- Spoilers Ahead -

At first, the series of missions are somewhat plain. They don't seem connected, either. It's also repetitive when the manga tells of how amazing and special the Musashi girl is, and how she's number Nine of Ultimate Blue.

Later, however, the romance between her and Shingo gets pretty good. The monologue in his head before they part is one of the last times (or so it might be hoped) Kou/Musashi's amazing status is pressed into the reader's face. The apparently random missions in between the parting and the re-introduction of Shingo into the story kind of makes it hit home that something's missing when Shingo's not there.

There are some small "lessons" fed to the reader in most or all of the missions. (I don't remember some of the earlier missions.) They didn't have much impact on me, and I found them a bit lacking. However, it might be, in part, due to the brevity of the smaller stories. It's also a bit of a pleasant break that there are short missions in between.

What to say about number Nineteen. He does look a lot like Musashi, so it shouldn't be very surprising that the person that's allegedly Musashi turns out to be number Nineteen. Somehow, though, he sneaks up on ya.

Some of the characters (especially the minor ones) are hard to tell apart. Shingo's look is pretty distinctive (I identify him by middle-parted hair with minor lighter coloring and big eyes), but even so, there are times when he could be mistaken for someone else.

It's a little lonely starting (nearly) every new mission. It's nice seeing and getting to know newer characters, but it's lonely without the familiarity of a recurring character *coughShingocough*. Drives the pain of his absence even closer to home.

Exciting; story gets somewhat convoluted later.

---

Rating explanation (memory might be fuzzy):
(pro) It was good at building excitement/hype to a point that could not be ignored. Was more or less enjoyable. (Added about 2 points to a rating of about 5 for superExcitement+enjoyment, if I remember this accurately.)
(con) The story/characterization wasn't that spectacular if you look at it straightforwardly. Granted, it was based off another work.

Funny.

-------

It's good. Gonna have to re-rate it later. Maybe.

-

- Spoilers Ahead -

Nobara becomes more girlie as the story goes on, it seems. It's a little disappointing, 'cause it feels like the manga is morphing into a romance-oriented shoujo drama... In my opinion, the story started off really strong. It was nearly flawless up to the point where Mochida and Nobara had a little spat.

From there, well... Mochida's reason for getting upset feels a bit redundant. I think I've seen a situation just like it a few chapters back. Don't remember precisely where, so eh... I won't say anything definite on it yet. There are a few more repeats later on, but they're negligible, since there is some depth in the story and they are not distracting to the storyline.

The characters and the story and the events... They aren't polished until shiny- that is, the characters have "flaws" in their thoughts and the story isn't as pretty as a fairytale. This is a good thing, I think. This is one of the manga's strengths- it shows the unpredictability in "real life."

I also think that there might be some narrator-bias when Nobara's thoughts are presented... For example, that she was deluding herself in chapter 47. When she talked with Yuushin about telling Haibuki about their relationship, her opinion of Yuushin increased, and she became relieved... but nothing was revealed about Yuushin doing anything to merit her sudden appraisal. From what I saw, she jumped to the conclusion that Yuushin was thinking deeply about the situation... I was thinking, wasn't everything decided a while back? ...Since they were on the train back from that beach place that had Ryo on it? So I think Nobara's reaction in this scene was a little uncalled for. It adds to the romance-shoujo appeal, though, I guess. Hn.

It's shown shortly after that Yuushin really was concerned for the well-being of the team, as he was going back to sleep... but I think it's a bit late. It came after Nobara increased her opinion of him. It's nice that it came immediately after her monologue, but I feel it's too late. On a side note, an explanation for why Nobara might think better of Yuushin so... well, randomly... is that they might have been talking more than what was shown in the few panels. It's unlikely though, since the scene was shown entirely and without breaks.

Anyways, at the beginning, I liked Nobara. She was cool and determined, even though she was at times short-sighted. The part when she realized she wasn't thinking about her teammates was really well done. The manga led up to that event really well, whether it was done intentionally or not. The small history with Shouji, the entrance of Kanako, Noda's situation, Osaka's skills helping the team, playing beach volleyball... all of these were wonderfully presented and are an asset to the manga. (Although, Kanako... her entrance was a bit... lumpy. But it was awesome in its own way.)

