Ai Ore! 01 [Anglais] [Broché]

Ok I'm going to be completely upfront: usually I don't like shoujo. Oftentimes I can't stand the airy girls and the overly dichotomous view of male/female relationships as men being so manly or princely and women being there to ultimately be saved or secretly being so amazingly wonderfully beautiful or sexy she can get away with anything. Most of the series feel really vapid to me. I actually get really irritated by all the shoujo I see on bookshelves and typically refuse to read any of it. I also don't usually go for gender benders because I typically feel like if you want to mess with gender roles just go all the way and instead of (for example) playing with the idea of m/m but being "safe" by having one of them actually be female, just straight up do slash. (It isn't to say I don't like gender benders; I like them when they're done well. I just don't like them when they're a cop out and I feel like the author just doesn't have the backbone to go all the way with the story they really want to tell, because hiding behind the norm of "oh but everything's okay because they're secretly heterosexual" feels insulting to the characters/story to me.)

I mention all this so you know I'm not predisposed to like a manga series like this based solely on the topic or genre. And yet I am in LOVE with it! It's funny, it's cute, it makes me wonder what's going to happen next. The characters are well rounded because they are flawed, make mistakes, at times even do things that seem unlikable, but ultimately are still people I really like. In fact, I like them even more for those flaws. I am basing my review partially on more than just this one volume and I can tell you that I love this series and can't wait to keep reading more.

There are some parts that are reminiscent of the things I mentioned. Akira tries very hard to be manly and wants to protect Mizuki. Typical of being a female in manga, Mizuki occasionally breaks down. Akira can be really pushy and manipulative and perverted at times. Mizuki doesn't really know what the hell she's doing or what she wants. It does ultimately come down to the age old story of guy wants girl and girl keeps pushing guy away because she's scared but secretly her heart is aflutter. But trust me, keep reading. As more and more information comes out, their actions make sense. Akira, for all that he's somewhat evil at times, I think has reasons for being the way he is and doing what he does. He's manipulative but keep in mind that this is a guy who's so pretty and cute that every other guy basically keeps trying to take advantage of him or looks down on him. He has no privacy and when you learn some other things about him, other quirks make more sense too.

I love the side characters too. There's a yakuza's son and the police chief's son where Akira goes to school. The two of them are friends and work partially as Akira's bodyguards and partially as stalkers being pervy about how cute Akira is. I like the characters of the band as well. For me, Mizuki may be my least favorite character but that doesn't really say much since I still like her. I just don't think she's as fleshed out as everyone else. I will admit I was a little disappointed by how she seems closer to the normal heroine of shoujo stories than I was hoping she would be-- I wanted her to be tough and unrelenting. But her confusion makes sense for her as a character and she's actually pretty cute. One thing I really like about her is when she gets angry or upset she says stupid things and then runs away. I like that because it seems more realistic than someone always being in control and saying the right thing at the right time. I also like how she struggles with the idea of being manly or womanly. (By the way, one of the things that makes me laugh is how Ai is a fan of Akira and Akira merch but keeps denying it lol)

This series doesn't rely on tenuous misunderstandings for major drama or plot. There are misunderstandings and occasionally they are a part of the plot but it somehow doesn't come off as half-assed or trite to me. I really like how it plays with the question of self identity as related to appearance. I'm a slash fan at heart so I will admit I like that it also plays on fanservice on a variety of levels-- m/f, f/f and m/m. I love reading manga that reverses roles and plays with the outcome, and I think that's something Shinjou Mayu does well in this series.

Another thing that's done well is making me laugh. Seriously, I just suddenly start giggling or burst out laughing at different scenes. Yet I'm also intensely curious at other times about what this means, or why s/he is doing that. I also have to say that I think the art style is great. The drawings of the outfits are awesome (It reminds me a little of Paradise Kiss at times except not as intricate or consistent). Especially Akira's outfits are often done well with a nice mixture of tone to give it texture. I also like the chibi-type art that occasionally surfaces. Or the way Akira's features never change but he can look so vastly different between when he's being cutesy and when he's being dark Akira. There's an attention to expressions in this series that I like. It's not the most attention I've seen given to expressions in all the manga I've read but I think it's more than normal or at least done in a way that I think aids well in the telling of the story.

