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lavendermarch's review against another edition
3.0
There were some elements of this that I really liked, such as the main character, and his friend Shota, and the MC's family. I thought the inclusion of leukemia added some nice depth to the story as well. However, the romance (what little there is so far, which is basically none) honestly didn't really work for me. So not sure if I'll continue the series, but an okay start. 3 stars.
toebean5's review against another edition
3.0
It's cute- not yotsuba cute, but high school kids sort of cute.
clowdywings's review against another edition
4.0
Charming and an unexpected slice of life. It’s also humorous with endearing characters. I’m in no rush to read the rest since the story isn’t really compelling and is just little pieces of stories.
clowdywings's review
4.0
This one got a little crazy.
It’s really amazing that the girl’s manga got to be a play. The acting elements were done in a funny way. It did get a little intense because of one character, though.
I don’t get why the “bitch” parts are funny. It was kind of stupid.
It’s really amazing that the girl’s manga got to be a play. The acting elements were done in a funny way. It did get a little intense because of one character, though.
I don’t get why the “bitch” parts are funny. It was kind of stupid.
laurbits's review
5.0
The school play and Harutaro starting his comic with Mikuni- I cannot be more in love with this series!
mrswythe89's review against another edition
4.0
Oh my gosh, so cute, so cute, so cute! I picked this up in Borders to read over lunch, not expecting much: while I really enjoyed Antique Bakery, I haven't been that blown away by Fumi Yoshinaga's other stuff. But this is so adorable! The main character and his mochi best friend and the creepy otaku and the teachers and Fumi Yoshinaga's delicate handling of subtleties of relationships and life in general, oh yay. I love all the characters madly, and the short comic at the end about Majima attending Comiket is absolutely hilarious. Beautiful Life in a Trappist Convent is the greatest title for a manga ever. I'm definitely picking up the next volume.
mrswythe89's review
4.0
Still as charmed as I was when I read the first volume. Harutaro is such a doll!
Things I liked: otaku boy's explanation of all things yaoi, shoujo manga creator girl's learning to stick to her guns and draw the kind of manga she wanted to. The shoujo manga girl's awkward old-skool style. Harutaro's sister. Shota's dad.
Thing I disliked: the "man's fantasy" stuff. Obviously Majima's shouting "you bitch!" and the crowd cheering him on were supposed to be funny, but it made me uncomfortable. Maybe I'm oversensitive? Shoujo manga girl's outburst made me feel a little better, but it was still an ucky bit in an otherwise highly enjoyable manga.
Things I liked: otaku boy's explanation of all things yaoi, shoujo manga creator girl's learning to stick to her guns and draw the kind of manga she wanted to. The shoujo manga girl's awkward old-skool style. Harutaro's sister. Shota's dad.
Thing I disliked: the "man's fantasy" stuff. Obviously Majima's shouting "you bitch!" and the crowd cheering him on were supposed to be funny, but it made me uncomfortable. Maybe I'm oversensitive? Shoujo manga girl's outburst made me feel a little better, but it was still an ucky bit in an otherwise highly enjoyable manga.
mrswythe89's review against another edition
3.0
Flower of Life is a difficult one -- I love the bits about Hanazono's school life, his friendship with Mikuni and his classmates. The story about Takeda going shopping with Hanazono's classmates made me clutch at my chest and go AWWW. They pick out nice clothes for her! They have tea and gossip! But the fact that they go shopping and do girly things together doesn't change Takeda; she doesn't have any interest in clothes at all after that. I love that. I mean, it sounds obvious that one shopping trip shouldn't change a person, but so many stories have "geek girl lets down hair and becomes interested in things feminine, as is only natural" scenes that it's refreshing to have one story that goes "geek girl allows herself to be all prettied up, but then reverts right back to form".
Also I love that the girls then tactfully choose to split up next time so that everyone can have fun shopping, instead of Takeda and the girls boring each other. EEE. They're so sweet!
