I read this manga about a year ago, but I'm only making a review now because this is going to be a live-action soon, and a lot of people might consider reading the manga first before watching the live action (which maybe due to fukushi sota's looks *wink wink* haha). If anyone planning to read the manga is reading this, let me just warn you about what you're about to delve into.

The girl is going after someone who already has a girlfriend. And yes, she is fully aware that he has one. HE HAS A GIRLFRIEND. Am I the only one who finds that wrong?! I mean I get that it happens -- sometimes some people fall for someone already taken, but when that happens, you DON'T pursue your feelings. Yes, at one point she did say she was giving up on him, but did she really, now? Poor girlfriend even considered the heroine as a friend. What's even worse is I can't see anything wrong with the relationship between the lead guy and his girlfriend enough for him to switch feelings towards the heroine (considering he's supposed to be a real gentleman ugh). It's pretty obvious the girlfriend needed the guy more than the heroine(which basically spells out that he left her when she needed him most). I didn't like the heroine at all. She's overly optimistic to the point that it's just plain stupidity. Contrary to what others say, I find her really selfish. Selfish, not naive. If she really really liked the guy, she would have wanted him to be happy even if he ends up with another girl. I mean come on, woman! I get that she can't control her feelings, but to confess her feelings for a guy who currently has a girlfriend is very inconsiderate. Of course a sudden confession would confuse the guy. She just planted the seed of the doubt in the guy's head. And if this was her plan all along, then bravo; guess she's not so stupid afterall.

And so, I think the story is realistic and unrealistic at the same time. It's realistic since breaking up with your partner because you started to like someone else does happen in real life. Liking someone you can't be with is realistic. Being left out in a relationship is realistic. What's unrealistic is how the story tells the readers that what happened is okay, that it's the right thing. The lead guy is still portrayed as the nice, perfect, gentleman even when he leaves his girlfriend for the heroine(why he liked her enough to do that will always remain a mystery to me). Good guys don't do that. Jerks do that. To give the story a bit of praise, it did start out differently than other shoujo mangas. I mean, the lead guy breaking up with someone he promised to love? Rare. Plus the manga has two characters worth mentioning -- Andou and the ex-girlfriend. What they felt, that's real love right there. They let the person they love go because their happiness is their loved one's happiness. That's how it should be.

After the two main characters became a thing, the manga lost its uniqueness and followed the pattern of every cliche shoujo manga. It's all lovey-dovey blahblah. We all know how it plays out.

I think it would have been better if our heroine never got the guy. For once, let the pain be real. Let it be the story of how she actually got over her first love. Hers doesn't really count because no matter what, she still had him in the end. But that's just my two cents, think what you want.

So maybe I did take the story too seriously. But I just wanted to make a point. Nevermind that the latter part was just like any other cliche shoujo manga. That's actually the okay part. The art was okay too, i guess. It's just the story that really bothered me. What I wanted to read was a story with real romance, main characters with true heartwarming feelings; that's not what I got. But if you're okay with ruined relationships, messed up concept of true love, real people with actual feelings who actually care a lot getting pushed to the sidelines, then go ahead and read the manga. Maybe if you don't think about it too much, you can actually enjoy the manga. Maybe. Maybe I'm the only one who was bothered by it. Afterall, it's just a manga. But if you read it and feels the same way I did, don't say I didn't warn you.

