I posted a (non-intelligent) comment back in 2007, when I first read the series. Then I kept up with the scanlations until it was concluded a year ago.
I went back and re-read the whole series from the beginning last night. Now I can write an intelligent review without my thoughts being overtaken by how much I want to jump down Yoh's pants (not that I still don't want to).
This series is wonderful. It follows the typical shoujo premise very closely of the girl wanting to fall in love etc etc. So some of you might be wondering... geez, not a very original plot, so what is there to like about it?
The characters.
The characters make up the whole series.
We lack the asshole player & cry-every-5-seconds-about-trivial-shit heroine. Yoh is a lady killer and gorgeous as hell (I want down his pants. RIGHT NOW), but he doesn't abuse that by picking up girls every other corner. Haruna is not the "i want to be pretty girl but really pretty in disguise". What I liked about it is that the author portrayed Haruna as a plain-looking girl from the very beginning until the VERY end. There was never a "hey, she's actually a hidden beauty!" aspect to Haruna.
In my opinion, this works best. Haruna is very similar to a lot of girls I know. ;P Just about 99% of girls her age want to be attractive and catch boys' attentions. Don't deny it people - it's true. Some people even go through the extents Haruna does. But when does it EVER end in a "HEY, SHE'S ACTUALLY A BEAUTY!" and then every guy going to pursue that chick?? NEVER. Haruna learns (somehow) to accept herself as she is, and she's not bothered by the fact that there are prettier girls than her. I love Haruna.
Yoh, as I said, doesn't abuse the fact he's hot-looking. There's a BAWWWW emo cliche sob backstory to him with the beads chick, but even then, there are many things I love about him. He's gorgeous eye-candy, but his personality really gets to me. I actually adore guys that are like Yoh, and are shy to feelings like him - guys who constantly go off on you saying how much they love you (oh, do I hate when people abuse that word!) tend to become clingy and tiring and problematic - or maybe I just haven't had good luck with guys. But I just think that the fact that Yoh treasures a relationship is a good sign that it will PROBABLY last.
But Yoh isn't out to date to most attractive girl around. He likes Haruna because of who she is, not because of how she looks like. They make such a sweet couple. Their relationship is so great and it's one I strive to have myself. I envy Haruna and Yoh's relationship. Even when shit happens, they came overcome it in a mature way - I only wish all shoujo were like this! They're so open and honest to each other. I loved Haruna's maturity during the Kurihara arc. She's right; all of us strive so much to run away from the past that haunts us, when in reality, doing that will make it haunt us more. We need to face it head-on and accept the past, and grow stronger from that. This is something not many people realize, but in reality, they all do the same thing Yoh did with Kurihara initially. I'm not going to hold it against him or say he's an idiot, because that's a typical human reaction, but I'm glad Haruna was there to help him out. That is why I love that girl.
I like the aspect of "love" portrayed here - haha, it's so true, kisses and sex aren't just to be toyed around with!
One of the things that really kind of bugged me about Yoh is that for about half the series, I was thinking it seemed like he didn't really like Haruna. I could tell very much Haruna was crazy about him, but there wasn't much to support him actually liking her. It wasn't until volume 6 that I kind of felt he did love her in a FEW instances (very few), but even after, he goes back to his regular stance and this time I'm left wondering... Okay, well, HOW MUCH does he love her? There wasn't anything coupley about them at all (save a few instances)!
In the later volumes it becomes much more clear, and that was great, but I was just bothered by this the first few volumes. Even after awhile too. I mean, you can't be dating someone for over a year and still be shy. At least later on, when Haruna manages to break down Yoh's defenses, he starts expressing his feelings more clearly and though still shy, he's more forward about things. Yoh really developed a lot as a character.
Yoh and Haruna are refreshing shoujo leads. I love both of them.
As for the side characters... I'll just make it super brief. They had their moments, and my favourites were Asaoka and Mami of the side characters (they actually would make a great couple). Fumi was too dense for my liking (seriously), although he's such a sweetie. Asa... oh geez, don't even get me started. First she's a bitch cuntrag to Haruna and steals her man, then she mooches off her, then she acts like a spoiled brat with Fumi, then she fucking COCKBLOCKS YOH. That was the LAST STRAW FOR ME. I will NEVER forgive her for being such a cockblocker.
I HATE YOU ASA. Her personality is disgusting! Fumi should have dumped her 50 years ago.
Er... yep, that's my new review. 😀
Where is my follow-up sequel to the sequel? I swear I read on ANN months back there was a follow-up to Enren Debut.
Oh, and why didn't they ever smex? That damn author cock teased all of us in about 50 chapters... TSK. They better had in the second Enren Debut chapter.
ADD UP: IN VOLUME 11 CHAPTER 43, PAGE 100... WHEN YOH CRIES. AHHHH that just pierced my heart. Holy MOTHERFUCKING JESUS FUCKING CHRIST (forgive my language), that is SO. DAMN. HOT.
^ This is what I mean about turning into an ultra fangirl.
EEEEEP.
My heart just died.
DEEP BREATH DUBBY DEEP BREATH...
dies
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