How do you decide on which Shoujo to read next? Is it the art or is it the alluring plot summary?

For me, I kinda need both. For example, I hear that Hana Yori Dango is really good so I decided to give it a go, however I couldn't get past the first chapter T_T

But then again, I really disliked the Nana artwork style, but eventually fell in love with the art and story.

So what's your say?

I am a light shoujo reader so I like really interesting art with it. Shoujo can get extremely cliched in it's art style, so it is nice to some some fresh things. A good story will make me continue as well though.

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I'm mostly interested in the story. I can put up with mediocre art if the plot is particularly good, but there is a point at which I just give up.

How it normally goes when I'm selecting manga:

The cover art of a manga intrigues me. I flip the book over and read the summary. If the summary interests me, too, I'll skim the art style of the manga. Whether I read it depends on whether the summary and art live up to my standards.

But art isn't a huge issue, really. I try to be open-minded, so I do try out new styles. For example, Claymore. Sometimes, though... it's difficult.

also going with the plot and the art doesnt have to be the best just decent enough so you can watch but i would always have the better PLOT!!!

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I GOT SEOUL LIKE KOREA!!!

plot. Unless its a really ecchi manga like Sekirei. Then I just say "f**k plot, I wanta see some well-drawn boobs."

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Glados is a bitch. She made me kill the companion cube, the only friend I'll ever have. :cry:

Chibidoro-sama=Neko-freak

This is about SHOUJO! Go away if you're thinking shounen. You're spamming

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A just ruler amongst tyrants

woops, sorry. I shoulda looked more carefully. But for Shoujo, its gotta have good plot. If the art sucks, it doesnt really ruin it for me.

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Glados is a bitch. She made me kill the companion cube, the only friend I'll ever have. :cry:

Chibidoro-sama=Neko-freak

I consider the art the 'hook', but sometimes (or rather almost daily), I will go through the Releases area and look at the manga there. For shoujo, the 'hook' is based more on art while the shounen-type ones I am looking closer at story and possibly how interesting the characters are. I picked up shoujo manga where the pretty preview art hooked me, but the art quality was a little lower than that (even the mangaka for Kamikaze Kaitou Jeanne can't do 100% all the time or one like her would never sleep :haha or less appealing, and the story was only okay.

So despite the art, the manga will be rated by the story quality (which would probably be average or three stars) even if the art is good, but if it art had somehow been bad (and I knew it from the cover) without 'helping' the manga or it looks like the mangaka let bad quality art pass to meet a deadline (I read freetalks about them running on adrenaline to meet it), it hurts my enjoyment of the manga. I guess the feeling would probably be only fleeting though.

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Art for me has rarely (if ever) had a factor in what shoujo manga I read next. It's all about the plot for me.

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Not changing this sig until Square-Enix & Namco-Bandai collaborate to produce a "Tales of..." game (Feb 8, 2008).

A great series will have good art and good plot. I had the same problem with Hana Yori Dango when I first started reading it (the art made me crazy!), but then I revisited it a couple months later and after the first volume or so, the art ceased to bother me. I've also read series with fantastic art and terrible plot and I couldn't get through it. so overall, I think plot matters more. but art is a definite plus (since that means the guy is better looking. XD).

Art really can bother me, especially in a Shoujo. And in Shoujo sometimes I feel like the characters are in purgatory or some flowery meadow something because of artists who don't draw backgrounds for characters (or replace it with flowers blooming around characters), which really annoys me.

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This signature was recovered from Hades to serve in my rotting armies.

I know how you feel about the pretty art + no plot scenario, I find myself seeing that in a lot of manga too. But yeah, I still really can't get into Hana Yori Dango, I might as well watch the drama, lol. However, that mangaka's drawing really improved, and it is visibly clear in Cat Street, which I am reading ^^

As long as it has art I can tolerate, then I can manage. Doesn't have to be a masterpiece, but if it's OKAY, then yes.

HYD though... couldn't get past the first volume, no matter how good the story was. x__x;

Plot kicks Arts ass.

I don't care about the art. If I love the plot, then I could care less if the art was stick figures... (Well, I would care if they were stick figures...)

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Plot. The more interested in the plot that quicker I'll get around to reading it. Conversely the better the art the longer I'll give it a chance before declaring something unreadable.



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"Tu es responsable pour toujours de ce que tu as approvoise." Le Renard en "The Little Prince" Antoine de St. Exupery.