"EPIC ROMANCE" is probably the best way to describe this series. Fifteen volumes of EPIC ROMANCE! You think you're reading a typical gakuen (high school slice-of-life) story with racy fanservice splashed in here and there, then BAM! EPIC ROMANCE!
The story starts out being about a somewhat average highschool boy who frequently drifts off into daydreams, named Seto Ichitaka. Its revealed that he fancies a classmate, Iori Yoshizuki, who's recently been featured in a local magazine's swimsuit centerfold. The two of them are "randomly" paired to put together a skit for one of the school's many pageants (I swear that school is always celebrating some holiday). Once the two are alone, Seto, in an attempt to not seem too into her, ends up making her feel totally insignificant. And Iori, in an attempt to feel significant starts presenting him with ideas for the pageant. She writes on the front of an empty notebook "I''s" (since her first name starts with an I and his last name starts with an I). Iori gives him the book and then runs off. Seto thinks that he was so horrible to her that she couldn't stand to be around him. Madcap antics ensue as the two repeatedly neg each other by accident. This is what we've come to know as "Romantic Comedy", i know. But just when you think things will get wacky, BAM! Stuff gets serious. You start to empathize with the characters and almost forget that its a gakuen comic, then BAM! EPIC ROMANCE! I'm not kidding. This manga has warmed even the coldest hearts. The artwork is unbelievable. Masakazu Katsura (Of Video Girl AI, DNA2, and Zetman) proves that he's a distinguished professional. I could honestly go on and on about this manga until we all turn into butterflies, but none of that will actually matter if you don't take a chance and actually read the series. Most of the people i've referred it to, finished the first volume and then didn't come up for air until after the fifteenth. Viz has translated the series and they did actually censor some of the racier panels, but for the most part, it doesn't affect the story, so I can't complain...much. Here's a link. Probably won't find it in libraries as it can be sort of "mature" at times, but the franchise bookstores have them. I think. Here's an amazon link to the first volume. I would have put links to all 15, but that would be ridiculous.