I'm thinking the manga is on a decline... Nobara doesn't feel quite like Nobara anymore... She's less and less strong-willed, letting things change her face into that of upset and shock.
I remember when she went hysterical when she moved into the dormitory. So strong even though she was sick. That's the Nobara that I liked. Somehow... maybe it's because "love is turning her into a girl," but that's really no excuse for Nobara to lose her charm and personality. Like I've stated before, it feels like the manga has been missing something lately.
The present Nobara reminds me of Ashiya from Hana Kimi. (It's a little eerie that they're acting similarly and being treated the same way.)

------------------------------------

It's really good.

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Rating explanation (memory might be fuzzy):
(pro) Good job considering the subject matter (street racing cars). Managed to make it interesting.
(con) Content spread sparingly across many pages. Might seem repetitive.

Not a critique, but:
Feel the urge to strangle and hug Lambo... at the same time.

Good so far.

-

The amount of thinking and tactics involved remind me of Death Note. The plot is different, though, and so are the characters.

My rating for this could definitely change. At this point, it's too early to expect accuracy in an evaluation. The manga has potential, I think.

----------

Might be a bit biased on this point, but it's cute.

It's funny.

The stories are enjoyable.

-

The first story was well-constructed and moving. The first page or two may have been a little clumsy, though. I'll have to check. The fourth chapter's ending was a bit strange, but it's understandable because of the character's personality.

Still have to read the last chapter.

---

Some of the jokes aren't funny, or were they jokes? Maybe it's a translation-related issue. A few jokes were really funny.

The main character becoming notorious through misunderstanding sounds like Nergal's dilemma from Tozasareta Nergal. The stories are pretty different otherwise, though. For example, mx0 focuses more on romance, while Nergal... poor Nergal should be allowed a cell buddy, at least.

I don't like the female lead from mx0. She seems to have characteristics that are often interpreted as cute, such as the head banging thing... but it makes her look more stupid, in my opinion. "Ha ha ha, I messed up. Now I'm going to attack myself." She's not hitting herself seriously; it seems like tapping, but with a fist. If she's not actually trying to hurt herself, what's the head banging for- a demonstration? Is it supposed to make people go, "Aww, don't hit yourself! You didn't mess up!" It was an interesting character trait when she did it the first time. I would even pat her on the head. But the repetition of this habit makes me wonder whether if it is supposed to have some purpose in the story. If it is supposed to define her as a character, she is shaping up to be an idiot- and not in the good, funny way. Anyway, it's an eyesore.

Generally, jumping the gun gets on my nerves, and it could make me dislike a character instantly. The heroine jumps to conclusions in a cliche anime way. For instance, the beating-a-guy-up-because-he's-a-perv shtick. It was clearly unintentional on the guy's part, yet she labels him a perv and attacks him. It's possible that her head is sometimes in the clouds and she didn't realize it was an accident, but the manga up to what I've read (I'm on ch 4) doesn't hint that she has that tendency at all. She did come from an all-girls school before, so she has that cookie-cutter "Kya~ Boys! I'm scared!" syndrome. I'm guessing these ploys add to the humor. It's a shame it is making her an unlikable character.

?? Isa was talking to the students and making offers, and she thinks that the main character wants stuff? It wasn't him who made the offers.
Maybe she was misinformed, but it looked like she witnessed Isa talking.

She doesn't have many redeeming traits imo, although some of her traits might be thought of as "cute" simply because they are typically cute in other mangas. Transposing a trait that is usually cute in anime doesn't guarantee cuteness on the character you stick it on. The heroine feels like a Mary Sue, although it seems she may have too many flaws to actually be a M.S.. As for the laughing thing, I'd take it as a characteristic that makes her more unique. It's a good thing. It's good that she has something to help differentiate her from Barbie, but it doesn't redeem her. Oh! A redeeming factor! She does offer to help other people.

It kind of feels like Comedy and Action Manga meets Shoujo Romance Heroine.

It's good.

The characters are likable.

The coordination of events was very well done, at least up to the movie part. The events themselves were amusing, too. The manga was brilliant, until that point.

