Reviews - Lovely * Complex

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I’ve never reviewed a traditional manga for Comic Corner before, but now that we’re entering the month of love, I thought it would be appropriate to look at a romantic comedy. Love*Com is adorably fun with a unique sense of humour and a story that’s easy to get into.

Risa has some problems finding love: she’s too tall and all the boys are intimidated! But while forced to attend summer school, she meets Suzuki, a handsome boy who’s taller than she is. It’s love at first sight, but getting close to Suzuki proves to be difficult. Enter Otani, a loud mouth boy with the opposite problem to Risa: he’s too short! But after some scheming, Otani agrees to help Risa if she will help him get together with her friend, Chiharu.

Love*Com (short for “Lovely Complex”) is written and illustrated by Aya Nakahara. Unlike Western comic books, it is not unusual for manga to be written and drawn by the same person. I found the plot fun, even if it is a little predictable. This graphic novel was very obviously produced and marketed for women, which was an unusual but welcome change.

The art is definitely different. If you are not familiar with the manga/anime aesthetic, you might want to try out some free samples online before purchasing a full graphic novel.

That being said, as someone who has read manga before, the art for this one seemed a little simplistic. The pages were sparse and empty, and everything—even the character forms—was a bit circular. Nakahara’s style is not without its appeal though. I was pleased to see a variety of feminine body shapes.

Altogether I enjoyed reading this manga and would definitely recommend it to my girlfriends if they need a good laugh.

Cross posted from The Other Press