Mars
by Fuyumi Soryo
Popular Rei and shy Kira are worlds apart until one fateful day brings them together. Rei stumbles upon Kira in the harassing hands of her sleazy art teacher and saves the quiet girl from his clutches. And when the jock plants a kiss on a statue of Mars in the studio, Kira finds herself drawn in and even summons up the nerve to ask him to model for her!
This manga is a college romance. It is a fast read and strikes the right beats. I loved everything about it. It is a 90s creation, so expect the standard 90s period cliche tropes, but that is what is so fun about Mars. It does have these triggers: sexual harassment and bullying.
Kimi ni Todoke: From Me to You, Vol. 1
by Karuho Shiina, Tomo Kimura (Translator)
Sawako Kuronuma is the perfect heroine…for a horror movie. With striking similarities to a haunting movie character–jet-black hair, sinister smile, and silent demeanor–she’s mistakenly called Sadako by those around her. But behind her scary façade is a very misunderstood teenager. She is too shy to fit in, and all she wants to do is make some friends. But when the most popular boy in class befriends her, she’s sure to make more than just that–she’s about to make some enemies too!
This manga is to read for fun. If you’re looking to hook more emos on it…uh, don’t. Read it for fun! So, Just. Read. It. That’s it! It’s an awesome manga.
Hana-Kimi: For You in Full Blossom, Vol. 1
THE PRETTIEST BOY IN SCHOOL…ISN’T A BOY!
Japanese-American track-and-field star Mizuki has gotten herself a transfer to a high school in Japan…but not just any school! To be close to her idol, high jumper Izumi Sano, she’s going to an all-guys high school…and disguising herself as a boy! But as fate would have it, they’re more than classmates…they’re roommates! Now, Mizuki must keep her secret in the classroom, the locker room, and her own bedroom. And her classmates–and the school nurse–must cope with a new transfer student who may make them question their orientation…Plus a bonus story, “The Cage of Summer”!
This little gem takes on the ‘Gender-bender‘ trope that was so popular in the early 2000s. Hana Kimi may not be so original. Mizuki is a girl who joins an all-boys school to chase a boy, which in our current social/cultural climate may seem a bit insane, but this manga was so entertaining that it made the list for how popular it was.
Fruits Basket, Vol. 1
Natsuki Takaya
A family with an ancient curse…And the girl who will change their lives forever…
Tohru Honda was an orphan with nowhere to go until the mysterious Sohma family offered her a place to call home. Now, her ordinary high school life is turned upside down as she’s introduced to the Sohma’s world of magical curses and family secrets.
Fruits Basket is a shoujo manga at its best. The art is beautiful, and Tohru is cute and sweet. Her character is overly optimistic and makes Fruits Basket too sweet. She allows the reader to easily digest the darker nature of the relationships found in this manga. Fruits Basket tackles parental abuse and neglect and various painful issues in life. In truth, the essence of Fruits Basket is that all the characters are damaged in some way and end up together, creating a blended family.
Stories and Book Talk 