It’s only the beginning of Chiemi’s high school career and she’s already been suspended twice for fighting. Her guidance counselor offers her a chance: get bad-boy Akifumi Hirata to quit fighting and her record will be wiped clean. But once Chiemi actually gets close to Hirata, she realizes that the bad boy’s heart may be more dangerous to her than his fists.
Seino, manga-ka of Girl Got Game and Heaven!!, offers her own take on the high school romance in a story that doesn’t break a lot of new ground, but pleases none the less. Humor and silliness are the keys, with a nice dollop of appealing main characters. I especially enjoyed that Chiemi was able to take care of herself. There are two situations where she gets rescued by her Prince Charming, but the set up for both situations is such that neither of them detract from the fact that she is a tough girl who isn’t afraid to stand up for what’s right. Hirata knows that about her and it’s one of the main things that attracts him to her. He himself is an ideal love interest—good looking, a bad boy who’s really not that bad, able to handle himself in a fight, and a softy and a romantic on the inside.
Misunderstandings, roadblocks to love, and conflicts abound, but they are all bulldozed through with a liberal application of fists and bellowed confessions. None of this is new for shojo manga, but Seino’s comic timing is such that there are plenty of laugh out loud scenes to go along with the sigh-worthy moments. The shojo flower-elements are kept to a minimum, fitting for our tough girl and guy, but the panels are still packed with action and there are chibis in abundance. Overall this new series is a great choice for readers looking for something a little less angsty in their romance.
Love Attack, vol. 1
Shizuru Seino
ISBN: 978-1-4278-0294-1
TokyoPop, 2007
