After hearing such critical and rather negative reviews of this, I wanted to read this and judge it for myself. One of the main complaints that I've noticed from readers is that the language is too juvenile but I honestly don't have a problem with it. Some parts may seem a bit choppy, idealized, and rushed but overall, I feel that it's alright.

The ShinoguxHatsumi pairing is played out well in this. It portrays innocence, longing, and insecurity that is of Hatsumi's and Shinogu's nature as opposed to the RyokixHatsumi dynamic of sex and forcefulness/dominance. You shouldn't expect really anything of the physical genre found in the original manga here. The only thing that I'm rather disappointed with was that the amount of illustrations was rather limited.

I really wanted to read this because of the alternate ending it offered to Hot Gimmick. But the whole thing read like a bad play without much stage direction. There was simply too much dialog and that seemed too forced. This has been done better in fan fiction. This really needed to be offered in graphic novel format in order to be readable.

It wasn't exactly written by Miki Aihara, although she did have an extra comic just for this alternate ending. I like how it shows the different relationship she has with Shinogu in contrast to her relationship with Ryoki. But I don't think they pulled her switch from Ryoki to Shinogu really well. It wasn't a smooth transition, and seemed impulsive and I felt there wasn't a very strong basis for Hatsumi's rejection of Ryoki. Hatsumi doesn't even develop much at the end in the manga, but I think due to her being with Ryoki I like to think of it as the manga ending actually showing the potential for both Ryoki and Hatsumi to grow together. In the novel version, since Shinogu was the main guy I expected to see a little more into him, but his character wasn't that much expanded on and he didn't have a development I thought he should have to getting with Hatsumi and all... In this instance, as Hatsumi and Ryoki could have afforded to be a little more child like and immature, both Shinogu and Hatsumi I think should have matured as soon as their decision to be together was made. Well I guess not like it should have been an instant thing at that point but just so that they both within themselves decided to be this better person for each other and the way both Shinogu and Hatsumi are so overbearing, I think it'd be reasonable for them to be a little more awkward than they were, because they would both be all about being the best for one another. It was more talk and no actual action for me.

Ok, I read Hot Gimmick and then immediately read this afterward. And I will admit I think Shinogu is the best guy of all of them and I felt badly for him at the end of the manga. However, Ryouki didn't turn out to be all that terrible (just awful at showing it), so I did like the ending of the manga too.

The novel did feel to me like it was written for middle-schoolers, but having not read it in the original language, I take that with a grain of salt anyway. I don't think the writing style makes it unreadable though.

If you're a Shinogu fan, then you'll certainly like this story. If you're a Ryouki fan, you might read it just to find out the details of how Shinogu came to be with the Naritas and why the Naritas needed so much money. (It wasn't to raise Shinogu.) And Azusa fans, at least in this ending
The first chapter and the beginning of the second is a recap of major events in Hot Gimmick vol 1-11. The alternate timeline starts at what might've happened if Hatsumi hadn't run into Ryouki at the top of the stairs at the end.

I don't have a brother, and if I did, I doubt I could think of him that way either, but I do think that the situation was treated with delicacy and that the characters are still true to themselves in this story. In shoujo, don't we often suspend our disbelief with regards to romance? I don't see why we shouldn't do it here either. I think this ending was reasonably plausible, just as the original ending was.

... Last updated on August 4th, 2009, 10:51pm

This story is probably really appealling to those Shinogu x Hatsumi fans. It's an easy story to read and if you already read Hot Gimmick, then this differs where Ryoki and Hatsumi break up. So instead of meeting on the stairs and getting back together, in this verson that doesn't happen. All in all, it was a happier ending for Shinogu and you don't hear about Ryoki much.

I don't think that this novel is better because I don't like alternate endings wherein the female lead chooses a different partner in the end. I will prefer this novel if the writer stick to the OTP and show us the pov of the male lead. But since its a fanfiction i don't blame the writer. This novel only shows an alternate ending but failed to make character grow so overall I gave the story a score of 6.

... Last updated on May 18th, 2012, 3:16am

Ok, the actual manga itself did infuriate me (especially when I *hated* Ryoki), but yay for the novel! It seriously made my day lol, so Shinogu fans, indulge in this and especially learning more about not only Shinogu, but also some afterword of Akane and Asuza and all that. Wish this was an actual manga ending (sorry for being baised -.-)

... Last updated on April 15th, 2012, 5:51am

Didn't like it at all I like the original ending better. I don't think there was a point in reading this. How can someone fall for someone they thought as there their brother for so many years. impossible!! If i found out my brother wasn't my brother I'd still consider him my brother and nothing else. who would want this kind of ending. I like Ryoki. I love his aggressive ways. I wish she could continue the better version of Hot Gimmick

... Last updated on October 14th, 2010, 11:12am