Love Com, Vol. 1 (Love*Com) [ペーパーバック]

As an opening confession: I don't like anime/manga very much. Most of what I've watched, I didn't enjoy, with the exception of Black Lagoon - but I think that's about as opposite to Love*Com as you can get.

But I live with a guy whose true love is Japanese romance comedies, and he got me started on fan translations of the Lovely Complex anime. From there, he bought the books - and yes, I sort of stole them.

I don't have much experience with manga, but I thought the artwork was great and really suited the feel of the series. I've heard it compared to Ally McBeal, in that the down-to-earth storyline is interspersed with occasional brief fantasy sequences (usually when a character is shocked or upset). But I hated that TV show and love this series, so I can't really comment. The characterization here is marvellous, and the two protagonists are both unusual and very sympathetic. Risa is gangly, awkward and humorous, but her feelings are given weight - and Otani, even with his bravado and forced over-confidence, is engaging and good-natured. They spend most of the overall storyline antagonizing each other, but it's a love-hate thing that develops realistically and rather sweetly into a deeper relationship. The supporting characters are also well-developed, and a few of them might be even more engaging than Risa and Otani.

Not sure if the anime is ever going to be officially translated, but these books are well worth picking up. If you have seen the anime, you won't be disappointed with this. As for the live-action TV drama...well, can't win them all.

Love*Com, also known as Lovely Complex is one of the most hilarious manga series you'll ever pick up. Many shoujo series out there that are labled as comedies are really not funny. Love*Com is an exception with each chapter filled with those laugh-out-loud moments.

The manga starts out with Risa and Otani as friends. However their teacher and classmates see them as a comedy duo since they are always arguing with each other and for stupid reasons. They decide to help each other out in their love lives and make a bet on who can find a boyfriend/girlfriend first. However as time goes by, Risa sees that she begins to like Otani. How will their realtionship become in the future?

The charatcers in the manga are lovable and you will find that you will love Risa's best friend Nobu for her silly remarks and ideas. The story is a standard shoujo story set at a high-school. The charcter interactions and the art is what truly makes the story hilarious. I've never seen a series with so many funny facial expressions! XD

The manga was extremely popular in Japan that it was made into a live-action movie and anime series that is being shown in Japan right now. Both adaptions are also very funny and enjoyable.

So go ahead and give volume 1 a go. I'm sure you will be laughing all the way till the end (volume 16).

I've long been a fan of manga featuring love-hate relationships. When I saw that "Love Com" was one such manga, I knew I had to give it a try. I had my doubts about it, though. As much as I love arguing couples, I'm easily bored with characters who are always at each others' throats and relationships that don't mature. At first, I didn't see much that set "Love Com" apart. There was the usual pairing of quarreling and unexpected friendship, not bad, but nothing new, either. I kept reading, though, and before I knew it, I'd fallen completely in love with this wonderful little series.

First of all, the plot is pretty original. Risa Koizumi is unusually tall for a girl, and Atsushi Otani is unusually short for a boy. Because their heights are accentuated when they stand together, they hate each other and end up arguing a lot. However, their classmates think their fighting is hilarious, so they end up getting compared to famous Japanese comedic duo All Hanshin Kyojin. The story begins when both Risa and Otani get crushes on other people, and they team up despite their differences to help each other attain the objects of their affection. Some elements are traditional shojo, but I thought the height difference and comparison to a comedy duo were original. As the story goes on, you see some old cliches get some completely new spins.

But it's the characters that really make the story. Risa is a totally believable heroine. She wants to be in love, but she feels awkward and unfeminine because of her height. She's neither shy nor exceptionally strong; she's just a typical girl trying to deal with high school. Even when she's embarrassing herself, her feelings are very easy to understand. One thing I love is the spectrum of emotions she goes through, from joy to disappointment to heartbreak. Although Risa herself can be overly dramatic, the manga handles it all in a realistic and sympathetic way. Ootani makes a great love interest, too. He's embarrassed about being short, and he's got just a bit of an attitude. He's really a nice guy, though, which Risa soon discovers. Though their attitudes make them bump heads and they argue throughout the manga, Risa and Ootani can relate to each others' height woes. It doesn't take long for them to become friends.

And how about this: a relationship that actually changes and grows? What a great concept! Really, it's rare to find such a thing in manga, but "Love Com" has it down. Risa and Ootani start out supporting each other as friends, but it starts to turn to something more for Risa. One thing I really appreciate about "Love Com" is the realistic way it handles the romance. It's not all sparkles and flowers. Even when there is a romantic moment, it's handled in an understated way. I love how it shows the awkwardness that can occur between friends who may be something more. Instead of taking away from it, this makes it much sweeter and more realistic. The romance never takes itself too seriously or gets too mushy. It's the perfect balance of serious and humorous.

And I haven't even gotten to the supporting characters yet! Risa and Ootani's friends are wonderful, and so are the rivals that come up. They all have distinct and likable personalities. Instead of just moving the story along, they bring new themes into the manga.

The humor in this manga is excellent, mostly because of the characters. You really get to know them, and the situations play off of their personalities is just perfect. The dialogue is sharp and witty. Also, the humor is mostly about the everyday drama we face in life. The familiarity of the situations that Risa, Ootani, and the others face just makes it that much more funny.

The art fits the story well. It's simple but distinct and well-done. You never confuse the characters, and their designs are a little more realistic than the sparkly eyed heroes of most shojo manga. I love all the faces Risa makes; they perfectly express her moods. Sometimes her expressions are truly ugly, but I was happy to see this. Most manga heroines manage to look cute no matter what happens, and it's wonderful to see one who sulks and grins so ridiculously. It makes Risa among the most human heroines I've ever read about.

My only beef with "Love Com" is the translation. It's ok, I mean, I don't hate it. "Love Com" was origially written in Kansai, the dialect of a region of Japan including Osaka, Nagoya, and Kyoto. The translator tried to give the feeling of this dialect by using words like "totally" and "like" a lot. It's not terrible, but it makes the characters seem a little shallow. But their personalities shine through anyway. It also becomes less noticable as the manga goes on.

"Love Com" is an excellent, excellent manga. It's one of the best shojo you can buy, period. Though it's written for girls, everyone should be able to find something to enjoy here. It has wonderful characters, the most realistic, dynamic romance I've ever read, a moving story that keeps you entertained the whole way through, hilarious writing... I cannot recommend this manga enough. Do yourself a favor and read it as soon as you can.