By REBECCA P.
“Ayumu Shiiba is studying for the all-important high school entrance exams. She is struggling to get by, but thankfully has help from her best friend Shii-chan, who is at the top of their class. But when the test results come back, their friendship falls apart — Ayumu surpasses Shii-chan’s scores and gets into her high school of choice while Shii-chan doesn’t!
Losing Shii-chan is so painful for Ayumu that she starts cutting her wrists for comfort. Hoping for a fresh start, Ayumu arrives at her new high school and finally opens up to a new friend, Manami. But will Manami prove to be the friend that Ayumu truly needs or send her further in a downward spiral?”
My thoughts
Life focuses on Ayumu who is studying for her high school entrance exams. She isn’t the best student, but her best friend, Shii-chan, offers to help when she learns Ayumu wants to get into the elite school she’s applying for. While Ayumu gets in, and Shii-chan doesn’t, Shii-chan is devastated and breaks her friendship with Ayumu. This has a devastating effect on the young Ayumu who begins cutting herself to ease the pain. When she arrives at her new school she has difficulty fitting in until Manami befriends her. This is one manga not for the faint of heart.
After losing both her parents, Tohru Honda finds herself living in a tent in the woods. While most people would have a dreary position to being “kicked” out for house renovations at her grandfather’s house, and being too afraid of being a burden to stay with friends, Tohru has an unbeatable optimism. On her way to school that particular morning, she stumbles upon the Sohma house, where the “Prince” lives.
My thoughts
Enter Karin, a vampire with “monthly” problems. She’s a vampire with nose-bleeds and an intense blood-gushing reaction to the new transfer student Kenta Usui. This creates several embarrassing episodes for both of them, and even more ‘coincidentally’ they start to work at the same place. Of course, Karin’s life was never normal to begin with as a vampire. Living with her parents, brother and younger sister, she’s the family’s black sheep. Not only can she go out into the sun and enjoy it, but she gives blood instead of taking blood from her “victims,” creating a very positive result. The question is, what will Karin’s reactions to her classmate Kenta Usui result in as well as her life as a vampire?