And I loved the Christmas party story and I loved the one where Hanazono fights with Mikuni over Artistic Differences, but then they make up, and Hanazono's view of the fight is drawn in old-school shounen manga style. So so cute!
But. But. The subplot with the teacher and the otaku makes me uncomfortable. I don't really know what to think of it. I think the fact that it's mostly being played for laughs, while at the same time we're getting a look into how the teacher feels and she's taking it completely seriously ... man, I don't know. I wouldn't say the subplot's totally spoiling my fun, but if not for that I'd be able to give it 4 stars. As it is, I think I'll be squinting my way through the bits about the teacher and her affair with the otaku all through the series.
Also I love that the girls then tactfully choose to split up next time so that everyone can have fun shopping, instead of Takeda and the girls boring each other. EEE. They're so sweet!
And I loved the Christmas party story and I loved the one where Hanazono fights with Mikuni over Artistic Differences, but then they make up, and Hanazono's view of the fight is drawn in old-school shounen manga style. So so cute!
But. But. The subplot with the teacher and the otaku makes me uncomfortable. I don't really know what to think of it. I think the fact that it's mostly being played for laughs, while at the same time we're getting a look into how the teacher feels and she's taking it completely seriously ... man, I don't know. I wouldn't say the subplot's totally spoiling my fun, but if not for that I'd be able to give it 4 stars. As it is, I think I'll be squinting my way through the bits about the teacher and her affair with the otaku all through the series.
misssusan's review against another edition
3.0
today i have learned a lesson about prejudice
i have ignored this series for ages because yaoi! yaoi which does hyper heteronormativity without even giving me a girl to root for! no i refuse, nyet, nyet, i will not have my fumi yoshinaga love so tainted
oh miss susan, where is your faith? did you really think fumi yoshinaga was going to write the stereotypical seme/uke tale of rape culture? shame on you, what kind of fan do you even call yourself
this is my longwinded way of saying this is hella cute and i should really work on that kneejerk reaction i have against yaoi
i mean honestly, as though there isn't terrible shoujo out there. do we judge shoujo by the likes of miki aihara? no we do not unless we want to hear miss susan give a ten minute enthusiastic lecture on better examples of shoujo to read
do we know why we have suddenly switched pronouns? mysteries!
anyways i'm actually not sure if this is gonna go the full yaoi? it's more gen slice-of-life with subtext atm. but either way i entirely approve of hanazono/mikuni. hanazono is highly relatable here, mikuni is ridiculously cute and i'm pretty sure i'd also end up doing p much anything he asked
3 stars
i have ignored this series for ages because yaoi! yaoi which does hyper heteronormativity without even giving me a girl to root for! no i refuse, nyet, nyet, i will not have my fumi yoshinaga love so tainted
oh miss susan, where is your faith? did you really think fumi yoshinaga was going to write the stereotypical seme/uke tale of rape culture? shame on you, what kind of fan do you even call yourself
this is my longwinded way of saying this is hella cute and i should really work on that kneejerk reaction i have against yaoi
i mean honestly, as though there isn't terrible shoujo out there. do we judge shoujo by the likes of miki aihara? no we do not unless we want to hear miss susan give a ten minute enthusiastic lecture on better examples of shoujo to read
do we know why we have suddenly switched pronouns? mysteries!
anyways i'm actually not sure if this is gonna go the full yaoi? it's more gen slice-of-life with subtext atm. but either way i entirely approve of hanazono/mikuni. hanazono is highly relatable here, mikuni is ridiculously cute and i'm pretty sure i'd also end up doing p much anything he asked
3 stars
misssusan's review
2.0
2 much majima 2 handle
i know the 'man's fantasy' stuff is meant to be funny but uck. i don't need that misogyny in my fluff manga
sumiko is great though. :D someone who tells majima off! a girl after my own heart
2.5 stars
i know the 'man's fantasy' stuff is meant to be funny but uck. i don't need that misogyny in my fluff manga
sumiko is great though. :D someone who tells majima off! a girl after my own heart
2.5 stars