Ueda Miwa - Peach Girl, vol. 01 (Eng. trans.)
Sun, May. 1st, 2005 05:00 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
oyceterI am so incredibly irked by this that I refuse to read past vol. 1, even though I got five volumes from the library.
I know that women often find that they are their own worst enemies, but for heaven's sake, could I please have a romantic comedy or a romance in which the women are not enemies? Gah.
Momo's dark skin is the bane of her existence; people see it and assume that she's a "beach bunny" who only wants to have fun and is easy with guys. I am assuming here that "beach bunny" is the way they are translating "kogyaru" or "cool gal," the Japanese girls who tan their skins incredibly dark and bleach their hair and populate Shibuya, the trendy district of Tokyo. Because the tanning is a very distinct trend among Japanese girls, I don't know how likely or unlikely it is for someone's character to be judged by the color of their skin, but it really rubs me the wrong way. Especially because the book isn't particularly refuting the fact that people who tan their skins on purpose aren't sexually loose -- the mangaka just sets up her heroine as being the exception to the rule.
Momo has a crush on Toji, but she doesn't think he'll ever like her back because she remembers him saying that he could never date a girl with skin darker than his. Alas, she lost all my respect here, because even if this was a misunderstanding (the manga abounds with them), why in the world would she still like someone who thought that? I mean, I understand that crushes are irrational and such, but she doesn't even question this statement from him or find it in any way disturbing. Argh.
However, she ends up telling her "best friend" Sae that she likes Kiley, the most popular guy in school, because Sae is the kind of friend who sabotages everything Momo does. Witness my annoyance level shoot through the roof. I hate the one special girl who is the exception to the rule that all girls are sluts or dangerous blah blah blah story, which is why no, I will never watch Alias again. Then of course Kiley falls for Momo, who is just that special, and there are awkward misunderstandings with Toji. Then of course Sae gets wind of the Toji thing and grabs him for herself and cue misunderstanding upon misunderstanding upon misunderstanding. All of which could be cleared up if, say, Toji and Momo actually sat down and talked to each other for ten minutes!
ARGH. Somehow this manga manages to touch upon every single one of my hot buttons -- stupid love triangles, stupid misunderstandings, stupid evil best friends and stupid innocent misunderstood heroines.
Will most definitely not be continuing on with this.
I know that women often find that they are their own worst enemies, but for heaven's sake, could I please have a romantic comedy or a romance in which the women are not enemies? Gah.
Momo's dark skin is the bane of her existence; people see it and assume that she's a "beach bunny" who only wants to have fun and is easy with guys. I am assuming here that "beach bunny" is the way they are translating "kogyaru" or "cool gal," the Japanese girls who tan their skins incredibly dark and bleach their hair and populate Shibuya, the trendy district of Tokyo. Because the tanning is a very distinct trend among Japanese girls, I don't know how likely or unlikely it is for someone's character to be judged by the color of their skin, but it really rubs me the wrong way. Especially because the book isn't particularly refuting the fact that people who tan their skins on purpose aren't sexually loose -- the mangaka just sets up her heroine as being the exception to the rule.
Momo has a crush on Toji, but she doesn't think he'll ever like her back because she remembers him saying that he could never date a girl with skin darker than his. Alas, she lost all my respect here, because even if this was a misunderstanding (the manga abounds with them), why in the world would she still like someone who thought that? I mean, I understand that crushes are irrational and such, but she doesn't even question this statement from him or find it in any way disturbing. Argh.
However, she ends up telling her "best friend" Sae that she likes Kiley, the most popular guy in school, because Sae is the kind of friend who sabotages everything Momo does. Witness my annoyance level shoot through the roof. I hate the one special girl who is the exception to the rule that all girls are sluts or dangerous blah blah blah story, which is why no, I will never watch Alias again. Then of course Kiley falls for Momo, who is just that special, and there are awkward misunderstandings with Toji. Then of course Sae gets wind of the Toji thing and grabs him for herself and cue misunderstanding upon misunderstanding upon misunderstanding. All of which could be cleared up if, say, Toji and Momo actually sat down and talked to each other for ten minutes!
ARGH. Somehow this manga manages to touch upon every single one of my hot buttons -- stupid love triangles, stupid misunderstandings, stupid evil best friends and stupid innocent misunderstood heroines.
Will most definitely not be continuing on with this.