short, it managed to pack quite the punch. This book grabbed my attention right away with the MC's (Anna) hidden feelings for her cousin, Reiji, and had me hooked until the end. The only real downside to this was the length, as I feel there should have been at least one more volume, to expand on the characters further. I have read Io Sakisaka's work previously (Strobe Edge, and Ao Haru Ride), and this wasn't as good as her later projects, but it's definitely worth the read, if only because of how great a character Rumi was (I actually started to ship Anna and Rumi together lol).
akookieforyou's review against another edition
4.0
*3.75*
“Why... You never spoke to me about this before... How much you're suffering. Why didn't you tell me about it? Why... is the person you fall for never me...”
I'm honestly pretty surprised that I enjoyed this as much as I did, especially considering how I didn't really care for Bye Bye Little by the same mangaka. I guess it's just because her storytelling abilities were greatly improved since then lolol.
Mascara Blues: 4 Stars
Definitely the best of the three oneshots! I really liked the interesting dynamic between our lead and her main love interest, as it's something that's rarely seen, and it was just done really well. The emotions of the characters were really shining through as well (or should I say "sparkling" lol), so much so that I myself got caught up in all of their feelings. And the MC was very likable, not because she starts off that way, but because she grows and becomes better throughout.
Draft of Romance: 3.75 Stars
I originally rated this one as a 4 star story, but I feel that it's just ever so slightly lesser than Mascara Blues. That being said, it's still very fun and enjoyable. The plot is a lot more typical for shoujo, shy girl likes popular guy, but the way it was written and drawn makes it stand out a bit more. And I personally really liked the love interest, he's so sweet to the MC, and it's just so heartwarming.
So I Can Be Myself -A Long Dream-: 2 Stars
There's always one short that drags the whole collection down, and sadly this one was it. Which is such a shame, because it deals with some interesting and important topics, but it didn't execute any of them well. We go through the whole oneshot knowing basically nothing about every single character, especially the MC. All we see is how she's constantly being bullied at school, but we don't get to see why until the very end, and because of that we never get really understand how all of this affected our MC. And don't even get me started on how bland and boring the romance was, especially when you compare it to the other two stories.
“Why... You never spoke to me about this before... How much you're suffering. Why didn't you tell me about it? Why... is the person you fall for never me...”
I'm honestly pretty surprised that I enjoyed this as much as I did, especially considering how I didn't really care for Bye Bye Little by the same mangaka. I guess it's just because her storytelling abilities were greatly improved since then lolol.
Mascara Blues: 4 Stars
Definitely the best of the three oneshots! I really liked the interesting dynamic between our lead and her main love interest, as it's something that's rarely seen, and it was just done really well. The emotions of the characters were really shining through as well (or should I say "sparkling" lol), so much so that I myself got caught up in all of their feelings. And the MC was very likable, not because she starts off that way, but because she grows and becomes better throughout.
Draft of Romance: 3.75 Stars
I originally rated this one as a 4 star story, but I feel that it's just ever so slightly lesser than Mascara Blues. That being said, it's still very fun and enjoyable. The plot is a lot more typical for shoujo, shy girl likes popular guy, but the way it was written and drawn makes it stand out a bit more. And I personally really liked the love interest, he's so sweet to the MC, and it's just so heartwarming.
So I Can Be Myself -A Long Dream-: 2 Stars
There's always one short that drags the whole collection down, and sadly this one was it. Which is such a shame, because it deals with some interesting and important topics, but it didn't execute any of them well. We go through the whole oneshot knowing basically nothing about every single character, especially the MC. All we see is how she's constantly being bullied at school, but we don't get to see why until the very end, and because of that we never get really understand how all of this affected our MC. And don't even get me started on how bland and boring the romance was, especially when you compare it to the other two stories.
annelives's review
3.0
2.50/5 stars
I have mixed feelings about this one. While I find it interesting that she's tackling some taboo subjects in this manga, it's still kind of bizarre.
This isn't nearly as good as Strobe Edge or Ao Haru Ride. The character development is nonexistent, which is unusual for her work, and the relationship building (whether of the romantic or friendship variety) felt rushed and out of sync. The artwork is ok, although not up to her current standards.
Lastly, the ending is rather abrupt. Also, I'm curious on how their family is going to react to their new found feelings for each other. I imagine family gatherings are going to be rather awkward.
I have mixed feelings about this one. While I find it interesting that she's tackling some taboo subjects in this manga, it's still kind of bizarre.
This isn't nearly as good as Strobe Edge or Ao Haru Ride. The character development is nonexistent, which is unusual for her work, and the relationship building (whether of the romantic or friendship variety) felt rushed and out of sync. The artwork is ok, although not up to her current standards.
Lastly, the ending is rather abrupt. Also, I'm curious on how their family is going to react to their new found feelings for each other. I imagine family gatherings are going to be rather awkward.
annelives's review against another edition
3.0
2.5/5 stars
This was a cute volume of one shots, but not Sakisaka's best work. I probably liked the first one, Mascara Blues, the best. The second one was ok, but kind of forgettable. The last one shot left me confused, because I'm not sure if the main character is transgender or intersex. The translation is a bit iffy and all we got was "gender lesion." I'm not entirely sure what that means. Regardless, it was a cute one shot with a happy ending.
