Love Celeb

A young starlet named Kirara gets sold out by her manager to a bunch of sex starved producers, but she's a virgin and she thinks she is not ready. Luckily, a man named Gin saves her, but he ends up being worse than any of them. Fortunately she escapes with her virginity intact and when she wakes up she's the best known idol in Japan! Does that guy from before have something to do with it?

The story is okay, although the main male character is pretty unlikable most of the time. This manga is not as good as others by this same mangaka, Shinjo Mayu, in my opinion. There are quite a few steamy adult scenes, so I would not recommend this for younger readers. So, for some ecchi this manga is great, but not so much for story or lovable characters. The main character, Kirara, is probably the most likable character, but still seems somewhat 'flat' and fake at times. I was hoping for more of a climax in the plot, but it sort of just peeked quickly over a few pages. (No puns intended).

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Kanata Kara

On her way home from school one day, Noriko is unexpectedly plunged into a strange and extraordinary fantasy world. Her troubles compound exponentially when she is rescued and befriended by a handsome young man by the name of Izark. He may be brave and courageous, but inside Izark lurks the darkest evil imaginable. And according to an ancient prophecy, Noriko possesses the power to unleash that evil. Now, inexorably bound together, these two unlikely allies must navigate a world both wondrous and hostile.

Kanata Kara, aka From Far Away, is a great fantasy manga. The story is great, with a basic premise of good versus evil. But, you discover that light or good, can be found within everyone and everything. There are many great characters, all are unique and enjoyable, even the 'bad guys'. The love story is simple, yet powerful. I'm surprised they have not made an anime of this manga, but there still may be one yet. In 2004 this manga won the Seiun Award in Japan, which is a renowned award for science fiction stories.

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Full Moon wo Sagashite

12 year old Mitsuki Koyama dreams of being a pop star. However a malignant tumor in her throat prevents her from singing loudly or long. One day she accidently meets two Shinigami who inform her she has one year left to live. They agree to help her die without any regrets and so give her a temporary reprieve from her illness and her singing career a magical push start. A bittersweet love story about following your dreams and finding something or someone to live for.

Full Moon wo Sagashite is a 30 chapter manga by Arina Tanemura. A bittersweet romance story, this manga is very good. The main character is very lovable, as well as the shinigami that join her on her journey. The story is very unique, with a few surprises along the way. There are sad moments, especially when discovering the histories of the shinigami companions and how they died. It has a wonderful happy ending, with a surprise twist of its own. There is a fan subbed anime, which I have just began to watch. So far there are quite a few differences and changes within the story, but the music is really good. I will update more on the anime after I complete watching it.

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Fruits Basket

The enigmatic Sohma family shares a great secret, its members are possessed by spirits of the Chinese Zodiac, and when they are hugged by members of the opposite sex, they transform into their Zodiac animal! Tohru Honda, an orphaned high school freshman, is given lodging in the Sohma household in exchange for taking care of household chores. The humble Tohru is quite grateful for the Sohma family's generosity, and the longer she stays with them, the more they realize what a blessing she is in their lives, as well.

Fruits Basket, sometimes called Furuba, is a manga by Takaya Natsuki. There are a total of 136 chapters. This is a very popular manga, with a huge fan base. This is actually the very first manga I read, after falling in love with the anime. The manga has great art, and a wonderful story. The characters are funny, loving, and each one very unique. The anime is fairly easy to find, and is 26 episodes long. It has a wonderful soundtrack and good story and art. The anime only goes through part of the manga, ending at around volume 8. Though there are small details that are left out of the anime, and the last volume in particular has some information that may be missed if skipped completely. The story continues on with great plots, twists, and a wonderfully happy ending for everybody. This is a highly suggested manga if you like shojou or romantic comedy stories.

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Shinshi Doumei Cross

In return for a business loan of 50 million yen, the prestigious Kamiya family gave their daughter Haine away to the Otomiya family. Haine, now an Otomiya, is appointed to the student council of the exclusive Imperial Academy, a private school for the aristocracy. Even though Haine is of proper lineage to be on the council, she finds herself struggling to find her place among the many secrets of its elite members, especially those of the president who holds her heart--Shizumasa Togu, aka "the Emperor."

Shinshi Doumei Cross, also known as Gentleman's Alliance Cross, is a 47 chapter manga by Arina Tanemura. This manga just recently was completed. It is a very good story, sort of confusing at times, but everything is made clear eventually. There are a few unexpected surprises, which make you wonder what may come next. There is romance on a variety of levels, including passionate friendships. This story is unique, the characters are well-rounded and enjoyable. The ending wraps things up very well, leaving no real loose ends.

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A Thousand Years of Snow

17-year-old Chiyuki Matsuoka was born with heart problems, and her doctors say she won't live to see the next snow. Touya is an 18-year-old vampire who hates blood and refuses to make the traditional partnership with a human whose life-giving blood would keep them both alive for a thousand years. Can Chiyuki teach Touya to feel a passion for life, even as her own is ending?

