Scan barcode
aurelyarose's review
I bought this purely because I loved Nosatsu Junkie, which is also by Rokyo Fukuyama.
I can't say I love it, but it is a relatively engaging read. Honestly it reminds me a lot of Chihayafuru (with a touch of Nana but geared towards a younger crowd) because the essential synopsis and the love triangle dynamic is almost identical. Three childhood friends (well, one girl was friends with both boys anyway) united by their love ofkaurta music they are then separated, but swear that music will bring them together again one day. Timeskip to when their paths all cross again, lol.
I usually don't keep track of when I read manga because I don't like for individual volumes to count towards my reading challenge. However, I've read about half the series, so that might be comparable to a contemporary YA novel. I would like to finish the series, but I don't have the cash to dump on like 9 volumes of manga I'm not passionate about + I don't have other means to read the rest of it at this time.
I can't say I love it, but it is a relatively engaging read. Honestly it reminds me a lot of Chihayafuru (with a touch of Nana but geared towards a younger crowd) because the essential synopsis and the love triangle dynamic is almost identical. Three childhood friends (well, one girl was friends with both boys anyway) united by their love of
I usually don't keep track of when I read manga because I don't like for individual volumes to count towards my reading challenge. However, I've read about half the series, so that might be comparable to a contemporary YA novel. I would like to finish the series, but I don't have the cash to dump on like 9 volumes of manga I'm not passionate about + I don't have other means to read the rest of it at this time.
dynamicdylan's review
4.0
Been wanting to read this since I watched the anime a few years ago. I loved it and can't wait for the next volume.
heyjudy's review
4.0
~3.5/5
I hadn't realized that this was by the author of Nosatsu Junkie, which I read when Tokyopop released it. I was a rather big fan of that series, and was annoyed when they discontinued it. This gives me hope for Viz possibly picking up that series, at least digitally.
Nino had a childhood best friend, Momo, and they would sing together when they felt like it. And then he moved away one day, without a word. While she's struggling with that, she meets Yuzu, who writes music, and writes her a couple songs to sing. And then he disappears one day, too, without a word, and she has no way of finding either one of them.
It's been years since then, and now Nino is starting high school, and she stumbles upon Yuzu, though Momo might not be too far away.
Yuzu is rather brush and rude, though it's obvious he's putting up a front. His friends seem odd, in a fun way, and I'm intrigued to get to know them. I'm confused for why Momo hasn't already confronted Nino, but I do already like him more, I think; I'm a sucker for puns.
I love the element of voice in this so far. Nino sings for no reason with Momo, then quits altogether until Yuzu gets her to start again. And now she does it at specific times, in the hopes that both of them will hear her and come back. Yuzu is also in a band, possibly a two-faced one, and it's clear Nino's going to be added to it in some way.
This was surprisingly enjoyable, actually. I was a little wary. I am a fan of music in books, to be fair, plus I'm already a fan of her art and writing. This was a very good starting point, and I'm intrigued to see where it progresses from here.
A review copy was provided by the publisher, VIZ Media, for an honest review. Thank you so, so much!
[Read more at my blog, Geeky Reading!]
I hadn't realized that this was by the author of Nosatsu Junkie, which I read when Tokyopop released it. I was a rather big fan of that series, and was annoyed when they discontinued it. This gives me hope for Viz possibly picking up that series, at least digitally.
Nino had a childhood best friend, Momo, and they would sing together when they felt like it. And then he moved away one day, without a word. While she's struggling with that, she meets Yuzu, who writes music, and writes her a couple songs to sing. And then he disappears one day, too, without a word, and she has no way of finding either one of them.
It's been years since then, and now Nino is starting high school, and she stumbles upon Yuzu, though Momo might not be too far away.
Yuzu is rather brush and rude, though it's obvious he's putting up a front. His friends seem odd, in a fun way, and I'm intrigued to get to know them. I'm confused for why Momo hasn't already confronted Nino, but I do already like him more, I think; I'm a sucker for puns.
I love the element of voice in this so far. Nino sings for no reason with Momo, then quits altogether until Yuzu gets her to start again. And now she does it at specific times, in the hopes that both of them will hear her and come back. Yuzu is also in a band, possibly a two-faced one, and it's clear Nino's going to be added to it in some way.
