Like there's no real plot and just a collection of stories from everyday crossdresser life. They were quick to fall in love too. Not that I'm saying this manga is a competely worthless read. It's humorous, the art is fine and the characters are cool. If you like crossdressing manga and cliche jealousy trigger events- and comedy, boy oh boy someone's going to have fun with this manga.

Some bad points? The series consists of a collection of shoujo-typical plots and crossdresser anime dreams. Not much character development and it's also one of those stories where every person gets a girl/boy friend. It was pretty cliche-ed up actually.

But its got everything a shoujo really needs to entertain a general audience,so I'm guessing most of you are going to like this unless you're a I'm-too-picky-need-something-more-original-manga-critic.

... Last updated on May 6th, 2012, 11:57am

This manga is not for everyone. But for the people that it is for, it's pretty much everything you could want from a manga.

My advice for the people considering whether to read this manga: read the first 7 or 8 pages of Chapter 36 before you start at the beginning. Don't go further than the page where the bucket is thrown (a "story arc", if you could call it that, begins there), but do note the line on that page which reads, "This is all the more a gag manga". If you don't like this kind of manga, do yourself a favor and stay away. If, like me, you do like this kind of thing, start reading now - you will not regret it!

I've seen a few comments saying that this manga is not your typical shoujo manga. This is true...but only partially. It subverts, averts or otherwise plays with a lot of shoujo manga tropes, but certainly it's not the first manga that does that. What makes it stand out, in my opinion, is the fact that it doesn't completely parody shoujo manga - and so it pokes fun not only at the original genre but at the parodies as well. For example, often you'll find female leads who are terrible at cooking. So naturally a manga that plays with tropes would be expected to make the female lead a great cook, right? It follows that we'd expect Hinata to be either a great cook or a terrible one. As it turns out, her cooking is so completely normal that even her boyfriend comments on how mysteriously normal it is!

There is indeed a lot of fluffiness and romance and lovey-doveyness in this manga, but for the most part - and I think some people don't realize this - the romance is secondary to the comedy. Usotsuki Lily is a gag manga first and a romance manga second. This is important, so let me repeat that.

USOTSUKI LILY IS A GAG MANGA FIRST AND A ROMANCE MANGA SECOND.

Comedy is, of course, very subjective. Not everyone is going to enjoy Komura-sensei's brand of humor. The excerpt I refer to above is the kind of thing you're signing up for when you read this manga. The fourth wall starts crumbling in the first few chapters and is pretty much destroyed about ten to twenty chapters later. In the latest chapters Komura-sensei has been pulverizing the remains with a gusto that could only be matched by a crowd of East Germans armed with jackhammers. Indeed, she has become a sort of minor character in her own right. Now, when you break the fourth wall or insert yourself into your own work you have to be careful, or you'll come across as annoying (or worse). Komura-sensei manages this very well, with hilarious results. I no longer make the mistake of eating while reading this manga lest my laughter kill me.

Of course, a manga that lies entirely on fourth-wall-breaking for comedy is hardly worth reading. But that's not all this manga's got! The cast of characters is large and likable. It is true that they could be fleshed out a little bit more (especially Rui and Niko), but in a gag manga I don't think every single character needs to be developed in full detail. This is not high literature, after all - and each character does have some personality. Of the twenty-odd recurring characters, I find I dislike none of them! This is very unusual for me - countless manga have left bad tastes in my mouth because I take issue with one character or another (*cough*Special A*cough*). Hinata and En don't grate like so many romantic leads. They're referred to (endearingly, it must be admitted) as an "idiot couple" a few times in the manga, but there's plenty of couples who deserve that epithet thousands of times more than these two do. The side characters really add color to the story: you've got Kojirou who always acts like a samurai, Naota who's a bit of a sadist, Hinata's little brother Taiyou who's as close to the straight man of the manga as anyone's going to be, and more and more! Special mention should be made of the Shinohara family, whose members are refreshingly honest with themselves and with the world. Pretty much the first thing En's little brother Ten says is, "I like boys". The oldest brother An goes further: he proudly declares that he'll go for both guys and girls as long as they're cute!

But that's not to say the romance isn't there. It is, and it's really beautiful. En and Hinata really, really love each other - and they are secure in that love. Once in a while Hinata may come across as somewhat insecure, but deep down she knows that En loves her and won't waver. One thing should be mentioned, though. Pretty much all the romantic development occurs in the first two chapters. After that, while some events of a romantic nature occur, there's nothing significant. I don't think that's a bad thing, though. Why does there need to be more development? They are deeply devoted to each other, and there's absolutely no reason not to assume that they won't marry, procreate and die of old age in each other's arms. Hinata turned down En's latest love rival in one page. At this point I don't think it's possible or necessary for them to deepen their love. From the romance point of view, this manga should really be seen as the "happily ever after" part of the story. Honestly, I think that's a good thing. All that drama and heartbreak and insecurity that you see in some other manga can really get on my nerves, and it's pleasant and refreshing to read about a couple who simply loves each other.

Hinata herself is the kind of character that I wish would occur more often. She is definitely not the typical whiny, insecure, weak, shy and unstable shoujo manga heroine, yet she is also not the kind of character who's strong and self-reliant to a fault, typical of mangaka who want to get away from weak heroines. She is definitely not frail - she can hold En in her arms even though he's bigger than her - but sometimes she does need En to come in and save the day. (Thankfully, this is very rare.) She may worry when she gains weight, but she doesn't wallow in insecurity when another girl tries to steal En from her. She takes action, and boy did she leave my jaw hanging! In the end, though she may be boyish sometimes (she comments on how she loses to En in "girl power"), she is still a girl. Indeed, if you strip off the zany, comedic parts of her she comes across as more realistic than many manga characters I've seen.

