Kawahara Kazune - High School Debut, vol. 01 (Eng. trans.)

[oyceter]

I've actually read this before, but I forgot to write it up.

Nagashima Haruna's a bit of a tomboy; she dedicated herself to softball all through middle school, and now that she's in high school, she wants to dedicate herself to her other favorite thing, shoujo manga, by falling in love. Unfortinately, she has absolutely no idea how to do it. But she does have a lot of energy and enthusiasm! Eventually, she decides that she needs a coach, like in softball, and she manages to get hot classmate Komiyama Yoh to help her out. She just has to promise him that she won't fall for him.

Everyone knows where this is going, but it's how the manga does it that's the pleasure. Haruna's incredibly likeable; she's nearly immune to insults and generally cheerful and happy. Yoh is grumpy with a soft marshmallow center, and his Tragic Past is being thought of as cold by the people he likes. I just love Haruna and how completely enthusiastic she is, even as she goes from wearing evening clothes for a daytime date to going back to ratty old sweats since she has nothing in between. Even Yoh melts a teeny bit when confronted by her puppy-dog energy.

Fun and happy.

Comments

[octopedingenue]

SHOUJO OTP? (Haruna+Yoh / HighSchoolDebut+Me) Quite possibly. I love the oddball affection everyone has for each other, including the supporting cast. And the total cheerful failure of the Pygmalion plot to even get off the ground. And Haruna's fervent belief in pink sakura petaled romance coupled with her ability to happily kick your ass. And Yoh's ability to reeeead Haruna's miiiiiiiiiind. And the way he totally never smiles because he looks so bizarre when he does.

[oyceter]

They are so cute!

[larryhammer]

I ♥ High School Debut -- it and Love*Com are the sort of teen romantic comedies I want to write when I grow up.

I am somewhat saddened that the series is over in Japan, though this means at least didn't drag out too long.

---L.

[oyceter]

Oh darn! Oh well, like you say, better that it doesn't drag on.

[larryhammer]

Wrapped up in August with volume 12.

---L.

[magicnoire.livejournal.com]

Your review made me curious so I peeked at this series on OM and then started giggling when I saw a panel of Haruna and Yoh doing that thing where they hit their fists together. How cute!

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

What's cute is that he's the one who gets a bit embarassed at such things!

[octopedingenue]

I think Yoh and Fakir meet for coffee every couple of months in their super-special-exclusive Topped By Shoujo Heroines And Liking It club.

Fakir: "My not-girlfriend is a BALLERINA PRINCESS SUPERHERO DUCK!"
Yoh: "My not-girlfriend is HARUNA!"

Ostensibly they're commiserating, but it's totally an excuse to be loudly smug within jealous earshot of everyone else in Starbucks.

[jinian.livejournal.com]

I am totally going to dream about this tonight.

[larryhammer]

Which works, because Haruna is so genki she's almost a badass normal.

---L.

[octopedingenue]

o why why must you give me BEAUTIFUL CRACKALICIOUS CROSSOVER DOUJINSHI IDEAS when I do not draw

[larryhammer]

It is my revenge upon the world for failing to give me the Yotsuba/YKK crossovers I so clearly deserve.

---L.

[oyceter]

Yay! They really are incredibly cute, and I adore Haruna's cluelessness about certain things.

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

The most coherent thought I have when it comes to this manga is an intense need to squish on it and love it to death.

I am particularly fond of how the mangka will taunt us with the threat of a detour into Annoying Shoujo Tropes Land, and then completely ignore the trope and cackle.

[larryhammer]

I especially appreciate this when it comes to Haruna being an athlete.

---L.

[octopedingenue]

Yes! She is so forthrightly in love with the physical and social aspects of sports! And Yoh is/was an athlete too! They're not such a crazy match, they have JOCK ENTHUSIASM to bond them! Whiiiich makes their wacky notaromance even more energetic.