... Last updated on December 25th, 2014, 9:16am

I think that a successful shoujo has the following criteria: enjoyable, efficient, and well-crafted plot that doesn’t get bogged down by unnecessary details and subplots, some form of character development, artwork that compliments the story, a cast of multi-dimensional characters who are more than a backdrop, and dialogue that rings true. (Are these high expectations for a mere manga? Maybe, but I think manga can have just as much impact as literature or films.)
Strobe Edge deserves high marks on all counts, and a 10 rating (only reserved for manga I read and enjoyed so much that I would buy it.) I left the manga feeling light, cheerful, a little emotionally-drained, very emotionally-satisfied, and just a little bit more hopeful about pure unconditional love. Here are my overall impressions (Warning, I may get carried away with analyzing the characters, but it shows that I really enjoyed Strobe Edge!):
1. Artwork: One of the better ones I’ve seen. It stays extremely consistent throughout and it’s easy to tell each character apart. You can see the full range of emotions from their expressions—regret, confusion, exuberance, celebratory, etc—which only adds to the appeal. (Not to mention the male leads are quite good-looking for fictional characters. And dangit, this is why I don’t have a bf in real life, because my expectations are being raised by fiction!)
2. Characters: Very realistically-portrayed. Ninako is childish and naïve, cheerful in a healthy way and generally positive. She didn’t really have a first love until she saw how nice Ren was and along her journey to just be around him so she can enjoy his company, she becomes more perceptive of her own and others' feelings. This isn’t the kind of character growth that smacks you in the face—ie, character makes a heel-face turn, character becomes uber-powered-up—but that’s why it’s perfect. It’s subtle. Subtlety is difficult to achieve. She’s not a character you can easily sum up in a sentence, though you can try. But your sentence won’t give you a grasp of her character until you see for yourself.
Ren, as the male love interest, surprised me because he also came across as a kind of real character. Usually in reading manga I automatically slap on a label and be done with it. Ren is likeable, he’s the “popular” guy of the high school, though he hardly knows why and doesn’t bother with it. He’s calm and looks like one of those “serious, silent, and strong” types, and he kind of is—but I didn’t feel like any of these traits were forced onto me. He’s actually a hardworking, smart, nice guy, which I came to realize along with Ninako. With him, actions speak louder than words, and it’s this honest approach to everything that Ninako loves about him.
But flaws in characters are what make them three-dimensional. Ren seemed too perfect with his ‘caring nonchalance’ and good looks so at first I appreciated Ren, but I wasn’t smitten with him. I was waiting to see if he got angry, is he neglectful, is he scared of something, does he ever get embarrassed? Ren’s ‘caring nonchalance’ (oxymoron, yes, but I think it’s apt!) was cute, but it didn’t make him charming. He really seemed like an unapproachable guy whose coolness prevented him from having any negative traits. Eventually, I saw a different side to Ren: the side of him that laughed out loud, blush with embarrassment, blurt out things without thinking, and for heaven’s sake, SMILE. And he showed this range of emotion whenever he was with Ninako.
The problem with Ren was that he was too restrained with his feelings; even though he was starting to like Ninako, he tried to smother it (perhaps without even KNOWING it). The honest Ren was dishonest about his own feelings; even if he had good intentions being honest about your feelings is a part of a healthy, lasting relationship.
So you have both the female and male lead overcoming their own struggles: Ninako keeping her love strong and Ren learning to be honest with his feelings and And while they have their individual struggles, it’s interesting that they both gain a greater awareness about some aspect of love.
Usually I hate love triangles, squares, polygons, whatever—I do NOT believe you must have any of these shapes in order to make a plot ‘interesting’; on the contrary, it gets annoying and dragged out and overly dramatic. Strobe Edge pulls off a successful love triangle in that the feelings of were so genuine that I became emotionally-invested in their trials and tribulations. Watching Andou struggle for affections was charming, painful, wistful—I wanted him to get the girl because he truly liked her for who she was. At first he’s this kind of guy who He earnestly battled Ren knowing he would most likely lose, but he still held on to that sliver of a chance that maybe, just maybe, he could win. This was one of the more realistic, painful, and inspiring portrayals of unrequited love.
And Ren because he took Andou seriously and he wasn’t arrogant enough to be like, “I just need to open my arms and Ninako will come running towards me.” It’s clear that Ren respects Andou. (Their interesting friendship is another highlight of Strobe Edge.)
A final mention about the supporting cast before moving on: most of them got enough ‘screen-time’ that I enjoyed their presence and didn’t find them unnecessary or extraneous. They all had a part to play, even illuminating a truth about Ren and Ninako’s relationship (that without communication a relationship can fail, as it happened with I thought it was pretty clever of the mangaka to introduce the detail because it leant a sense of urgency for Ren and Ninako’s budding relationship…if they didn’t act on and communicate their feelings for each other soon, it won’t happen.
3. Plot/Dialogue: Surprisingly unpredictable, and even when I did predict it, I didn’t mind because I enjoyed it anyways. You’ve got your usual stuff that happens in shoujo high school-setting mangas—sports festivals, cultural festivals, classes, summer vacation, etc, but everything was still fresh and it never got boring. Well-paced, too. The dialogue was clear and I thought the conversations really sounded like the ones of high schoolers. No jumping around or wacky transitions. And thank goodness there isn’t too much overblown, dragged out, nonsense drama-for-the-sake-of-drama drama! This manga is primarily character-driven. Strobe Edge took cliché elements (first love, high school drama, love triangle, unrequited love) and turned them into a wonderful experience.
It’s rare for a manga to make me feel the emotional ups and downs of the characters as Strobe Edge did. I lost hours of sleep completing it because it was amazing and well-written and a whole list of positive synonyms. It made me laugh, my throat hurt from sadness, and smile wide enough for my cheeks to smart at five in the morning. I disagree with anyone who says that this is 'childish'; that sounds too negative. Strobe Edge depicts a high school love that is as real and pleasant as it gets (for high school, at least). For a manga in a genre that I think is usually full of flat characters and superficial plots, Strobe Edge is one of the best.