This was a cute volume of one shots, but not Sakisaka's best work. I probably liked the first one, Mascara Blues, the best. The second one was ok, but kind of forgettable. The last one shot left me confused, because I'm not sure if the main character is transgender or intersex. The translation is a bit iffy and all we got was "gender lesion." I'm not entirely sure what that means. Regardless, it was a cute one shot with a happy ending.
serru's review
3.0
A rather unconventional subject matter for shoujo manga that rather poorly plays on the forbidden love trope, in this case, a girl in love with her cousin. (It should be noted that in Japan, I believe it is legal for first cousins to marry, but it is just not something that is commonly done.) Typical of shoujo manga, it focuses on the main character's internal monologue and emotions rather than how she might be viewed by society and the people around her. Not bad, but everything is resolved too neatly and easily.
thataprilgirl's review against another edition
4.0
Really loved all the 3 stories. Made my day :) They just kept getting better and better.
The first one was nice. The second one magical and the third one out of this world... I think I fell in love with this book.
The first one was nice. The second one magical and the third one out of this world... I think I fell in love with this book.
absentminded_reader's review
3.0
As I've followed Sakisaka's career from the beginning, there were two stories unavailable to read. No fan groups had scanlated them. So there is a three year jump between her last manga (Watashi no Koibito) and Blue. The 3 years make an enormous difference in her art style. Now the faces are more familiar.
Blue is a story of two kissing cousins without any kissing. There is another surprise/forbidden twist as well. It's a competent story, but uninspired. The romance, what there is of it, is strung out across four volumes in a plodding way. The conclusion is obvious from the beginning, but is artificially prolonged. The forbidden love feels shoehorned in, and the main character is far too passive. Even the art is uninspired. The most stunning pieces are chapter headers. Not a bad manga, but overall a bit average.
Still, the art saved the story for me, as did little moments of brilliance here and there. I especially enjoyed the sequence where Rumi threw her shoe at Reiji's back. And although the art was not as inspiring for me as some of Sakisaka's other work, the skill level was very professional, and her template for handsome boys' faces seems to have been settled on. It's worth a read.
Blue is a story of two kissing cousins without any kissing. There is another surprise/forbidden twist as well. It's a competent story, but uninspired. The romance, what there is of it, is strung out across four volumes in a plodding way. The conclusion is obvious from the beginning, but is artificially prolonged. The forbidden love feels shoehorned in, and the main character is far too passive. Even the art is uninspired. The most stunning pieces are chapter headers. Not a bad manga, but overall a bit average.
Still, the art saved the story for me, as did little moments of brilliance here and there. I especially enjoyed the sequence where Rumi threw her shoe at Reiji's back. And although the art was not as inspiring for me as some of Sakisaka's other work, the skill level was very professional, and her template for handsome boys' faces seems to have been settled on. It's worth a read.
absentminded_reader's review against another edition
3.0
Another anthology collection for Sakisaka. Not since Adachi have I encountered a mangaka who has done so many one shots. They are the labratory that she experiments in.
The first story, Mascara Blue, was excellent. I enjoyed the whole concept and how it was executed. It was the first storyline of Sakisaka's older work that felt fresh. She would have been doing manga for about 5-6 years professionally at this point. Her sequential paneling is masterful, especially in this first story. It is worth hunting down online to see for yourself.
The second story was alright. It was more typical, and I don't recall much about it, to be honest. But it was skillfully rendered.
The last story was a big disappointment. This was another forbidden love themed story, but Sakisaka worked so hard to hide the surprise that the reveal felt jarring. Not shocking, but more like "What the heck?". I had to go back and reread the story before continuing because the reveal came so far out of left field for me that I thought that I had missed something. Like her kissing cousin story, the story ended with the forbidden love being accepted, but it felt very superficially handled, likely because it was wrapped up too quickly. Perhaps others would read the story and spot the surprise right off from the beginning. At any rate, I didn't like the story and felt it ended without truly resolving any real issues (like why the hairstylist was ok with the reveal), but the art had moments that were notable.
The first story, Mascara Blue, was excellent. I enjoyed the whole concept and how it was executed. It was the first storyline of Sakisaka's older work that felt fresh. She would have been doing manga for about 5-6 years professionally at this point. Her sequential paneling is masterful, especially in this first story. It is worth hunting down online to see for yourself.
The second story was alright. It was more typical, and I don't recall much about it, to be honest. But it was skillfully rendered.
The last story was a big disappointment. This was another forbidden love themed story
Spoiler
(Think The Crying Game)venaisabella's review against another edition
3.0
I loved Mascara Blues. I'd give that 4 stars.
Draft of Romance probably 3 stars and So I Can Be Myself 3 stars. I did find the drawings overly cheesy at times. The tears during the confessions were a bit much. But I always find that I get less excited about couples getting together in one shots because they are so short. Overall, a cute collection of stories and beautiful artwork from Sakisaka Io.
Draft of Romance probably 3 stars and So I Can Be Myself 3 stars. I did find the drawings overly cheesy at times. The tears during the confessions were a bit much. But I always find that I get less excited about couples getting together in one shots because they are so short. Overall, a cute collection of stories and beautiful artwork from Sakisaka Io.
teki_p's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0