no way. Akira is hottttttt, the whole presley look going on there is ... nehheheheheheheheehehehehe
i'm personally a fan of older shoujo mangas
since they're much more realistic and the characters are more 'non-cliched'
the first two chapters are soo freeekinggg funny...
especially when she falls over.. :L:L
nyways. the blurb says it all, well pearlesques blurb is better.
back to the story.. its so freeking sweet. It hurts when she cries. Its embarrassing when she embarrasses herself. ITs everything a good story has and needs. A MUST READ.

... Last updated on January 9th, 2009, 3:03am

Yes, the art is old. The protagonist and her person of interest both have BAD hairstyles.... but somehow that evens them out, hehe. The heroine is bubbly and often teary with the shoujo miracle of NOT being annoying. She knows how to 'suck it up' without collapsing. She gets up after she cries without anyone having to pat her back.

It may seem that the character is overly forgiving or lenient with the male protagonist but you'd really expect that from a girl facing her first love. cynicism usually develops afterwards . The cast of supporting characters is rather interesting although little attention is paid to them. This is really a well-balanced manga. you get meaningful glimpses of outside characters while the focus remains on the main characters... and it tends to avoid running head-on into shoujo cliches.

if you can tolerate the art (i don't find it that bad) and surmount the initial 3 chapters... then you'll probably find this to be a rather charming manga.

Next to nana this is my fav manga by Ai yazawa and probably my favorite manga full stop. I like the art in this manga simply because you get to see Yazawas style change and grow all in one series, in this manga not only do you get to see a beautiful story unfold but you get to see where Yazawa began to develop and grow herself in art and story telling and that in itself makes this manga a real treat to read and a real joy to look at! I love the story itself its one of the few mangas which inspired me to become a manga-ka myself! so do read it no matter what you think of the art or yazawa because it may well change your life!

For those of you complaining about the art, you're pretty retarded. Of course it's dated, it was made in 1992..

WARNING! May contain spoilers! (Not sure if I consider them spoilers, but I'll just play it safe)

I am not the type of person to complain about art because I've read Hana Yori Dango three years ago and it really taught me to never judge a book by its cover (and art inside). I absolutely adore the art because regardless of how old Yazawa-sensei's masterpieces are, she draws each panel with so much emotion that I feel like I'm absorbing the beauty of it all. Oh and I think the people who complain about the art as being "old style" need to get a reality check - when mangakas draw numerous manga, you start to see characters who look alike a lot. I'm not a big fan of Yuu Watase because her characters from Fushigi Yuugi, Ayashi no Ceres, Alice the 19th, and Zettai Kareshi always look so similar. Fortunately I read Ayashi no Ceres first, and it will still be my favorite because despite many of its extremities, the twists and turns kept it interesting.

Anyway back to the story, I think what's really gripping about this manga is that it stays so real to me. Some have said it's way too dramatic, but I concur with those who think there's a balance between comedy and drama, which I love best. It keeps you constantly turning the page, playing with your emotions and maintaining its gripping effect. There's many twists and turns, but you are never left totally confused, because Ai Yazawa always lays out everything straight out without ambiguities. As I've said, her art in this story delivers so much emotion that I feel like I'm constantly falling in love with every character, no matter how bitter I get about what happens with each character. Originally I loved Musashi for his simple and complex thinking (I feel like I understand him one second, and I'm set aback the next), then I hated him for leaving Hiroko, then I love him again because he has so much influence over everyone. He's a supporting character, but he's really important to the development of Midori and Akira.

But the character I love the most is Mamiya (Mamirin?) because even though sometimes she can be so blunt (occasionally in a cruel way), she's such a good friend and she's possibly the most down-to-earth and real character in the whole cast. I'm really glad that Ai Yazawa put this character in because she's such an important character. You always need the "best friend" whose there to be the shoulder to cry on, the friend who will tell you the truth no matter what, to support your decisions, to give you a reality check when you're wrong, and most of all be strong for you even when she is suffering because she knows exactly how you feel because the love of her life is always slightly out of her grasp. That is why i love her.

I really do love her current work, Nana, but since Tenshi Nanka Ja Nai is significantly shorter, it goes at a much quicker pace, and maintains its "highschool atmosphere". Love isn't just the whole "yea I like you. Let's date. Okay end of story." There's so much more to that. I dislike those shoujo stories where characters just tease each other and then they end up going out at the end and the story ends. It makes readers think that love is perfect, that it's infinite, without any consequences or circumstances. There's so much more to that and I love that Ai Yazawa gives us that impression.

Fortunately the scanlations are coming to a close (yay we're at volume 7! Thank you Dragonvoice!), so I can finally feel a sense of relief. Ai Yazawa is known to create dramatic endings (look at Paradise Kiss!), but I know that no matter what, I will still be happy because she always ends it with a giant BANG! (in a good way)

... Last updated on September 24th, 2008, 7:14pm

it's interesting but the style is old and kinda too dramatic for me....i dunno.
if you want a clasic shoujo than i really recomend it, but the art is kinda stiff.the characters are loveable and the story works.it's okay.

din't finish it cuz it's not that special to me.... too much drama

... Last updated on December 22nd, 2007, 4:46pm

WARNING: This review contains spoilers!

I think I'm one of the few people who actually read this manga before reading Nana. Admittedly, the art is less mature here, but this story still has the poignancy and truthfulness that Yazawa fans love. Midori is much more deeply layered and authentic a character than many shoujo heroines are, and both her happiness and her pain feel so real to me. I can really relate to her, even though she's such a different person!

Don't go by the official blurb -- this is much more than just a light-hearted school comedy. Sure, there are moments of pure laughter, but there are also dashes of heartbreak and tragedy. Despite the sheer variety of emotions this manga evokes, everything stays in balance -- nothing is overdone, and everything makes sense.

I especially love the fact that romantic relationships aren't idealized, here -- it isn't assumed that just because the guy and the girl get together, everything will go well. Instead, this manga deals with some of the very real problems a young couple can go through. The main couple even break up after getting together -- which is an amazing fact, and something rarely seen it in a shoujo manga. Despite this, the painful break-up and the slow recovery from it are beautiful to watch, precisely because both aspects are so universal. Even if they do make up with each other, the fact that they've experienced such a separation makes their relationship so much more realistic.

This is truly an amazing manga. Don't miss it!

... Last updated on July 12th, 2007, 6:24pm

This is a cute manga.
If you like stories involving high school life, you'll definitely enjoy this manga.
One of Yazawa Ai's earlier works, but still very good and touching. =)

... Last updated on June 4th, 2007, 6:48pm

Awesome! I like the angel part of the story ^_^ I feel bad for ken-kun though...

yup yup, very adorable but quite complicated and realistic feeling. well, that's what i like 'bout ai yazawa's work. i enjoy this manga very much and hope at least, the body president will settle down his own feeling soon >___________<