... Last updated on July 7th, 2011, 4:54pm

I think I really like this kind of portrayal about 'first love'. This obviously isn't first time the concept of 'first love' has been done and it surely won't be the last but I'm pretty sure that Strobe Edge will be more memorable than all the 'first love' anythings you will encounter. This is due to the fact that Sakisaka-sensei spins the whole concept into something that is remotely her own. Strobe Edge is solely a 'first love' story in its purest, rawest form. The focus is 'first love' so Sakisaka-sensei does not throw in trivial things like rivalry or jealousy. Mayuka was not created as a character to be hated. She isn't a clingy/possessive, horrible person. She doesn't do anything hateful. You can't even hate her. In fact, there isn't anyone to hate in this because it isn't the point of the story. All ten of the volumes are completely on Ninako and her journey to finding love, what it really means to love and being strong enough to love someone in the deep depths of your heart even when they don't love you back. However, it isn't only Ninako's 'first love' story―it is also, Ren's, Mayuka's, Andou's and even the side characters have their 'first love' story.

From Dictionary.com,
strobe
noun. also called strobe light.
a lamp capable of producing an extremely short, brilliant burst of light, for synchronization with a camera having a high shutter speed, in order to photograph a rapidly moving object, as a bullet, for such a short duration that it will appear to be standing still.

Strobe Edge deals with many cases of 'first love'. It goes into the start of a growing first love between two individuals, into the falling of a once-great first love, the birth of a one-sided first love, into stunted first loves―this is practically the book of first love. It's painfully human in its execution. You watch the characters grow with their experiences with first love―whether they have experienced it or have just learned about it. These are characters that are completely endearing. They strive for their love, they fight for it, they learn to accept, to grow, to change―to become. This is the first love journey.

After reading this I felt like all I wanted to read was another series like Strobe Edge where the entire subject is the journey itself. I will be honest though, I hesitated on reading it for years. It always kept coming back in my searches but I never gave it a chance. It was not until I read her Ao Haru Ride and it became slow in updating that I finally gave it the chance it deserved and really, I have probably reread the whole thing two more times and possibly will for many more times (and that is saying something since I have a hard time rereading anything―even my most adored favorites in manga or YA novels). I can't really get enough of the wistfulness I feel as I am reading it(or remembering the feeling or reading it for that matter)―being enveloped in purely emotions and feelings. That, in itself is the most amazing, refreshing, gorgeous experience ever in reading shoujo. It is the reason I read shoujo.

The three things I enjoyed the most about Strobe Edge:
The bittersweet/ironic part about Ren's ex being so scared that he was going to 'fly away' from her while in reality, she was the one doing the flying. How utterly ironic

Also, how sometimes, love does die―how it doesn't last forever―no matter how great a relationship or how great a love. Things change―feelings change and not everything stays the same. It's not that the feelings don't exist anymore―just that they aren't as strong as before.

And last but not least, how it is to keep on loving someone even when they don't feel the same way. This takes great effort on anyone's part. It's painful but because it requires so much effort, it makes it all the more endearing and meaningful.

Strobe Edge begins as a seemingly ordinary shoujo with a matching ordinary heroine but get a few more pages in and maybe you'll see its charm because it is so much more than you ever imagined it to be capable of. Ninako is no ordinary heroine, Ren is no ordinary hero, Mayuka is no ordinary rival girlfriend, Andou is no ordinary playboy―it isn't what it all seems to be. It is anything but ordinary. In this, it will further prove that Sakisaka-sensei excels at bringing out the emotion and feelings in her manga.
This is the power of Sakisaka-sensei. This is her forte.

- As for the awkwardness someone mentioned, the awkwardness in Strobe Edge really isn't so much as awkward as it is realistic. Think about it. How can some instances in real life not be awkward? Painfully awkward even. So, in that sense, even though shoujomangaland is all sparkles and hearts, how is it possible to not have awkward moments?