En's case is similar. He's not the perfect, strong, cool, untouchable type, nor is he a weak pushover. He's not particularly popular among the girls (but he is popular among the guys, to his utter disgust), nor is he one of those rough delinquents who are tamed by their girlfriends. He's neither a prince nor a nerd. Admittedly, he is more in touch with his female side than some males (and not just because he crossdresses), but he's still a guy. He supports Hinata when she needs it, and gets support from her when he needs it. He pays for their dates and everything, but he's not rich and he doesn't do it ostentatiously. He very rarely swoops in to save the day, and when he does he ends up looking more like a pervert than a hero. What he does have in common with the typical shoujo manga male lead, though, is his insane hotness. He's really won the lottery as far as looks go - he's hot as a guy and as a girl. But I think that En, too, when you strip off those traits which are meant to be silly, is at least somewhat realistic. Certainly he's more realistic than those rich, handsome heirs to companies who are always perfect gentlemen and who have admirers lining up out the door!

Plot-wise, there's very little that I haven't already said. The manga is mostly gags, with a good amount of fluff and lovey-doveyness but no real development. Each chapter is mostly self-contained, with a smattering of two-chapter arcs. One weakness of this manga - and the reason why I didn't rate it a full 10 - is that it does have a few serious moments. They are jarring given the general extremely light (indeed, irreverent) tone of the manga, and they aren't done particularly well. (I make exception for the one occasion where a certain chapter ends darkly, but the dark ending is shown in the next chapter to be a gag.) Apart from them, whatever plot there is serves as a vehicle for the comedy, and does the job admirably. In all, I would say: don't read this manga for the plot. It is a gag manga.

I have little to say about the artwork. Tastes differ, and it's easy to click through a few pages to see if you like it. My own opinion is that all the characters look tasty enough to eat. The guys especially are hot enough to make anyone drool (except Ten, who's really cute but not hot). And Hinata-kun in Chapter 37... Dressed up like that, there's no reason why the girls wouldn't squeal!

I've said a good deal here, and I think I'd better wrap things up.

The verdict: Awesome manga.
Recommend? No to anyone looking for drama and deep plots; a huge, resounding YES to anyone who enjoys comedy, especially of the fourth-wall-breaking variety.

... Last updated on February 19th, 2012, 11:34pm

The perfect choice when I need something lighthearted and totally insane. xD Some parts made me laugh really hard~ This manga is shoujo/comedy with superb delivery and super cute art to boot.

The manga really sweeps you into its pace, and even when they broke the fourth wall, it seemed perfectly normal! It occasionally has a serious moment, but those aren't paced well...

Recommended if you're looking for a light read that will put you in a good mood~ It's shallow but super entertaining!

... Last updated on February 1st, 2012, 9:44pm

I've realized something after every chpter i read. The plots and episodes are cliche, and everything. But the manga makes it seem as if it isnt! The expressions, comedy and twists are just to irrisistable! >.< One of the best modern ones.

It's kinda good. It's funny and hilarious. However, there's no much depth in it. No significant development, and it's repetitive on some terms. Typically, hearing the same joke over and over again loses its humor right? Also, surprisingly, time passes fast in this manga. Sadly, the time shift doesn't bring along the characters. With the 32 chapters I had read so far, I didn't expect the story to be this shallow. Again, no significant development. That's why I consider it more LIKE a "sitcom." I guess the mangaka really intended this manga to be like this.

Oh well, I wonder if I will still be able to tolerate the male lead in the near future if he will keep doing such things. Can I just request a little bit of SIGNIFICANT development?

... Last updated on November 8th, 2011, 2:54pm

I was hesitant in reading this story at first. I'm not a big fan of gender benders. Finally, my curiosity won through, and I opened it up.

I'm SOOOO glad I did!

It's funny. One of the funniest manga I've ever read. I know! Crazy! I for one am glad it's not like most other shoujo stories out there, because after a while, all of those boil down to the same story line. Every. Time.

This one is different. Not all that annoying drama, but enough to keep you interested. Not an annoying, too-shy main girl, nor a ridiculously cool main guy. It's just a real, wonderfully strange story. Recommend: mos def

There are some manga that are great because of their awesomeness.
There are some manga that are great because of their fun and entertainment value.

This manga is of the latter category. It's not awesome art wise or story or development/growth wise, nor has it any of the complexities of some other awesome mangas... but it's fun. This manga was made to entertain the audience and make them laugh... and trust me, it did it well beyond my expectations. The gags kept coming and some situations made me laugh until I fell of my chair.

I think this is one of shoujos that I have ever read, it's really funny and equally romatic at the same time. If only we can have it here in America, tht would be just awesome! ^.^ I reccomend this manga to anyone this kind of manga.

I LOVE IT. I've laughed alot reading this xD!
ANyway!!!:

*Cute & Good characters (I thought they were all thouroguly made, c: no sketchy "fake" characters!)
*Great Plot line (Original xD, I really love it! It's cute)
*A great author who shows no mercy! (You wouldn't read a manga if there were no problems, yes?)

Really cute! C: One of my favorite cross dressing mangas! And an absolute favorite cross dressing manga where the GUY is cross dresing (up there with nosatsu junkie) C:

Just read it.
It's funny, cute, and has that feeling of a great shoujo everyone loves 8D! (not the feeling of "aww shiznets this all has happened before" but "WOOT. INDEPENDENT CHARACTER FOR LEAD! >!"


SO READ IT

This story is so unbelievably weird (in many ways), but homg. It. Is. Hilarious.

That's really all there is to say. Also, the devotion of the main couple is rare and endearing... although not so much later on. Still, though, it's a good mix... that, and Naoki is awesome.

... Last updated on September 5th, 2011, 1:03am