I'll have to reread the whole thing to figure out if the rest flows well.

---

Action-filled, psychological manga.

I think it's interesting to examine the main character's relationship with society. There's a lot of depth to it.

---

Has some funny and cute moments.

The symptoms/behaviors of someone with mysophobia are realistic. Very relatable.

First chapter or so was good.

People with powers in a life-size game of Trump... interesting story idea.

The characters are distinct, though they could use more character development- which they'll probably get as the story goes on.

---

The flow of reading is somewhat choppy. Although the lack of transition between frames can work well to exaggerate a funny moment, it is happening constantly... to the point that it could be said it's overused. It makes it a little harder to understand what's going on in the scene, and it's also distracting. The reader could be trying to figure out what the frame is supposed to show and, in doing so, can't pay attention to the plot or the characters.

There are also frequent scene breaks without warning... flashbacks, possibly, but they seem to be important in portraying the glasses-guy's skill as well as the characters' thoughts and feelings (glasses-guy included). The scene breaks aren't necessarily bad, as they help the story develop mystery and depth.

The characters' facial expressions are sometimes confusing. That is, the pictures don't match the description. (It's not the case where a person smiles even though he's supposedly sad. It's more like... the text says the person's expression was very strange, but the person's face looks no different from his face in every other frame. Not even slightly.) However, it's possible that this is due to meanings lost in translation.

---

Good artwork. Engaging characters. Might modify rating.

------- Spoilers Ahead

Up to what I've read...

I can almost hear the "Kyaa~!"
The manga has a string of common shoujo elements... don't know if it was done on purpose for comedic purposes, but I don't like the shoujo-y bits. The cutesy parts clash with the main character.

In the beginning, the main character was introduced as physically strong and apparently experienced at taking down thieves. A few chapters later... it feels as if the manga forgot she was supposed to be strong and put her in these situations:
-Fighting for Love! (after her mom says something like, "First to attack wins.")
-Damsel in Distress! (got taken as hostage by the principal)
-Saved by A Guy (the guy she likes gets stabbed trying to protect her)
-Parting with A Beloved

Rather than saying the characters don't fit, it's more that some of the events don't add up.

Although it's not completely out of character for her to be in those situations (and it's not OOC for the guy to "save" her because he probably didn't know about her pinning those thieves down- he knew she fought thieves, but not that she was good at it), her strength and abilities seem to be pushed aside in favor of them. Showing her so strong in the beginning... and then having her in those situations... feels like the situations appear easily, like there's no significance to them, since they're so commonplace... Is the "she's strong" part meaningless to her character? Then we should ignore the other pieces of her introduction too?- her bravery in catching criminals, her sense of justice? Without them, her character falls apart.

Oh but guess what? The manga remembers her physical prowess. And she starts fighting again in chapter 4, side-by-side with the object of her affection. I wonder, does he no longer feel the need to protect her? 'Cause, you know, fighting totally won't hurt her at all.

The romance is also a bit fast-paced for it to feel real... so again, there's a cookie-cutter shoujo-story feeling to it.

I guess the manga up to this part's okay, but it has a lot of cliche parts. Maybe it was supposed to be fun, maybe it was supposed to be a parody or something, maybe it was seriously trying to make an impact. I don't know, but I don't feel it was in any way exceptional.

Has some really funny moments.

---

A lot of the girl witches feel kind of static, but that's probably because it's early in the manwha. There's still plenty of time to see development.

The designs for the clothing are very nice.

---
It's interesting.
---

---
Attempts to build a platform for itself... instead of powerful speech a garbled honk comes out....
---
Spoilers ahead.

It tried to use a combination of plotlines that didn't go together very well.... Having the courage to confess and Protecting people who're able to see you for you.... Hm....

The plotlines kind of ran each other over... each going their own way pretending the other didn't exist... It generated a pretty confusing manga. It didn't quite make the confusion obvious... more like a teacher going "a+b=c... therefore u=omg. Ah you've got a question. Moving on...".

It did have some background with the characters... however it used a theme that wasn't quite obvious.... So although the widely recognized "Venus" and "Satan" names were thrown out there... it didn't quite carry. "Hey, ketchup is cool. Everybody knows what ketchup is... Sunscreen is also cool... Protects ya and all that... let's have Ketchup fight Sunscreen. They're both liquids ... usually . Go."