... Last updated on August 28th, 2014, 10:52pm

Right off the bat, the girl's naivete was an issue. Being that naive stops being cute and starts getting annoying after a while. Maybe it's the generation I live in or where I live, but a high school girl being so oblivious to "love" like she was was so unrealistic (if she was middle school and felt like that, I'd be more accepting). She does end up realizing it but by then I wasn't on her side anymore. She doesn't really learn from her mistakes as much as she should have and that was pretty disappointing to be honest.

The art is nothing amazing, but the guys are drawn to be really handsome, so that's a plus. The story is okay, it's normal shoujo, just a bit slower. This manga doesn't follow the exact shoujo manga archetype but it's close of enough to where you'd need to have really liked this series to defend that it's unique of other shoujos. The leads are really plain and the supporting cast sorta outshines them a lot of the time. I was never rooting for the main guy because he seemed too perfect (Daiki and Andou were better in my opinion because they seemed a bit more real) and the female lead left a lot to be desired in the relatability category (I liked Ren's ex-girlfriend a lot better, and wished she was the lead instead).

I really liked Ren & his ex's story though. If that was a one-shot, I'd have given it a better score than this manga as a whole.

After reading some other reviews, I'm getting the feeling everyone sees what they want in this manga. I could personally go over people's reading list and check what manga they gave high reviews to vs the ones they say are boring and see why they didn't or did like this title very clearly.

... Last updated on December 18th, 2012, 3:48am

After reading up to volume 6 (unfortunately, the series hasn't been entirely translated) for the fifth time, I decided I needed to write a review.

Every school life shoujo has the same skeleton: heroine has some love conflict with a boy at school. But what makes shoujo's different from one another are the little characteristics about the plot, characters, settings, themes etc. Strobe Edge, sticks to the base of things--the skeleton, he conflict of character(s) and love. Everything is really simple and realistic (well as real as a shoujo manga can get without pregnancy or anything "mature"). The humor is mild and cute. The characters aren't over the top, but layered with development (nearly all of them are).

Ren, the love interest, isn't a delinquent, smart ass, cold, jerk or extremely smart. He's just quite from everyone's perspective. Andou (the third corner of the triangle) is the persistent, "I'm not losing" type. He's sweet, funny (practical humor) and charming. Niniko, the heroine, may seem typical but she's not. The first chapter really gives the impression that Niniko is naive. Which she is when it comes to love, but after three chapters you've come to see she's not stupid or dense. She's observant and always eager to learn in a childish way. Yea, sounds like it doesn't make sense, but it's hard to describe her. She's pure hearted (Of course tons of people are going to disagree.)

Also, there's no "villain." No mean girl. No sabotaging guy. No mean parents. The conflict is all from within the characters. Niniko isn't sure if a painful love is worth it. Andou's heart and brain can't seem to agree with each other. Ren, who is has the deepest conflict of all, can't figure out what's a good change and what's a bad change.

So, even without much drama, I was sucked in. I find the drawings amazing (Ren is so freakin' good looking it's not even funny). The plot soul sucking (you find yourself squeeing at the smallest things). And the characters worth worrying over. Don't let the first few pages or description push you away. Read it. Now.

I get how some reviews say there is character development with this manga.. that after facing a heartbreak, Ninako gets back up on her feet and never gives up on her first love. However, the male lead in question already has a girlfriend at the time of her confession.. which is rather inconsiderate of Ninako as it would definitely waver his feelings he has of his girlfriend. I understand how you should fight for your love, but certain as the girlfriend, don't you find it unfair?

Being a typical formulaic shoujo manga, I'm sure the male lead falls for Ninako in the end.. and I don't approve, because that's not how it should be. This shows that while the male lead already has a girlfriend has strayed and it doesn't matter if the girl he falls for is the heroine - he's cheated in his heart. I find this despicable and just can't move on from that, I'm sorry for being harsh and obstinate but this manga is dead to me.

Wow! This is a really good shoujo series, it's really sweet and innocent and I can't wait for read more! In the beginning Ren seemed like this usual quiet cool manga type but after you get to know him he become more normal and so. This should be all on shoujo manga lovers readers list!

I see so many people not liking the fact that Ninako is still pursuing Ren even though he has a girlfriend, but she didn't really do anything bad like seducing him or whatsoever. All she did was wanting to stay friends with the guy that she likes, what is so bad about that?

Those that call this manga bland are probably kids that have never been in love before so I'll just ignore those.