One thing that has been mentioned in other reviews is something that I also thought of when reading the series -- there really isn't homophobia in this series. Although I think it's fair to say that probably in the real world an entire all boys school worth of men wouldn't necessarily fall for Akira, it's also probably fair to say an entire all girls school wouldn't necessarily fall for Mizuki. The things that may not match up entirely to reality don't bother me personally because the series is written in a way where I just accept things like that. They could live in a particularly open-minded area. The fact alone that there's such a popular band filled with women who look like men shows that androgyny, in the series' world, is something not only accepted but somewhat envied. And I personally love that about this series. It's really nice to read a series that treats homosexuality, gender identity, androgyny, and other related topics as normally and casually as heterosexuality is usually treated. It's often taken for granted that a man will automatically fall in love with a woman just because she's a woman. I don't agree with that premise of life (probably another reason I usually don't like shoujo) so whenever I see a series that challenges that I am likely to enjoy it more than usual.

I wouldn't call this a serious series. So all the things that are not necessarily accurate to reality also seem less important to me because there's so much humor in this that I don't feel like I need to take it super seriously.

For anyone who's uncertain about this series but thinks they may like it, I urge you to give it a chance-- in this volume and beyond. I only review series I really like and this is one where I couldn't stay silent. I'm definitely a fan and am excited to buy all the volumes so I can add it to my collection.

I bought this manga on a whim, the back blurb sounded interesting and I was sad after hearing that TokyoPop was closing its USA Office. All I can say is WOW...was not expecting what came out of this manga at all; the back cover doesn't do it justice and doesn't actually tell what the story is about. Add to the fact that this manga is quite bigger than typical size and it was a fantastic buy.

First I must say that this does major gender bending as well as challenge the ideas of what a girl and boy should be. I loved it! Mizuki is part of an all girl band at an all girl school. The only thing is that her and her band mates all look like boys... beautiful metro/androgynous boys but boys all the same. Her best friend is moving away, and now not only is she dealing with that but that means her band needs a new lead singer. Enter Akira... whom I adored more than anything... he is short, beautiful and goes to an all boys school. He is the princess of that school (if you have no clue what I'm talking about, it's a Japanese Anime culture thing) but he also has a huge crush on Mizuki. He auditions to be in the band, but Mizuki wants nothing to do with boys or him. There are a lot of side plots, and a ton happens in the manga... the ending might also make you uncomfortable (potential rape) but I have faith it won't go that far in the second volume... FYI it wasn't a scene between Mizuki and Akira so rest easy.

The reason why this was so gender bending was that Mizuki looked cool and tough, while Akira was sweet and small and innocent looking. Yet (Teen rating here) when he kissed her, shoved her down, or grabbed her arm, he was all man, it was like the size/perception didn't matter, even Mizuki trusted him later on to keep her safe and called out to him. I am highly anticipating the next installment and am pleased that not only is it coming out in August but the third volume is scheduled for November. If you are on the fence give it a try, I loved it.

Mizuki is a girl who looks like a boy. She's in a band at her all-girl school, where the students call her their prince. When Mizuki's best friend has to move and leave the band, she doesn't think anyone can replace her. Akira is a boy who looks like a girl. He goes to an all boy school, where the guys call him their princess. He's in love with Mizuki, and sees the opening for her band's lead singer as the perfect opportunity to get close to her. However, Mizuki is naive about love. She thinks her physical reactions to attraction are a sign of bad health and wants nothing to do with men because of this. Akira is persistent, though, determined to make Mizuki fall in love with him...

