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
(-125)
(+223)