This was surprisingly enjoyable, actually. I was a little wary. I am a fan of music in books, to be fair, plus I'm already a fan of her art and writing. This was a very good starting point, and I'm intrigued to see where it progresses from here.
A review copy was provided by the publisher, VIZ Media, for an honest review. Thank you so, so much!
[Read more at my blog, Geeky Reading!]
belle_fiction's review
4.0
3.75 stars
A bit of a slow start but I quickly became invested as the story progressed. Yuzu is too beautiful - he’s painful to look at! I’m not sure how long the series is but I am suitably intrigued and hope to continue with this title.
A bit of a slow start but I quickly became invested as the story progressed. Yuzu is too beautiful - he’s painful to look at! I’m not sure how long the series is but I am suitably intrigued and hope to continue with this title.
annaptobias's review
3.0
Checks off a few crucial shoujo manga tropes: childhood friends/promises, unknown identities, androgyny, bands that are high on the visuals [eyepatches and face masks included!], unrequited crushes.
Overall, this first volume kept me interested enough to want to check out the next one. It's no NANA (so far), but if you need a shoujo manga with Japanese visual kei band members in the mix, this could be a good choice.
Overall, this first volume kept me interested enough to want to check out the next one. It's no NANA (so far), but if you need a shoujo manga with Japanese visual kei band members in the mix, this could be a good choice.
saramarie08's review
3.0
This story is about a Nino, aka Alice, who sings to regain the two guys in her life she’s lost. As a young child, she sang out the window with her neighbor, Momo, to drown out the sound of her parent’s fighting. One day, Momo moves away without saying goodbye. Distraught, she goes to the beach where she meets Yuzu, who writes songs in the sand, and Yuzu tells her to keep singing to bring Momo back. Then, Yuzu moves away. And, in true manga fashion, they all wind up at the same high school. Nino wears a mask to prevent herself from screaming until she disappears, a symptom of her abandonment issues. Yuzu is part of a super popular band, but they all wear disguised (hence “anonymous” in the title). Momo doesn’t come back until late in this volume, so it’s hard to say yet how he will fit into this narrative, but I imagine Yuzu and Momo will both be going after Nino, and she will have to choose.
While I really enjoyed this story, the thoughts of the main characters, especially Nino, is extremely repetitive and distracting from the overall story. I won't go through and count how many times Nino repeats Momo's name, but it is extensive. Other than that, I really enjoyed Nino's struggle with keeping herself together, and the tension built up between her an Yuzu. I’m willing to read more volumes to see if the repetition lessens as Nino works through her issues. I also throughouly enjoyed the art style of this manga as it was detailed and fluid throughout. Drawing characters making music on a page is difficult, but I think it was done really well.
VIZ rate's this for Teen, and that, to me, is fitting. So far, there is nothing inappropriate that wouldn’t make this fine for junior high or high school. I wouldn't put this in elementary only because of the love story being with high school students, so I don’t think they would understand where the protagonists are in their lives.
At the time of this review, this series has 18 volumes, so there is a little bit of a purchase investment, but not as big as some other popular series.
Sara's Rating: 7/10
Suitability Level: Grades 7-12
Read more graphic novel reviews at www.graphiclibrary.org.
While I really enjoyed this story, the thoughts of the main characters, especially Nino, is extremely repetitive and distracting from the overall story. I won't go through and count how many times Nino repeats Momo's name, but it is extensive. Other than that, I really enjoyed Nino's struggle with keeping herself together, and the tension built up between her an Yuzu. I’m willing to read more volumes to see if the repetition lessens as Nino works through her issues. I also throughouly enjoyed the art style of this manga as it was detailed and fluid throughout. Drawing characters making music on a page is difficult, but I think it was done really well.
VIZ rate's this for Teen, and that, to me, is fitting. So far, there is nothing inappropriate that wouldn’t make this fine for junior high or high school. I wouldn't put this in elementary only because of the love story being with high school students, so I don’t think they would understand where the protagonists are in their lives.
At the time of this review, this series has 18 volumes, so there is a little bit of a purchase investment, but not as big as some other popular series.
Sara's Rating: 7/10
Suitability Level: Grades 7-12
Read more graphic novel reviews at www.graphiclibrary.org.
juicelina's review
3.0
This first volume was chaotic and kind of a mess. I have no idea what's happening, but there's a band, secrets, and a lot of unrequited love so I'm invested.