Consistently interesting plot, a touching ending.

---
Very funny. Has good flow.

An interesting world. Ending is a bit unexpected but makes the story feel complete; it's mostly satisfying.

---
"Huh?" describes my feelings while reading the manga....
---
Spoilers ahead.

As the summary spoke about two potential mates I'd thought the presence/appeals for the rivals would be about even. So even when the sugary part with one of the rivals proceeded, a part of me was reluctant to think, "This's the guy he's going to end up with". The sugary part continued, continued, leaving me wondering about the other rival's lack of appeal, until it'd felt alright to accept the sugary guy as the mate. At this point the characters had already gone through the process of showing how they came to accept each other as partners, so watching their declarations of love felt shallow. Shortly after I'd come to accept them... the other rival makes an entrance and kind of makes an appeal. It was much less involved than the first rival's appeal... sort of like a cameo rather than a genuine rival's attempt.

Not sure if Rivals Still Trying To Win His Heart was how it ended or he actually ended up with the first guy.... Makes it hard to accept the relationship as real instead of a really long fling. That kind of undermines the effort the author went through to persuade the reader how touching(?) the story is. ...Unless it's supposed to be a comedy... but then what's with the drama, serious tone, and general lack of comedy?

...?

... Then the manga finishes off with the rivals feeling each other up... imo it was kinda cute but it felt kinda awkward as they were supposed to like the main character. How'd I know they were supposed to like the main character? They kept telling each other that they did more or less....

So confused.

Repetitive plot.

---

It was good.

Expressions presented didn't make sense sometimes....

fun

A bunch of twists and the mystery of Zen's past keep it interesting.

-

When the loose strings have been tied together, the story comes together cleanly. It feels rather complete.

Although the plot line was interesting, I didn't find the events very exciting. With the huge mystery keeping things in the dark, there's nothing substantial to dwell on, until the last chapter.
Since there's no deep thinking involved (until the end), there's not much to do except accept plot events as they are and go with the flow. The surprise of the twists are kind of dulled.

---

Was surprisingly good.

Even though some themes are presented plainly, there's a lot of depth. That or I'm deluding myself.

---
Doesn't stop itself from bringing the protagonist through the gutter ... the protagonist appears to develop well....
---

Spoilers ahead.

Ending was a bit abrupt... plotwise it stopped at a good place. However, the feelings were still unresolved... it's like handing somebody a cake, having them eat most of it, and taking it away before they finished....

It was on a roll sometimes though....

It doesn't force everybody to somehow like the main character... Ban's not a marysue in that respect. Sometimes it gets a little sketchy... it comes off barely different sounding than power rangers. For example... toward the end... the battle against the twin chefs did a bit more... unsupported... villainizing than it could swallow....

It also left the conflict with the guy working under Ban unresolved... .

It seems there's a sequel... still it doesn't help the lack of resolution, staunching of flow, and other issues going on in the manga....

---

--- Spoilers Ahead ---

The sync of the manga was pretty bad to passable. It might have been due to the spontaneity of the events, but I think maybe things could've been meshed together better. I guess the dissonance could emphasize the states of the band: continuously coming together and falling apart. Still, the pieces that show its states could have been portrayed better.

(Tangent: Ah, sync's like... how every event or detail relates to every other detail. Even if they don't "match" like in symmetry, there's beauty if they "go together somehow" like in asymmetry. The characters' expressions, their reactions, the number of pages per scene, etc.. It's probably commonly categorized as the feel of the story, but I don't think it's the same. Feel goes off of emotions a bit, and people's impressions. Sync is more objective than subjective, I think... . "How does everything work together?" and then figure out whether the relevance is high or not... sort of like it.) (Edit: Think the word's synergy.)

