Monday, January 28, 2008

Love Master A, vol. 1

By Kyoko Hashimoto
Released in the US by GoComi


Slugline: Sometimes adding conflict to a title adds nothing at all.

Aria has transferred to a new school in order to escape her reputation as a hard luck girl in love, but within moments of arriving at the school she is pressured into becoming her class's president with a bunch of other school oddballs that had been apparently been placed there for the rest of the class's safety. Her attempt to fit in is further derailed when Aria's old nickname given to her ironically, Love Master A, is misinterpreted to mean she is good at the romance rather than having constantly struck out with it. As in often the case, wackiness ensues. This title and review was heading towards being merely average, until we hit the last chapter. In order to create conflict, we introduce the class officers of another class, who are mean and really cross my sexual abuse squick line. And at the end of the chapter, all of the horrible plans seem to be just laughed off. Annoying at best and disrespectful to the characters at worst.



Love Master A, vol. 1 is also available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.

-Ferdinand

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