Reviews

Strobe Edge Vol. 1 by Io Sakisaka

papalbina's review against another edition

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4.0

ay, señor, las mismas historias de siempre con los japoneses y los "oh, dios mío, ha dicho mi nombre"... algún dia visitare el pais pa ver si realmente los adolescentes son así de idiotas xD

books_and_cha's review against another edition

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4.0

I cannot begin to express how much I love this series. I adore our protagonist, Ninako - she's cheerful, good and a complete sweetheart. She's so strong, and my heart hurts for all the pain that she goes through after she falls in love with Ren.

I really like Ren as a character too. He's a great person, but he has his flaws: he hesitates too much. It takes him a long time to learn to act on his feelings. That's all a part of his character development, and in the end, he learns to be more human than before. Ninako brings out a side of him that is unfiltered. She breaks down his walls and reservations till all there is is just pure Ren. It's hard for him, but also incredibly good for him too.

In contrast, Andou doesn't hesitate at all. He goes all out in pursuing his love for Ninako, and even though I wasn't rooting for him, I did feel bad when he realized Ninako would never love him.

The thing is, if you look at the basic plot of this series, it's completely cliched. I should hate it because everything that happens in this book has happened before. Girl falls for guy with a girlfriend, second lead comes in and there's a love triangle, etc. I loved how Ninako was never swayed from her feelings. She was never confused about Ren. Once she fell in love with Ren, she didn't stop. She really loved him - it wasn't just infatuation.

The way Sakisaka Io portrays all her characters is very generous. Even the bad guys have their reasons for being as they are. Every one is seen as flawed, human, imperfect. Just the way I like it.

This series gave me all the feels. I found myself rooting for Ninako and Ren the entire way - I was sad when Ninako was hurt, and happy when she was. I also squealed internally several times whenever the two had a moment. I love them together. I also just love this entire story - the characters, the plot, the feeling it gives me. .

I felt like I was there with them the entire time, completely immersed. The world of Strobe Edge has become so important to me.
Completed II: June 7, 2017

linluvsbooks's review against another edition

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lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Sweet and light love story. 
10 volumes total. 

ali_brarian's review against another edition

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5.0

Super girly despite the main character not liking "girly" things. For my first manga I was pleasantly surprised. Bring on more manga.

idlereader's review against another edition

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lighthearted reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

emjayscott's review against another edition

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funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

abigail_lo's review against another edition

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Boring. Boring love triangle, boring love interests, boring heroine. Boring.

amy_inthecatacombs's review against another edition

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4.0

Ninako has never known what love is until she meets Ren. He’s the guy that almost every girl loves. After a few brief encounters, she finds her caring for Ren and starting to experience love. The more she asks her friends about love the more they think she is talking about her friend, Daiki.

She doesn’t know what to do when Daiki confesses that he loves her. Her friends already expect them to get together, but she can’t stop having feelings for Ren. Will she be able to sort her feelings for a guy she barely knows or her friend?

I love manga series like this one. It’s very endearing and sweet. It might not seem to have a lot of depth, but Ninako’s experience of feeling what love is adds a depth to it that might not be as noticeable in other deeper series. Ninako does seem a bit ditzy, but I love her for it. There’s a part in the book where she asked what love was and someone told her it hurt. Her reaction was just so cute.

I’m not sure how I feel about Ren, but I do feel bad for her friend Daiki. I could never see myself confessing to a friend for fear of the friendship being awkward. I’m definitely rooting for Daiki.

theshenners's review against another edition

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5.0

ah, first love

kaleyb25's review against another edition

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3.0

3.5/5