A good thing, though... For example, during the band's first performance at Greatful Sound(?) and their latest performance there... When a scene gives the manga sync, it's done pretty well. Not incredibly perfect though... even though these scenes have an incredible feeling- and the ambiance has wonderful emotion, too- there is something that's still missing. They were supposed to be unbelievable moments, but they weren't as spectacular as they were supposed to be- that impossibly brilliant moment. Maybe it's because the characters worked for their masterpieces that it's not as awe-inspiring as it might've been.
(Edit: Found an interesting way of phrasing it: It's like "We worked hard, we're tired. Let's just go and make this happen, and get this over with. It's great! But do we have enough energy left? Let's try." rather than "Yes! We're finally here!")

This aspect kind of clashes with the Mongolian Chop Squad(?) name. They could probably have made people recognize them as Beck, but they just went with it after they found out about MCS. Just like when they first got together. There was the feeling that "this could work," that "there is something special here." Maybe, though, through all the hard work they were doing to make the band a success, it was a challenge not to lose that part of them- the spark that got them together and keeps them together.

Hmmm... the story flowed somewhat well. The manga didn't linger too long on one event but kept flowing.
The characterization is good. "Ah, this is how a person really acts." And Chiba *was* pretty darn adorable trying to read that paper.

There were a lot of "morals/themes" weaved into the story, and I think the weaving was done really well.

Exciting plot.

Support characters are actively involved in the story.

---

There are several twists that will keep the reader wondering which side will triumph over the other- the terrorists or Fujimaru and company.

It's also exciting to try to figure out who is an enemy in disguise.

Likable.

-

- Spoilers Ahead -

The heroine assumes the guy she likes is rich... because of a rumor... She pushes away something she has been pining for, a new romance, for one rumor?! She didn't even try to confirm it- she just went and assumed?

If she has a problem with rich people, I can take that, but what she is doing is incredibly stupid. ...Unless she's actually paranoid about who she dates, to the point that the mere thought that someone might be rich makes her run for the hills... In that case, she is weak emotionally. It works well with the story, if she is; however, it doesn't match with what she says and sometimes with how she acts. Either she is incredibly half-hearted or she is a hypocrite, is my conclusion.

Also, she is rather wishy-washy when it comes to feelings, despite her claiming to support a kind of warm love with no currency signs attached. Wishy-washy how? Her thought went like this: "Do I like this guy...? Yes. *three pages later* Do I like this guy? Nope! Found out he has money. *three pages later* Do I like this guy? Yes. D:" Maybe she is a person who has trouble deciding or knowing whether she likes someone or not- that's fine. But to let what she believes she is feeling be swayed so easily... It's rather wishy-washy, isn't it?

As for being a hypocrite... this might be due to some trauma she suffered from her past relationship. She liked a guy but decided not to pursue a relationship, for the same reason that her ex-boyfriend dumped her- for wealth and status. Although she is leaning toward the poor and her ex is leaning toward the rich, they are both using the same factor to determine whether to date someone or not. The heroine dislikes that she got dumped for such a reason (evident as she replays what he said over and over in her head), yet she starts judging things with that same reason....

Maybe there is some kind of depth to this story, despite its brevity. Leaves me thinking, "This kind of character... What is it?" Hmmm... I guess her trauma explains it all, huh. I guess she will show progress when she gets over the trauma, and magically becomes stronger.

Eh, anyway, I'm not too thrilled about the main character. (Hey, kinda feels like I'm watching an anime where the protagonist is that normal but dorky failure of a guy, who somehow winds up attracting a harem.)

---

- Spoilers Ahead -

The story feels incomplete. There were a lot of questions left unanswered, including, "Will the two return to their original bodies?" Some people felt that the manwha(?) shouldn't have ended just yet.

I think it was a good manwha, but I can't remember much of it.

Captures the perspective of the main character well.

-

- The Following May Contain Spoilers -

(I'm going to refer to Claudine with the masculine pronoun.)

From what I remember...
All of Claudine's problems in life revolve around one thing. Strangely enough, in the final blow, the source of the problem wasn't that thing (other people's inability to accept him)... he was plainly rejected. Must have been painful when the thought struck, "It's not anyone's fault. It's just because it's me."

I don't think what Claudine did at the end was extreme. It made sense.

---

Although the early-middle part may be awful to read through (because of the painful feeling it evokes, not because of bad quality), the story feels rather complete.

