User rating of this review - 3 out of 5
Story/Plot - 3 out of 5
Characters - 4 out of 5
Drawing Style - 4 out of 5
Enjoyment - 4 out of 5
Overall - 4 out of 5
Plot/Story
Coming from Hiroshima's country side Yamato finally reaches tokyo where he is to start a new life at a new high school. He is to stay at his aunt's house which is a public bath and an all girls dorm. On his way to the dorm he is stunned by a beautiful girl practicing the high jump. When he finally reaches the dorms he meets his very cute cousin (Miho), two extremely sexy university students (Saotome & Megumi), and the lovely beauty who was practicing her high jump (Suzuka). A few ecchi moments later and you have the beginning of a long and crazy high school life.
Characters
Yamato Akitsuki is clumsy and careless stuck in a forbidden "flower garden" surrounded by beautiful girls. A perfect recipe for some very exciting ecchi moments.
Suzuka Asahina goes to the same high school as Yamato. Unlike Yamato though (who barely got into the school) she was scouted for the track and field team. So far she doesn't seem to like Yamato to much and his clumsiness doesn't see to be helping the relationship.
Miho Fujikawa, also known as the princess, gets bossy when Yamato is around. But even though she is bossy it seems she really likes Yamato Onii-chan. Maybe more than she lets on.
Yuuka Saotome is a university student who's very flirtatious and very sexy. Nosebleeds anyone? She'll most likely be causing them, so get your napkins handy.
Megumi Matsumoto, another university student who seems to have boy troubles... not for the reason you would think. It seems most guys concentrate more on her breasts than the girl who is attached to them.
Ayano Fujikawa owns the public bath/womens dorm. The aunt of Yamato, she makes sure she uses this new man of the dorms to do most of the work around the house.
There are a few more characters such as Miki, Honoka, Yasunobu, Souichi but I didn't want to give to much information just enough to coninside with the first chapter.
Drawing Style
I do like the drawing style but it isn't honestly anything spectacular. Definitly alot of ecchi moments borderline to the hentai. Getting passed the nosebleed moments some of the characters seem to be styled from other mangas. So in the long run the style is good just nothing that got me asking for more. (well that is except the boobs... boobs...)
Enjoyment
I have the first volume of this manga since last year... I slowly read it (I'm poor at reading Japanese...no I'm terrible). It was ok but nothing that I couldn't put off to read again later. The story so far is very weak and almost tiresome really. I do suggest reading though but don't suspect anything new from a story that seems vaguely familiar.
Overall
When I first read this manga it had a lot of similarities to a very popular manga already loved by millions. As soon as you read Animewaves first release of this manga (which is why I decided to do this review) you'll understand exactly what I'm talking about. Suzuka has sort of the same premise as Love Hina. Both mangas done by different artists it almost seems that Kouji Seo was a fan of Love Hina as well. Of course that doesn't mean you shouldn't check it out. Suzuka is a bit more ecchi and also seems like it may progress in storyline. Serialization of the manga has just started last year (3/3/04) and Shonen Magazine has announced a TV adaptation to be made (I believe it may already be started). So keep reading and see what happens.
For Love Hina
I saw the anime at least a good 7 to 8 times
I read the manga at least a good 3 to 4 times
They both have a bathing dorm
They both have a main character (guy) who is surrounded by girls
The main character (guy) also fells in love with the main character (girl) at first site.
Oh wait, did it? Hmmmm, no. Keitaro liked Naru but not at first site. Perhaps a strong interest in her due to where they met and what happened but definitely not 'Love at first site' and then persue type of story.
I can go on forever and tell you the difference but after re-reading your review...
I highly suggest you never to make a review until you can read Japanese better and make review on things that you finished doing/reading/etc.
You only make a fool of yourself to others in making reviews on incomplete mangas or animes or whatever. You think the plot is only so-so because the resemblence to Love Hina? Well, thats because the story never progressed long enough for you to see the truth. A lot of times, many things resembles here or there. As much as I like saying they all took it from somewhere else. Well, perhaps there was influences from other sources but even without plots that have similarity will show up. Theres only so many different plots you can make up.
Oh yeah, last thing, if you call this border line Hentai. Obviously, you have not read any border line Hentai. Other than a few random crashes to the bath, Megumi randomly shows off her boobs when shes drunk, there isn't much. Especially after you get pass those few chapters. A lot of artist is like that, their manga sometimes start off with a bit more ecchi stuff but as the manga progresses it usually loses some of these ecchi-ness.
Overall, review rating 1
Love Hina huh? Well to be honest, i don't see it at all, Love Hina, a Haremish Romp. While this one he has 2 to 3 girls in the series. Although Love Hina was great, it's sense of seriousness was never... Well.. Real! Suzuka, was Realistic, down to a T, to be honest, i like it so much better than Love Hina, and I don't think the Mangaka really Thought for one second while making this: That sounds like a great Idea to make it Love Hina-ish
at first you could think about "love hina" but after yamato first confesion the whole storie become more serious and because of that even if i like "love hina" i fell that you are being unfair and offensive with Suzuka
... Last updated 17 years ago
I agree when i finished reading it I asked myself what was the point of this!
This review isn't very indicative of the complete plot. As you read further, there is much less relation to Love Hina. At first, I was doubtful of the awesomeness of this series, but as I read further, there was a different feel to this than other stories. I fell in love with the complex relationships that developed. I highly recommend this story to everyone. It gets much, much better when you get deeper into it.
Some people have already started asking me, "you have the first volume?". Let me just set the record straight... I don't have a volume of Suzuka. =D I've been reading the manga in Shonen Magazine. I have all the issues so far so to me it feels more like a volume... if that makes sense. Anyway I'm reading now Shonen Magazine 2005 Vol 10 which has Suzuka of course where they are going to a karaoke bar, etc etc. Anyway I thought I should make that clear so that people don't get confused.
