Latest Fix: Ao Haru Ride

Name: Ao Haru Ride
Author & Artist: Sakisaka Io
Chapters: 34 - Ongoing
Genres: Comedy, Drama, Romance, School Life, Shoujo, Slice Of Life
Plot:

Yoshioka Futaba has a few reasons why she wants to "reset" her image and life as a new high-school student. Because she's cute and had a demure personality she was ostracized by her female friends in junior high, and because of a series of misunderstandings and mishaps, she couldn't get her feeling across to the one boy she has always liked, Tanaka Kou.

Now in high school, she is determined to be as unladylike as possible so that her friends won't be jealous of her. While living her life this way contentedly, she meets Tanaka-kun again, but he now goes under the name of Mabuchi Kou. He tells her that he felt the same way as she did when they were younger, but that they cannot go back. Will Futaba be able to continue her love that never even started from three years ago?

Overview:

You go gurrrl

I've been following this manga for a couple of years now other Sakisaka finished Strobe Edge but it wasn't until recently that the story reached a crossroads. You can't predict what will happen next and the story could go in either direction.



The characters go under a lot of changes and shifts in attitude (mostly by the main lead, Kou). I don't wanna say they're not likable but no, one character represents the epitome of purity, good will or perfection. They all have realistic flaws like being indecisive or trying be noble but at their own expense. It isn't like Fruits Basket where we have Tohru embodying the human morale. They feel like real people that are good that make horrible decisions, things that happen to the best of us.

The storyline borrows a lot from the well-done cliches like love triangles, best friend liking the same guy, tragic family history, ratchet bitches getting in the way of the alpha couple but the relate-able characters make it less obvious.

If you haven't already picked this up I advise you to do so. It's something to read when you want drama without melodrama, romance without the cheese and female leads with some sass.