Anyway I think the flow and the characters are pretty good. First love doesn't always blossom, like Ren, Sayuri, Daiki etc., but Ninako is a lucky one. The theme of this manga is basically about first love, I think it's done pretty well. It's very realistic compared to some other shoujo mangas that I've read, because romance is about heartbreak, sadness and happiness, but it doesn't always work out in the end. Also, sometimes, feelings change, no matter how sad it would be for the one still holding onto the relationship, it's a fact.

this is coming from someone who just read the series straight through.

EDIT: after reading some negative reviews, I just wanted to add this: do not read this if you absolutely hate any stories involving a girl getting together with someone who starts off already having a girlfriend. I understand the reviewer was in that point in their lives where cheating is the center cause of problems and worry for them, and for that, I say I'm sorry they can't see past something so shallow. The purpose of this shoujo and the main theme of Strobe Edge is to explore the human condition of "keeping things in" and validating those feelings by exploring such characters. Strobe Edge's only purpose is to tell you to communicate your feelings by showing you why you should not shoulder the blame all on yourself. This theme will poorly translate to those people such as the negative reviewer who ruined the story for themselves. To say the girl made the boy "confused" and accuses the girl of "making the boy cheat" is not only relieving the cheating boy of any responsibility and grossly oversimplifies the over arcing story, but this is the very cycle of toxic attitudes that Strobe Edge seeks to stop perpetuating! Please do not read this manga, even with all the hype, if you are at the point in your lives where you would see cheating as a bigger issue in the world than keeping emotions bottled up and unspoken. If this is you, please do everyone a favor. And now onto my review:

this is one of the best quality shoujo you'll ever read because every single character has depth, and by depth, i mean they honest to goodness act like how real people act in the real world. They aren't blind about what they do (they have a set mind and they all act on firm reasons) and people treat each other with realistic consideration.

honestly, i'm impressed by the intelligence. This book explores the social phenomenon of "keeping things in" so depth by setting so many examples. From the fact that the side characters had loose ends, and they properly tied them back up (see v07c25 for specifics), to the fact that the classmates tell each other for example "hey, if we tried hard, it could actually make the festival fun!" I'll tell you, my school environment could never reach such an enlightened enthusiasm. They always saw "trying hard" as looking uncool. Well, i don't know how effective these nuances have over people who read it, but this manga hints to inspire a better mental well-being for youth. it goes without saying, these characters are vibrant, and the environment is vibrant. It really brings to light how people aren't as complicated as you think, yet it's how you don't know bits and pieces of their story that makes you think they are complicated. Ren is admired by so many girls as being "cool" but he's really just a simple guy who thinks about dinner trying to mature. Furthermore, the girls don't start being disinterested when that fact is made obvious either. The environment of this manga is FRIENDLY and REALISTIC. it just isn't one of those annoying comics that dramatizes everything and makes the character end up looking dumb for not doing this or that. you just don't see a lot of pieces like this nowadays.

anyway, even without going all indepth, the ~moe~ is so powerful here *____* this manga series is quality. i totally recommend it ^^d

... Last updated on September 10th, 2016, 1:58am

Well, it I have to admit, the series is pretty good. Most of the characters are very likeable, and the art is a decent eye-candy. It has comedic undertone once in a while, and Sakisaka Io really knows how to draw dramatic scenes without making it seem too stupid (i mean, cmon, some shoujo mangas are way to dramatic to even enjoy). Getting back on characters, I really like Ninako and Ren. As in people. In real life. The thing is, the plot and love triangle shit is a bit cliche..First love? High school? Love Triangle? UNREQUITED LOVE?! if these were the things put out before reading a manga blindly, i would've turned off my computer and tell my self to finally get a life. But seeing the ratings, I tried it out. The first few chapters seemed boring, but after iono, chapter 9? i started to really like the manga.
It really is a shoujo manga; with its cliches, and drama. Typical shoujo manga like this is why my boyfriend hates shoujo manga (he's a shounen freak /shot).
Personally, I hate love triangles because they get in the way with the 2 main protaganists.
Ok, enough with the negative feedback from me. I really enjoyed this manga actually. Ninako's persistence was really amusing, and she seems a bit like a role model to be so strong-willed and happy. You really shouldn't over look it because it can be a bit heart-warming. Even though it is cliche, the way it is protrayed is really great.
Reccomendation: I think this is mainly for hardcore-shoujo lovers. Anyone else that reads it, probably won't appreciate it as much (/cough)