First of all, IMHO, the only reason a manga-fan would not read this (at least once) besides personal prejudice would be the art. The art improves as the series progresses, but it is still 1996 josei art and thus crude. But I find that as you read it, the art bothers you less and less and eventually you come to appreciate the simplicity.

That said, the characters here are wonderful. Their interactions are what drives the plot, and each of them is unique in his or her way. The main character especially evolves so much... from a naive college student to a girl who is ready to grasp what she wants, all while keeping what makes her who she is inside. I have to admit, the brilliance of the entire manga is based on the subtle/unsubtle development of the main character, who is quite likeable.

NOTE: To those that say she is unrealistic in that she doesn't "fail" anything, I would have to disagree. First of all, she is talented, so she has some groundwork. But more than anything, I think what the author is saying is that if you really put your heart into something like Yuu does, nothing will feel like a failure. It just becomes a step on the staircase toward your dream. So yes, it's kind of cheesy, but not overly so, at least, for a manga of this length.

The side characters as well are well-developed. You get the sense that they each have their own dreams and goals, or if they don't, they develop them, rather than just being decorations for the plot to seem more full. Each character has their own motives and even reasons for lack of motivation, and the way the author weaves them into her plot is very slice-of-life. While the empathy will probably always lie within the main character in this one, the realism of all the characters will hold you for a long time. This manga is one of those mangas that, without the help of an episodic plot or and event-driven plot, defines itself as a character-driven slice-of-life, which is quite amazing.

The plot is just... good. There is nothing bad to say about it, nor is there any extraordinary about it. The premise of the story itself seems simple. A country girl is exposed to how life really is and struggles to find her dream. It is realistic, however, being that is driven by realistic characters.

Overall, I would probably read this manga again if I had the time. It's one of those mangas that sticks in my mind amongst the 1000+ manga I have read (yes, that includes oneshots), and every once in a while, I just have to go back and read it. It's a classic. It seems so simple, but the ideas beneath it are profound.

Read it. Preferably in one go or else you'll find yourself strangely uneasy. There are no filler chapters, you see.

It seems like it has a lot of shoujo undertones, but I don't really believe that is the case. It's more of the natural optimism that you need to face life and do the best that you can. But shoujo fans, don't be discouraged. If you're open to try new things, just try it.

... Last updated on June 28th, 2012, 10:10am

..but my review will most likely mirror the majority.

This was one of the best stories I have read so far by a mangaka of this genre. It is simplistic, yet awe-inspiring enough that it makes you want to reread it once you've completed the series (trust me, I reread this countless times).

I would like to point out to those who have been severely disappointed by the romance in this series that this is a romantic josei manga. Personally, I see josei as a genre that reflects more on maturation of character first then love life second. It isn't like shoujo where mangakas enshrine love and place a large emphasis on it when concocting a plotline. Josei focuses on growth on a more inherent level - it's more focused on self-identity, self-love and it's supposed to be more reflective of reality.

This manga embodies most (if not all) of these elements to make it a great story. It is about a girl called Yuu who tries to identify herself through her love of theatre and the stage. It's a journey of self-growth, where she discovers who she is and what she's great at, therefore leading to her uncovering her talent. The story focuses on her manifesting this talent to make a name for herself in the world of theatre - it isn't about petty love rivalries nor does it opine superficial values such as physical appearance. Many mangas tend to have characters who have this internal monologue with themselves about how ugly they are which generally leads to them having a major physical transformation. It's such an overused plotline!

My overall rating for this manga is: 9.8 out of 10
Plotline: 10 (pretty damn original if I do say so myself. Most often you find the protagonist pursuing an acting job in stories like this.. Yuu does early in the series, but she changes her preference fast to grow another talent)
Characters: 10 (Touya shows that he is distinctly human [even snapping at Yuu sometimes]; the directness and honesty of Yuu makes her so endearing.. even people who supposedly take on an antagonistic role are loveable because they are flawed)
Aesthetic appeal: 9 (I am probably biased as I am sure there are plenty more mangas with infinitely better drawings than this. However, I find that using such a simple art style allowed us to focus on the story instead of being constantly distracted by the drawings so it suited this manga perfectly)
Personal enjoyment: 10

.............because it does not need nasty characters to make the plot thrive, the drama isn't hyped with sound effects and the main girl, though has two hunks on her tow, doesnt have more than that..sure, there are the cliches but - then this would be an amazing manga indeed! The mangaka knows her business, does not pretend that she knows everything and excessively blast the manga with dramatic imagery, she succeeds to impress even an experienced eye to enjoy the manga and be caught on...I rarely read manga nowadays getting tired of all the cliches and lack of new ideas- but this has brought me back to the manga world...

