Manga Corner: Gakuen Ouji, Switch Girl!! & Hapi Mari
Whoa, I haven’t done a manga post in a long long time. Now my manga interest is back and I have some to recommend!
Gakuen Ouji
Other names: 学园王子, Academy Prince
Author & Artist: Yuzuki Jun
Years of Release: 2006
Status: English scans-Ongoing (5 Volumes/Chaper 20) / Japanese Raw- Completed (12 Volumes) / Chinese Raw- Ongoing (11 Volumes/Chapter 41)
Serialized In (magazine): Betsufure (Kodansha)
Genre(s): Comedy, Drama, Mature, Romance, School Life, Shoujo, Smut
Description: From Baka-Updates Manga
The stage is set in the prestigious Private Joshi (girls) Oka High School, more commonly known as Joshi High. It became co-educational a few years ago, but females still heavily outnumber the males. So small is the number of men that it could be easily counted. While one would think guys would be pampered in such a harem school, the reality is far from heavenly. It is the world of female domination.
Read here: English Scans / Chinese Raws
Review: -may contain spoilers-
I love the art work but the school scares me! All the girls in the school seem to be horny 24/7 and trying to rape the boys. I took a break after reading 7 chapters because I wasn’t really feeling the plot. Fake marriage ceremony? I don’t find that romantic or cool. I just wanna know which guy the female lead ends up with! Mizutani or Akamaru???
While the manga is classified as smut, in the first 7 chapters, other than the overall theme I don’t think the scenes are too mature. Would I continue to read this? I’m undecided. The english scans are pretty slow though so maybe I will skip to the end once volume 12 is done in chinese.
Switch Girl!!
Other names: スイッチガール！！, 双面少女
Author & Artist: Aida Natsumi
Years of Release: 2007
Status: English scans-Ongoing (5 Volumes/Chapter 28) / Japanese Raw- Ongoing (16 Volumes)/ Chinese raw- Ongoing (Chapter 105)
Serialized In (magazine): Margaret (Shueisha)
Genre(s): Comedy, Romance, School Life, Shoujo
Description: From Mangafox
TAMIYA Nika is a beautiful, outgoing, popular high school girl. She has just the right look, just the right fashions, and is everyone’s friend. What everyone at school does not know is how hard Nika works to keep up this perfect image, and what she is REALLY like at home. When not at school, Nika is a scary, sloppy, tight-fisted girl who wears glasses, an ugly sweatsuit, and has her hair pulled back into unattractive buns. She lays around playing video games and reading manga. Her attitude is bossy and cranky, and she travels far out of her way to shop where she won’t be recognized.
Every day, Nika “Switches On” with a strict regimen of beautification that involves primping and plucking and careful dressing. The only person who knows about Nika’s Switched On/Off modes is her best friend, who is also aware of the reasons behind the changes.
However, soon a second person finds about about Nika’s personalities – someone who has his own On/Off switch, but in reverse! His name is KAMIYAMA Arata, and he is a recent transfer student. He meets Nika when she is in OFF Mode, and then again at school when she is ON. However Nika can see that he has his little secret. At school, Arata wears thick swirly-eyed glasses and messy hair that make some bullies think he is an otaku. However, at home, he ditches the glasses and is downright gorgeous! He is just the opposite of Nika, but why?
Read here: English Scans / Chinese Raws
Review: -may contain spoilers-
This is one of favorite mangas, and one that I’ve reread a few times:) To me the artwork isn’t the greatest but it is still captivating! I love the main girl Nika. She’s really hilarious and amusing to read about. The male lead Arata is a kinda aloof and cold at first but later on he becomes boyfriend material. The manga itself made me laugh many times. The situations that Nika gets into are entertaining and she is no pushover! I love how honest the two leads are with each other and how they accept each other’s peculiar habits.
I’ve read all the english scans and around chapter 35 for the chinese scans. It gets a little slow around chapter 30 so I’m hoping it gets back its entertainment factor soon!
Hapi Mari
Other names: 快乐婚礼, はぴまり ～Happy Marriage!?～, Happy Marriage
Author & Artist: Enjouji Maki
Years of Release: 2009
Status: English scans-Ongoing (6 Volumes/Chapter 25) / Japanese Raw- Ongoing (7 Volumes)/ Chinese raw- Ongoing (7 Volumes/ Chapter 28)
Serialized In (magazine): Petit Comic (Shogakukan)
Genre(s): Comedy, Drama, Josei, Romance, Smut
Description: From Aerandria Scans
Men – they’re the root of Takanashi Chiwa’s problems, which is why she never had the time nor the opportunity to have a boyfriend in her entire life. A full-time office lady and a part-time hostess, she works night and day to pay off her dad’s debt from his failed business. One night at her part-time job, a high-class customer has her fired. Then the next day, she’s called in to see the president – whom she had never even seen before in the office – only to find out she’s to marry him! But what kind of guy is Mamiya Hokuto anyway? Will he become one of Chiwa’s problems, or will he save her from them? And will this marriage even last?!
Read here: English Scans / Chinese Raws
Review: -may contain spoilers-
This manga is pretty good and rather addictive. The main guy is hot (in a manga way) and the plot is a romance story favorite (forced/arranged marriage that develops into true love). Some complains though, I don’t really like the main girl, Chiwa. Her way of thinking annoys me! It isn’t so bad at the start but it progressively gets worse. She likes to assume and play ‘heroine’. Now about the main guy, Hokuto. He’s too controlling for my taste. Sure he’s hot and rich with a troubled past which normally equals my bias BUT he’s personality irks me at times! That’s why I can’t place him in my favorite anime/manga guy list. One last complain, I know this is a smut manga… and in most, the guy is really forceful and aggressive while the girl’s all shy and innocent. While Hokuto doesn’t rape her (which I appreciate cause I hate authors using rape in plots!), she is too innocent for my liking. I like that she is saving herself for mutual love but some stuff that she doesn’t know or understand just annoys me! I much prefer Switch Girl!!’s Nika approach. She isn’t easy but that doesn’t mean she has to be all naive.
I’ve just finished reading chapter 17 and will probably continue it in the future, although if Chiwa continues to annoy me I might consider dropping it.
An added bonus for this manga is that both the english and chinese scans are released pretty fast and are not too far behind the Japanese release!
That’s all for now!
Btw, I’m so addicted to Nice Guys which you can watch the MV at Nigahiga or Kevjumba or Chestersee’s youtube channel!
This is Kevjumba’s version! Cause he’s my fav:)
credits: kevjumba@yt
And one more thing! Lee Minho and Park MinYoung from the drama City Hunter have confirmed that they are dating! Whee!!!!!!!!! Finally I can recover from Hyun Bin’s & Song Hye Gyo’s breakup.
