Hi,
I'm looking for a manga (completed or with at least one release) with the below criteria. Please recommend if you know. Thanks in advance! (sorry if it's hard).

Female protagonist:
- very smart, but plays dumb and yet help others to solve their problems or etc in a twisted way (it somehow works out or "she was right in a way")
- does not stand out nor wants to stand out; just average-looking
- has one or two good friends (i.e. not the popular/glamorous type that garners many people's attention and affection)
- just want to have an average normal life
- if she does fall in love, she does not show it (i.e. no random blushes, etc) and she does not pursue it (i.e. too much trouble, or let it be how it will be attitude)

Setting:
- preferably a school setting (middle school and higher) if possible (I'm also interested in other settings too)

Genre:
- Preferably slice of life
- If any romance, it should be subtle or not the dominant aspect of the manga.

No hentai, shotacon, lolicon, rape, harem (or reverse harem or love polygon), mecha, horror.

This request is bizarrely specific with weirdly unrelated requirements. I might come up with my ideal manga as well, but don't expect that it exists.

Seems pretty much like Kyoko in Skip Beat
or how about Adachi Hana in Yanki-kun to Megane-chan ?

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This World May Not What Everyone Thought

How about Kiri from Beauty Pop. Maybe not the 'smart' type you seek, but she has talent and skill at hairstyling but doesn't show it.

I don't think Adachi Hana is 'smart but play dumb'... the way she solves the problems is somehow weird, but she's not smart, nor skillful.

Another one might be Kanoko from Warau Kanoko-sama and the sequel, Koi dano Ai dano. I can say she's smart one and quick-witted. Other requirements seems fit as well.

Last edited by p3pelepe at 12:32 am, Jul 22 2012

Finding a smart male acting dumb is hard enough, I wish you good luck if you want to find a female whith the same attributes.

The only character I can think of right now is Razel from Hatenkou Yuugi, she is smart, a bit eccentric, always find a way to be in a pinch and has a weak magic in comparison the other cast, but know how to use it at her advantage. She does'n go to school either.
But the isn's actually acting as if the was dumb. It's more like she is smart or dumb according to the situation. Oh, but she has the ability to lie.

Doll Star
Though she doesn't act 'dumb' she acts crazy....or maybe is crazy idk XD she solves people's problems though

Arisa
Parts of this manga correspond to your brief...like the helpful person and the acting part so may be useful.

I don't know... try Gokusen.

That's exactly what im looking for too!

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Ciel (fits everything except the average-looking part)

Thank you for recommending. I hope to get more recommendations if you have more.

Some of the recommended titles, I have been aware of their names (at the very least).
- Gokusen and Skip Beat -- I will give them another try. I will give the other titles a try as well.

- Hatenkou Yuugi: I stopped around the first or second episode because I couldn't get into the anime --- is the manga very different?

For Doll Star -- can anyone private message me or put it as a spoiler -- I want to know what the "horror" level is. I don't like seeing gore or blood (ok for blood as long as it's black and white and no colour.)

I watched the anime Hatenkou Yuugi years ago and I know it was pretty confusing at the beginning.

The manga is quite different.
First the drawing is "angular", but it get better afterwards. Then they decided to make the events in the anime completely different from the manga.

Anyway, that depend on your taste. Why couldn't you get into the anime?