I for one am ecstatic that this is different from the anime. I love shounen-ai/yaoi, but it was so forced and bland in the anime. The art is much crisper and the characters are so much more defined in the manga. I love how Shirogane does NOT wear lipstick. So I'd have to disagree with Twisted_Mind. Besides, if the manga were a shounen-ai, I'd rather Shirogane did not go with Akira. Because that's just silly.

I think the best I can say about this manga is that it was unexpectedly amazing. Well worth the time I took to read it. At first, I was really hesitant because it semed more Shounen then Shoujo, but something about the artwork and the plot captivated me. I could clearly see the difference. Where Shounen usually drags on with fighting and no real plot, this one used the fighting as a device to showcase the hidden element in which you figure out later.

The main character, Akira, isn't off the bat amazing and he doesn't automatically fight for no reason, he's ver concerned when things dont seem to make sense. He was an amazing character, one with alot of faith and conviction that he couldn't outright show. Even though he was constantly beating up on his friends, you could see he was doing it for a reason.... Kinda. I also really enjoyed the fact that "other" people, I.E. Shisui/master, Homorabi, Kou, even the "children" saw Akira as being Akira and they were honest about their feelings. While they wanted to meet Ryouku again, they knew that Akira was legetimately a person. It was a little heartbreaking. What made me feel the most sad is that Shirogane, who played the good guy with the most faith in Akira, was actually completely opposite, and although he didn't hate Akira, he really yearned to see his best friend again. How can I explain it... It was like he was comical on the outside, but truly had a serious demeanor, and his mask was falling. His true nature began to show. Still, the emotions inside him were seething and writhing, and he was crumbling.

On the topic of the villain... I felt that he wasn't truly the villain. More like he was doing something that was terrible so that the all the blame would fall onto him. I think he just wanted to protect his counterpart. His whole reasoning is a little askew, but that was the only thing he could do. Even though he did something so terrible to Kengo, you can't really hate him. Even Akira felt that way....

So, whats left to say is that this manga is actually pretty damn good. Read it, okay?

The art is nice enough, but what is really good is the humor of this manga, cracks me open everytime i read it. Though i still have no idea why its called monochrome factor.......

Funny, sweet, interesting, and a manga that will put you on the edge of your seat. The character interaction is very well-done and the facial expressions are really nice. Predictable at some times, but I don't mind that. LOVE the main character. He's a kuudere AND a tsundere. Also, the obvious shounen ai tint is to die for. So many bishies, so little time!

I just got into the series, but I'm curious as to why the Anime spead up the relationship between Shirogane and Akira. Even though they did that I love both the manga and anime equaly funny, interesting, and exciting. ( Though the manga has more and doesn't rush things like the Anime did.. They really need to make a second season of Monochrome. ).

My first encounter with this serie was in 2008 when I saw the anime version. I didn't like it for the true. I don't mind shounen-ai or yaoi. But I really hate fanservise! And the anime was full of it. So I wasn't interest in reading Monochrome Factor manga at the very beginning. 😀

But then in 2011 I had read review of one very disappointed yaoi-fangirl, who bought this manga with intention to see Shirogane and Akira having sex. The fangirl was very very angry. Because there was nothing like this in the whole manga serie! And it caught my strong interest. 😀 I love fantasy and I found really likeable the idea of shadow world which was presented even in anime. Unfortunatelly the manga wasn't fully translated to English and fansub was horrible. 🙁 That's why I bought original (japanese) version and finally read it this year (2017).

The beginning of serie was slow and avarage. But I have found Akira as really enjoyable character. Smart, sometimes depresive, ready to change and fight with himself too. 🙂 He was perfect! I didn't see such great main hero for long time. Because most of main heros in manga are like Kengo. 🙁 Stupid, unuseful a failing all the time. Shirogane was very interesting character too by the way. 🙂 Not because of his "sexy appearance". But because his acting as a good guy. While he had very darkside. For the true I really loved all characters in this manga except Aya. I hate girls like her in real life too. Playing strong yet crying instantly and then falling in love. 🙁 Terrible character but important for the story too.

There were some comments about not understanding the meaning of title - Monochrome Factor. I understand it as reference to black and white which create gray. ;-) You know, lot of stories especially shounen, are about good people fighting with a bad guy. And won in the end! Those stories are like fairytails. (Simple and easy understable for children.) 😀 Here in Monochrome Factor despite it's shoujo, the story isn't about good hero and bad villain for the true. It's about balance between white and black. About grey real world. ;-) No one is there really perfect or only good. All characters here are doing mistakes, getting angry, feeling sad, sometimes just thinking only about themself, hurting others... And most of these characters represent opposites to each other. Like two parts of one big! That's why they can not exist without each other. 🙂

You must not look at them as "partners" in relationship. ;-) But more as at one person splitted into two. The last 3 volume was full of it! 🙂 Two different opinions. Two different thinking and reactions to same situation. And there is more of it! The reborn of new ego and adolescence. Student slowly turning into adult. He is learning responsibility and wants to be recognized by others. He trow away his old self, memories, say goodbye old life and people and start new life. 🙂

I have really found myself in it. And I couldn't stop reading until the end. I love the ending of this manga and feel little sad the story wasn't little longer. 🙂

... Last updated on March 6th, 2019, 5:09pm

this is such a wonderful series. I wanna say so much about it, but i don't want to spoil anything. So I'll say this. This series is totally worth reading to the end.

I got this series when Tokyopop first released it in the US, cause the art looked pretty mostly. I was pretty simple minded back then. As I continued to read the series, more and more it started to overshadow past stories I loved. I find that aalot of the series that look beautiful have about a 50% chance of sacrificing the story for for the art. This isn't one that does that. As the plot thickens, that artwork becomes more elaberate and stunning.

Over all, this series is a wonderful read. It is sad to see it end, but I think it ended in a near perfect way. I guess Realistic way would be the best way to put it. : )

Uwaaah! It's so awesome! The art is amazing--line quality, action, character and clothing design, composition (yeah, I'm an art major) and the story is great. Interesting characters (though the main character acts like a jerk most of the time, Kengo makes up for it) and the villains have as much depth as the main characters, even some of the smaller ones. It can be a little confusing at times when some certain characters get talking (partly the fault of hard-to-translate deep, formal speech), but that's just the way royalty goes in this series and we can usually ignore them. As for romance, not so much, but oddly enough I'm not really missing it. To be honest I'm just grateful it doesn't go the way of the anime, where shounen ai plays a central part. There is none of that in the manga and as I am not a fan, I'm happy. I love the Manga Shirogane. He's more serious but he's a whole bunch cooler. ^_^

I usually read shounen and seinen, but i enjoyed this, the fights are well done, i like the character development, and the annoying comedy parts die off as it goes on. I recommend it whatever genre you like

Started reading this 'cuz the anime kind of ended "unfinishedly". I just adore the anime and it's BL slash! Sadly the manga has none! The art is not so much to my liking 'cus i think i'm more used to the anime's art. but while reading this i'm wishing HARD for the second season!!!!