Well, if you like extreme drama/trauma and don't mind a female main character who repeatedly has affairs with married men, go right ahead. NOT my thing, however.

________________
"[English] not only borrows words from other languages; it has on occasion chased other languages down dark alley-ways, clubbed them unconscious and rifled their pockets for new vocabulary."
-James Nicoll, can.general, March 21, 1992

Argh! Another FAIL!!! Not Nana. No Nana. I met Kana! K-aana! Argh! *smacks self* read next time!

Okay, I'm curious. Which character has affairs with married men?

LOL...not sure which "Kana" you're talking about, so no opinion on that one.


One of the Nanas...I think it's an early chapter, I read it in Shojo Beat or something, I think she's at art school, talking to a friend, and there's something about her breaking up with "another married man" (or else he breaks up with her), something like that. Turned me off 100% right from there.

________________
"[English] not only borrows words from other languages; it has on occasion chased other languages down dark alley-ways, clubbed them unconscious and rifled their pockets for new vocabulary."
-James Nicoll, can.general, March 21, 1992

Ahhh, I vaguely remember that. I got about 5 volumes into Nana and dropped it. Waaay too much drama for me.

- All of Hwang Mi Ri's works (I'm looking at you especially, Cutie Boy! -avoids ranting-)
- All of Shinjo Mayu's works (No explanation needed.)
- Midnight Secretary
- Boku wa Kiss de Uso wo Tsuku (Boring. Predictable. Hell, I was able to guess who the mystery guy was before I even passed the first chapter cover--somehow, I managed to read it in full...but still XD.)
- Hana to Akuma (AGH! I dropped it around 30~40 chapters in or so, but when I found out that
- Arina Tanemura (I have been a fan of hers, however, she just recycles her love-plots, and character profiles way too much. Not to mention practically all of her short stories are totally bland, and the only saving grace is the art =____=.)
Penguin Revolution - I tried to read it. I tried. But the beginning just could not pull me in no matter how many times I tried to force myself to go on with it. Her shorts aren't too great either, however I do like Land of the Blindfolded, and Yoroshiku Master (which is ironic, considering that I hate christmas XD).

shoujo's that aren't very popular or not as much as the ones above:

- PxP (had an interesting premise, but poorly executed, and it was too short.)
- Random Walk (*walks to a concrete wall to smash head in*)

Moe Kare!!...
It's not a bad series, but I just can't stand indecisive heroines...=.=

________________

Vampire Knight and Shugo Chara. Worst things I every tried to read.

Anything by Yuu Watase is usually a bit iffy for me (though there are exceptions). I just don't really like her style when it comes to romance in general.

I also don't see anything remarkable about Kaichou wa Maid-sama. Apart from the maid outfits, it's pretty much just like every other shoujo out there.



Last edited by carlemb at 3:09 am, Feb 17 2011

Okay, so I've noticed that a lot of people are hating on Watase Yuu, and I can understand that because I dislike a lot of of her shoujo manga for the same reasons. And I know this is a bit off topic, but Sakura Gari was probably one of the best yaoi I've ever read, and written by a popular shoujo artist AKA her, no less!

I think most people can agree on Shinjo Mayu's stuff. And then there's Tanemura Arina, though I have to admit that her art can get very pretty at times, compared to the two artists mentioned above.

Another popular shoujo I hated though was Special A as well. The lead couple were SUPER annoying. Hikari had a one track mind whenever it involved beating Kei in something, and Kei, well, he's the type of male lead that I dislike. Constantly teasing the heroine and pressing her buttons, not being more upfront with his feelings for her (even though she was dense), ect.

I loved Vampire Knight at first, but the plot just seemed to run in three different directions the further it got, which annoyed me.

Kaichou wa Maid-sama! was good at first too, but then the story seemed to lag along the line somewhere and I got bored.

Ah, and there was another manga called Switch Girl that seemed to be popular at some point. I tried reading it, and found myself hating the female lead. She was pretty and seemingly perfect at school, but when at home, she returned to being a slob and disgusting. I was REALLY put off by her strange habits and quit reading after she farted at some point. And as real as that may have been, that just killed it for me. I mean, Kare Kano's Yukino did the same thing, only she didn't exhibit such disgusting behaviour. (love that manga btw♥)

Hwang Mi-Ri is notorious (in my eyes), for making me hate EVERYTHING I've read by her. Her plots, characters, and don't even get me started on her art...