The ending is especially well-done. It felt very complete. From other people's testimonies, it seems that it is common to cry at the end of the story. Personally, this was one of the mangas that make me cry the hardest.


--- Spoiler Ahead ---

In the last chapter, there was a page where Tatsuya is dragging Jun away with him, before the scene with silhouettes in front of flashbacks.
My tears seemed to creep up on me, and it felt like I had started crying for no reason at all- but I could still feel the sadness, and a little bit of joy at the memories. At some point, while I was staring at the picture, I thought that this might be the hardest I've ever cried for a manga story, but then again, there were other wonderful tear-jerking stories, so maybe not.

At any rate, that page is now bookmarked so that I can more easily reference it.

(I actually bookmark anything in manga that I especially like or find impressive, but that's beside the point.)

It's an addicting manga full of trick tactics and secrets.

It seems to have lost a bit of its wind when the "second part" begins, where two new main characters are introduced.
(If you've dabbled in the Death Note fan circle, you know whom I'm talking about.)

Good insight... refreshing individuality.

---

Spoilers ahead.

The laughter from the characters Teru and Miki was fun to watch... when they spent time acting silly like that... it made the reader feel like laughing too.... The feeling was contagious.

The characters were not from standard stock. They were individuals and their stories were relatable.... To say... you'd think their individuality would make it more difficult to sympathize with them, but it wasn't the case....
Other mangas might make it seem like the characters mess up but they know what's right deep down... on the other hand this manga... doesn't shackle its characters with morality. Perhaps the girlfriend was a foil to bring morality into question and to address it aptly.... She also seemed to take on the role of fan punching bag....

The feelings of Teru and Miki were communicated strongly ... when Miki was speaking to Teru in a voice mimicking Teru what he said made sense.... Even though Teru hadn't revealed how he felt straight out it had been hinted enough that the reader knew ... or at least suspected ... . When Miki said it out loud it was a validation....

The romantic feelings between Miki and Teru didn't come through though ... Wasn't quite sure if it was deliberate or not ... . It was clear that Miki and Teru were emotionally dependent on each other ... They needed something that nobody else around them offered ... and as they got to know each other they became emotionally invested ... . Thinking about it they're more like super good platonic buddies that have sex ... the manga plays off of not defining their relationship though ... so it might be taken as a strength rather than a flaw ... .

What they've got together is special ... but how's it more magical than their relationship with their best friends. Fact is ... their relationship is at the center of the story ... to leave their relationship at the level of a supporting relationship ... pulls it down. "So why did they ditch their pursuit of best friends for each other? I dunno. They said they were confused. They mistook things. Y'know, it's kinda weird that the reverse seems just as likely - them ditching their relationship for their best friends. Why are they together? I dunno. So they need to be with each other but still don't know why they're together together? Are they together together? They wanna keep each other for themselves. But hey you know what. That sounds just like how nearly every character in the story feels for a bunch of others in the story. Like Teru's friends for Teru's best friend. Like the elder brother for Miki and his girlfriend. Like Teru's best friend for Teru and his girlfriend. Like Teru for his best friend and Miki. . " ... Adding competition's nice ... sometimes it helps to clarify feelings. There was not enough defense to support the main relationship here though ... .

---

---

Don't remember much of it, but it left a strong impression when I read it.

Artwork is amazing, the characters are likable and cute.
Easy to understand what's happening, and it's funny.

It had some good arguments against homophobia.

Not sure if the story near the end was a separate story or a continuation of the main story, since the hairstyles were so similar but the names were different.

The first two chapters were great. The ending, if you could call it that, was bad, I think. Not sure if it WAS the ending.

It is okay of a read if you take it with a grain of salt - there are a lot of dream sequences in the manga, and they show up unexpectedly. The chapters of the story are like fragments of a dream. Piece to piece, they might not make sense, but they might give an impression of the story as a whole.

Given its fragmented nature, it often presents information conflicting with already present information, leaving one to wonder whether it was all just a big hoax. This further emphasizes its dream-like quality.

Feels like the story is being viewed from within the world that's presented. (It's an effect like... ignoring real life surroundings because a novel is producing movie-like feed in your head.)

Pretty good.

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Been some time since I read it. Rating might be somewhat off.