Manga Review: Kiss in the Blue

Shoujo: Kiss in the Blue
Author: Kaho Miyasaka
Genres: Romance, Drama, Shoujo
Rating: 7/10

I read this manga about a year ago. I've decided to review it now because I've never forgotten it, and because it's fundamentally different from most other works I've read. A majority of the time, I'm in the mood for romantic comedies. I like things that are light and appealing, because it increases the general outlook I have on other things as well. I don't need works that make me feel bad, because literary escapes are supposed to make me feel good.

Occasionally, I encounter a masterpiece - a piece of work that I have to enjoy to the full extent, no matter how it makes me feel. It is during these rare circumstances that I disregard the possibly that I might feel sad, depressed or lost by the end, because all the emotions that I would never experience in life (the drama!) have appeared somewhere in the middle.

I'm not necessarily saying Kiss in the Blue is a masterpiece, nor am I saying that it makes me feel bad. It's just one of those few mangas that stand out among the others in its category. The plot line isn't as cliched as it could be, and the main character isn't the most annoying I've encountered. The art isn't bad, and I've got to say that throughout the whole manga, I was genuinely interested. It is something that a manga-lover has to check out (and notice I said "manga-lover", because someone who's just starting into mangas may not be immediately be attracted to the dark undertones.

On to the summary!

From Wikipedia: This is a very dark and angsty work, much more so than Miyasaka's other works. Saeki Chise has no recollection of the summer of three years ago. Whenever she feels as though her memories might be returning, her head begins to ache and Chise stops trying to remember. That's when Tamiya appears before her. He has a familiar face and photographs from the traumatic time that Chise's mind has suppressed. He uses the photos to blackmail her into becoming his woman...but then Chise is saved from Tamiya by Katsuragi Kaoru, the biggest delinquent in class! Chise begins to fall for Kaoru, but his role in this situation is not as innocent as Chise at first believes.

I'm planning to reread the series (there are four volumes in total) because I haven't found anything really good up to now. The last awesome manga I read was 100% Perfect Girl in April or so of this year, and I've been on a futile search for something just as good ever since. There was one point when I would read everything and anything, but now I've become picky. I want to experience the feelings of when I first stepped into the manga world - when there were numerous good titles that never ran out. Now that I've been through them all, finding a good one is like trying to find a needle in a haystack.

Of course, "good" is subjective. What I mean is something that truly appeals to me. The same thing is happening to me with books. Though I've got a bigger selection with books, I spend most of my time reading halfway into it deciding that it isn't right for me, and that there is no way I'd like it. I wish I would come across a list with absolutely eveything that I should read - specifically tailored to me.

But then again, I'd be missing half the fun, wouldn't I?

- Annie