For some reason I like the art. I guess it's because I have some interest in the longer faces and the Josei art style. This storyline is also thought provoking and it brings all of the passion that goes into acting and storytelling to the surface. All of the characters are incredibly strong people, including the main heroine (which is unusual for a manga like this). And the best part about this series is that it doesn't rely on bishonen, romance, or cheap gimmicks to be amazing.

... Last updated on August 28th, 2009, 2:48am

In the vein of other great works like Cat Street and Mars, Ashita no Ousama is a subtle, slow-paced story of a small-town girl striving for her dreams. Pit against all sorts of insurmountable odds, Yuu's unsinkable spirit and steel nerve eventually (I'll spoil it for you) pave the way to success. I think what I loved most about this manga - about any josei manga, really - is the absence of whiny, overpowering romance. Like many other things in this manga I really have to applaud the mangaka's skilled use of undertone and her delicacy with structure; not too much tragedy, not too much humour, not too much heaviness that cumulatively makes for a light yet thought-provoking read. It starts off slow, and remains so at a steady but consistent pace. This is a story that stays with you.

... Last updated on October 31st, 2011, 7:53am

Mmmh... I felt that this story was very interesting because it was about the personal growths of everyone in it and how their various interactions and personalities affected how they evolved. And also, how they managed to face all the obstacles with the help of others.

Also, it was fun as it was mainly from the viewpoint of a character who has the drive and determination to succeed. I wouldn't say that she had everything easy but rather, through her hard work, stubbornness and belief in herself, she managed to overcome life's obstacles instead of being bogged down by everything else.

And I was really glad that there wasn't too much romance or drama in this story because love conflicts usually don't play out that well, if you're trying to aim for a serious and "not too dramatic" approach towards a storyline. There was, of course, a bit of romantic tension but it was just enough to propel the storyline and not enough to drag it down.

Also, I think one of the points the author was trying to illustrate through Kina was that sometimes, it doesn't pay to sacrifice everything for a person and that you don't always get what you want because love isn't always about "how long you've been there", "the amount of sacrifices" but "how well you connect" and "how much of the person you're actually looking at".

That said, it was quite well-done and interesting. My only issue was that there just weren't enough of the "scenes from plays" being shown but that's okay because it's all from the viewpoint of a director, no?

... Last updated on March 8th, 2010, 2:09pm

I love Glass Mask and thus would not think another acting manga would be as good, but this is amazing. I love the simplistic drawing style, and the innocence of the main character. What I love the most is the realism of the whole manga. It could be something that really happened. Nothing is forced and the progression is very natural. You know how sometimes it just seems ludicrous how the female lead is liked by more than one guy? Well here it seems completely normal. You can see how things change and you can tell what's going to happen, but it's so natural and so normal that you end up believing the whole bit. There's no extra emotions, no grand gestures. However, somewhere along the way it got addicting... very addicting... File this under the MUST READ category.

... Last updated on November 17th, 2009, 10:49am

Ashita no Ousama is like this for me:

Volume 1 .... Boooooring
Volume 2 .... Okay, things are starting to get interesting
Volume 3 .... Moving along nicely...
Volume 4 .... Alright, alright, you got me. I'm officially hooked.

... Last updated on October 5th, 2009, 8:57pm

i'll start off by saying that the manga was enjoyable. it was a light read, and i liked that the romance wasn't overly heavy. it may get boring to some people, but i think it suit the overall feel of this manga where the focus was on her directing.

however, as far as the plays went and the realism in that direction, i think this manga fell short. though it may seem like the heroine works very hard, tries her best, goes through a ton of hardships, etc. you never really see her FAIL anything. almost everything she has done with directing has been received well in some manner or another which i disliked. it was kind of mary sue.

overall, somewhat enjoyable and realistic in some ways but not in others.

If you begin reading this with hopes of a shorter Glass Mask, throw those expectations away and start with a blank slate.
In Ashita no Ousama, Yuu's dream begins to take shape within the first few pages. As the well paced story develops so does her dream. Instead of a heroine with a narrow view of a perceived dream, Yuu is willing to widen, or switch roads altogether, to find her true dream and achieve it. She shows both the dependency on peers and self-relience that anyone would expect from a college student who dives headfirst into a world she's never experienced before.
As for the romance between Yuu and Ishii, it takes a distant second place to the plots' focus. Don't be put off by this if you're a romance reader; the subtleness of it adds to the manga's attraction.