And though Midnight Secretary isn't a shoujo, but comes close to something popular, I just didn't like it. I tried reading it to see what the hype was all about, but I couldn't find anything about it that was worth reading.

________________


*__* I'll have what she's having... please~♥

The nice thing about me is I usually forget a series if I'm not particularly attached to it or I don't like it. Like my brain protects me from bad things. That said, reading these posts have brought up some rather horrifying moments in my short manga-reading history.

I agree with most people and for most of the same reasons.
Special A - It's just not happening. I was so relieved when I finally finished the anime.
Vampire Knight - That got lame so fast and I thought there was some potential.
Kyou, Koi wo Hajimemasu - I didn't realize And the chick was just annoying.
Hana Yori Dango - Yeah its pretty much a shojo staple but I couldn't get past the art enough to enjoy the story.
Absolute Boyfriend - He is a robot. I can't make it any more clear. That should just not happen.
Paradise Kiss - Before it ended I really did enjoy it. And then it ended and I couldn't stand it even if I understood it.
Barajou no Kiss - I read the first few chapters but I couldn't get past that.
The One - I honestly liked it at first but now it's all weird and kind of overly ridiculous.
I don't usually hate a particular authors work but I can't stomach Shinjo Mayu like every second person here.

I do disagree on some of the more popular choices though. I will risk life and limb to defend Skip Beat!, Ouran High School Host Club, and Hana-Kimi. I just think they're awesome and adorable and I owe them a debt of gratitude for various personal reasons.

________________
*sigh* All the good ones are either gay or fictional. How does a girl catch a break?

Perpetual victim of the "saran-wrap-over-the-door" prank. Thanks bro.

Vampire Knight- Twilight ruined my love for Vampire Knight n also it's now dragging
Boys Over Flowers - I would the story if it wasn't for the art
B.O.D.Y. - bored me after they started dating

I'd forgotten about this one! SAME! It was so boring afterward. The author should have taken some time into developing before they "fell in love". *sigh*

________________

I ♥ Shoujo!

Nana does not have repeated affairs with married men in the manga. In fact, it's rather misleading for you to say so and turn off another reader without entirely knowing what's going on. A very young Nana Komtasu does indeed sleep with a married man early in the manga, and she realizes a little later down the road that it was a mistake. It's one of many mistakes that she makes, which is what makes NANA such a good read. Some may think the story a tad over-dramatic, which is a fair critique, but I love NANA for many of the other things it does well.

Seriously, anyone who has quit reading Hana Yori Dango because of the art should go back. It's a shame to pass up something so good simply because you didn't like the art, which isn't so much bad as it is dated. You get used to it quickly and it gets better in the later volumes. I still kick myself sometimes for having passed on it early on when I couldn't get past the artwork either. It's one of few shoujos that I've actually read more than once.

Last edited by lambchopsil at 8:40 am, Feb 17 2011

Here they come:

1. Bokuga Ga Ita. I completely ignore why everyone says that it's one of the best. I simply hate it because is so maddening, is full of misunderstandings, Yano is an idiot and Nanami is still loving him :S. That pisses me off. I don't see romance, I see a lot of people with no self-esteem.

2. Peach Girl. I only watched the anime, but it was enough.

3. Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge (aka The Wallflower). I watched it with the hope of see some romance, but just Sunako desperate me. Ok, that thing with the guy was traumatic, but sincerely: who of us haven't been offended? Being called fatty, ugly, nerdie and blablabla is so common. A rejection isn't the end of the world. And the sin is worse because she's surrounded by bishies and doesn't take advantage. . .

4. Skip Beat!. I'm still reading it. Sincerely, I like it until 150's because it was the perfect mix of love and comedy. But please, we want ''that'' to happen. And everything about Ren annoys me. I know we have to know about his past, but they're making it soooo long. And the funniest characters are lost (Sho and the Beagle). The plot was forgotten.

5. Vampire Knight. This is my favorite anime/manga, but deserved to be here for only one reason: WE NEED EXPLANATIONS AND FACTS!

If I remember more, I'll write them.