I came here expecting a couple of pages of reviews and I’m surprised to see that there’s hardly a page’s worth. Yume Miru Taiyou is probably what you would classify as your typical shoujo - all glittery hearts, sparkle and cuteness, but to say it’s just a normal shoujo doesn’t quite do the series any justice. It’s so tooth-achingly sweet in almost every aspect that it’s hard to dislike the story or its characters, despite whatever flaws there are.
The first couple of volumes are probably the most difficult to slog through as it’s pretty much by the book shoujo at the beginning, what with the red herring love interest and the predictable set-up that leads to the love triangle. A couple of characters seem rather unlikeable at first, but they really grow on you. It’s a story about friendship, romance, and family - all told in a humorous and heart-warming fashion that doesn’t feel forced or too contrived.
Shimana, the main female character isn’t all too different from your normal heroine, but she’s very likeable. She’s earnest and honest about her feelings from the get-go, and as someone who’s read too much shoujo, I’ve come to appreciate that trait in characters. The Landlord starts out as this rather grouchy fella, but as the story progresses, we get to see more of his thoughtful side. I found Zen to be a very unique character playing the love rival and best friend at the same time. It can be difficult pulling off that type of character, but Zen suits the role quite perfectly.
More than anything else, I appreciate the pace of the story. So many shoujos fail at creating an even pace, often times resorting to [uninteresting] secondary character arcs just to fill the void or to stretch out a popular story. Although we tend to go around in circles with Shimana and the Landlord, it never feels too drawn out. The ending, while I won’t spoil it here, was pretty perfect for me (had me in tears in a couple of spots).
While it offers nothing new in the way of story or characters, I can at least say with great confidence that this is still shoujo done the right way. It’s rare that I’ve come away so content and pleased with a series. I am looking forward to the next one Takano-sensei!