A Thousand Years of Snow, also know as Millennium Snow, is a manga by Hatori Bisco. At this time it is only 9 chapters long, and it not a truly completed series. Hatori's other manga became much more popular, so this manga was put on hiatus while she finishes the other manga. I am hoping that A Thousand Years of Snow will soon be picked up again for this is one of my favorites. Although there is not too much to it yet, the story is great and the characters are really likable. The art is nice, having a pleasant look to it. The characters and their relationships are unique and intriguing. Very nice romantic stories with some great possibilities.

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7th Period is a Secret

Shun is a girl who used to be shy and gloomy. Wanting to change, she transforms herself into a bright girl when her family transfers into a new place. Hoping to fit in, she laughs and smile at everything agreeing with everyone. She starts to fear that her young teacher is seeing right through her. Is she just imagining, or is it true---?

7th Period is a Secret is a short manga, being only 3 chapters long, being a longer one-shot. This manga is by Chiba Kozue. It is an interesting topic, being about the taboo relationship of teacher and student being romantically involved. This manga is short, and it is difficult to truly become attached to the characters, but the main heroine is very understandable and easy to relate to. It's not really too graphic, but it may seem more of a mature manga due to the topic.

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Alice 19th

The story follows Alice Seno, a 15-year-old girl forever shadowed by her older sister Mayura, who is good at everything she does. At school she is known as "Mayura's little sister" and is relentlessly tormented by the older girls who know that Alice is too weak to fight back.

Alice harbors a deep affection for Kyo Wakamiya, a handsome upperclassman who is on the archery team with Mayura. On the way to school one day, Alice rescues a white rabbit from the road despite the danger to herself, but gets rescued by Kyo and receives a bracelet with a single red stone. The rabbit she saves, however, is no ordinary rabbit. She reveals her true form to Alice and introduces herself as Nyozeka. Alice is told that she is destined to become a Lotis Master. The Lotis Masters use the power of words and communication to enter the Inner Heart of others. It is a powerful ability to be used carefully as Alice soon finds out.

Using the power of the Lotis Words, which reveal themselves to be in the form of runes, Alice accidentally makes her older sister disappear during a dispute over Kyo, whom Mayura had begun dating. Alice then must use the Lotis Words to try and bring her sister back from the dark. She is joined by Kyo who proves to have the Lotis powers as well, and by Frey, another Lotis master who had trained with the masters and arrives with the intention to marry Alice. Unfortunately, Mayura has been taken by the power of the Maram Words, the dark reflection of the Lotis Words. Their only hope lies in Alice and Kyo becoming the legendary Neo-Masters to discover the lost word bonding both Maram and Lotis.

Alice 19th is another great manga by Yuu Watase. It is 40 chapters, 7 volumes long. It has a unique magical theme and story. Alice 19th is reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland, especially when Alice has a rabbit friend. Alice is a likable character, and there is romance and conflict throughout the story. The art is typical of Yuu Watase, being very artistic and nice, although somewhat a tad cartoon-ish. There are also moments of comedy and situational comedy.

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Samurai Baby

The two high school girls, Hanazono Mito and Tatsuda Seshiru, have been friends since kindergarten. But while Seshiru is an honour role student, Mito is constantly breaking school rules. One day, Mito helps Seshiru evade the advances of the arrogant Ran, a rich boy and model who mistakes Mito's interference for jealousy (because of course every woman wants Ran for herself! Yeah, right). This lands Mito in hot water with Ran's fangirls, who later gang up to kick her ass! A new transfer student with wild hair is the one who saves her, but he won't tell Mito his name...!?

Samurai Baby is a 21 chapter long manga by Senju Wakatsuki. This story is cute, and the main character is likable. It has a nice romance theme. The last 3 or so chapters actually are about another couple, but it still is a cute story. I admit it wasn't a greatly memorable manga, but it was still an enjoyable read.

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Snow Drop

So-Na was kidnapped and raped as a child, but she is trying to put that experience behind her. When she meets Hae-Gi in high school, they realize they are similar in many ways and instantly click and fall in love with each other. However, a horrible and dark secret from their past threatens to tear them apart. Like a modern-day Romeo and Juliet, Snowdrop is about two star-crossed teens who fall madly in love; a very romantic and dramatic manga.

Snow Drop is a very good manhwa by Choi Kyung-ah. It is 12 volumes long. This is a very good story. Very romantic and tragic, the story keeps the reader interested. The art has some very beautiful scenes. The heroine is very stylish and has some interesting hair styles and outfits at times. The last volume drags on a little, adding closure and completed happy endings, but all the tension and plots are truly resolved in volume 11. This manga also has a good lesson: Don't dwell on the past, don't dread the future, just live for today!

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