This manga was confusing at first, but in a good way. Mizuki does look like a pretty boy, and Akira looks like a cute girl... or an uke. But he is most definitely the seme-type. His true nature is manly and forceful. Mizuki comes off as cool and reserved, but she's actually emotional, insecure, and girly on the inside. She's a tsundere, falling for Akira but pushing him away in her confusion. The relationship is interesting at first. I had to keep in mind that Mizuki was a girl for a while. But I didn't really like how the romance developed. Akira is forceful with Mizuki in a way that made me uncomfortable. He keeps telling her that he'll back off if she says no, but... usually she doesn't say yes or no. She's obviously confused by Akira's advances, not ready for that kind of relationship, but he keeps pushing her. Mizuki's too passive with all this, too, but she seems like she really doesn't know what she's doing. In addition to that... I really had a problem with what happened at the end. I don't like to include spoilers in my reviews, but here, I think it's important, so... SPOILER: Mizuki is nearly raped by another girl on a resort trip. To get revenge, Akira gets a friend from his school to rape that girl. It's unclear at this point whether he'll go through with it. I think he only intends to scare her, or that something will interrupt them at the last moment. But no matter what happens, or what the girl did in the first place, it's never ok for a guy to use that kind of force on a girl. It made Akira seem dark, and not in a good way. SPOILER 2: Also, before this, he gets into the hot spring with Mizuki to see her naked, without her permission, not to mention how this invades the privacy of the other girls (who all think he's a girl, too).

I feel a bit hypocritical here, because I still like Hot Gimmick, another manga with a questionable relationship. But the romantic interest there wasn't a schemer like Akira, more like a frustrated, spoiled child. Still made me uncomfortable, and I didn't like that he was still pushing the protagonist around by the end, but... Whereas this guy was a jerk because he was immature and didn't know how else to act, Akira seems cool and in control. Like he should know better but just doesn't care.

But besides all that, I just didn't find the manga all that interesting once I got past the novelty of the characters' appearances. Akira and Mizuki are actually kind of stereotypical. The story mostly consists of scenes with Akira trying to put the moves on Mizuki and Mizuki being reluctant. There were some truly funny moments, like when some guys try to pick up Akira outside a bookstore (thinking he's a girl), but it wasn't enough to liven it up. The band stuff kind of fades into the background. This is a shame, because I would've liked to see more of it. Also, the other characters don't much much of an impression because they, too, fade into the background. I wanted to know more about Mizuki's bandmates, especially Ai, who seemed like a funny, interesting person. Finally, maybe this is just me, but I kind of had trouble believing that the guys at Akira's school would be so worshipful of him. Guys are usually more... resistant to homosexual attraction than girls, and it just seemed weird to me. Yeah, the go to a school full of guys, but... they still seem more interested in Akira, even when there are girls around. And they seem to carry it farther than the girls do with Mizuki.

The art here is good, but not anything really special. It's a bit dated, but all the characters are pretty and skillfully drawn. They could stand to be more emotive, though. Also, I thought that some of the girls in Mizuki's band looked a bit too much like guys to really believe that they are girls, but... it didn't bother me too much.

I don't want to be a stick-in-the-mud. I'm willing to overlook some things when I read manga, and I've enjoyed a few that I felt kind of bad about liking. However, I thought Akira crossed the line. The truth is, if I had found him a more likable character, if I had cared about the romance, this probably would've been one of those manga. But I didn't much like how he treated Mizuki, so the romance didn't get to me. I promise the sexism here isn't what brought my rating down. It didn't help, but overall, I just didn't think the manga was anything remarkable. I read a lot of shojo manga. I mean, I'm at least passingly familiar with just about every shojo title on the market today (well, if you don't count yaoi, which I'm fine with but don't seek out). Give me a plot synopsis, and I can give you the title. So I know what's good and what's just ok. And as far as plot and characterization go, this is just ok. It has its moments, but it didn't really rise above.