Venus wa Kataomoi is probably one of the most cheerful and heartwarming stories I've ever read, and it's a series that deserves to be read, enjoyed and treasured by many. The basic premise is simple, but the execution is flawless. Nakaji Yuki has managed to combine lovely art with a cast of wonderful characters that will make you laugh and cry with them as they find love and success in life.
The story follows Ashihara Suzuna as she enters university and meets a group of new friends in Hinako, Fukami, Eichi, and later Yuki. It's probably obvious from the title of the manga that a key theme is going to be love, but I think another one that is even more central here is friendship. The bond that forms between Suzuna and her friends is one of the best things about this story; they support each other through thick and thin, and even when they find romance with their respective counterparts, their circle of friends only grow.
I loved that Suzuna and Eichi also started off as friendly, teasing and lightly bickering rivals in love, forming a really solid friendship before it graduates to mutual affection.
It's really rather sweet, and makes the developments that much more believable. As for their journeys through university to realizing their dreams, I found it both realistic and inspiring. It really rang true for me, as someone who's also going through the same process of discovering my interests and making difficult decisions about future careers.
What can I say about this great cast ensemble? Even the supporting characters were awesome; I can honestly say that there wasn't a single character in this series that I disliked. At first glance, Suzuna may appear to be your usual shoujo heroine; incredibly cute, with a slightly ditzy and clumsy side. But she's also quite strong, and not in the stereotypical "tough female" way. Her strength is in her naturally sunny disposition, positive attitude and compassion. Suzuna's cheerful acceptance of people is what endeared her to Eichi and Yuki in the first place, and it's probably one of the first times I haven't been at all surprised that a shoujo heroine has a number of suitors. She deserves every one of them! As for Eichi, he's sweet-natured and adorable with that mild jealous streak of his, while Yuki's constant bickering with Suzuna was a great deal of fun.
It's doubly hilarious that both Eichi and Yuki were originally her love rivals, later converted into her loyal followers. Eichi and Suzuna made an awesome pair; I loved every bit of their developing romance and they're one of the few shoujo manga couples that I can honestly see working out.
The most refreshing thing about these characters was their willingness to voice what they felt openly, and if they weren't ready to put something into words, they at least made an attempt to show it through actions. One previous commenter pointed out that the characters are always chirpy, but read a little further and you'll realize that they have just the same problems people experience - romantic insecurities, misunderstandings with family and even tragedies in their past. The difference with Suzuna & Co. is that they face their problems head on - they don't keep everything pent up forever and add to misunderstandings. They pick themselves right up and move on.
As for the art, I found it quite lovely. Don't let the cover image put you off; Nakaji Yuki's art is clean, simple and very pretty. Since this is an older manga, it is a bit dated at the beginning, but the steady improvement over the volumes is evident and any inconsistencies at the beginning is ironed out.
All in all, Venus is a truly charming and cheerful series, and it's a real shame that it's so underrated. I don't regret having bought the whole series one bit, because it has so much reread value. It'll be fun to revisit with the cast every so often!
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