Strobe Edge

Enjoyment: 5 it's simply boring. I started reading Strobe Edge because it's highly recommended (and overrated!). it's in several tops when it comes to shoujo manga and I enjoyed reading Haru Ride, which has written by the same author. But, despite the story unfolding so fast, I didn't feel any emotion or enthusiasm in the first 6 chapters and I started to find the main character irritating.


character: 6 - The way Ninako (the main character) fall in love with Ren and confesses is very hurried and poorly developed.
she's a naive girl who does not know what love is and She's the typical good girl who only wishes the happiness of her beloved without looking at her own happiness. In addition, she cries all the time (which I found very irritating because I prefer strong female characters).

Art: 7 - it's good. the girls are all very similar and the eyes are slightly large.
I thought the male characters were better drawn.

Recomendation: for those who like to read a light and more pleasant novel, I recommend the author Yamamori Mika: Tsubaki-chou lonely planet or my favorite - Daytime shooting star.

This is my first review, so.

Okay, if you're a lot like me and very into light, fluffy rom/com shoujo mangas, Strobe Edge is a really good choice. I've read it a few times and I think it's the mangaka's best work, personally (though I love the others).

Ninako is one of the best and cutest main female main characters I've seen in a manga like this. She's bubbly, she's bright, she knows herself generally well. Ren is adorable to her, however he is slightly frustrating. Andou is also slightly frustrating, also adorable. A good second guy, I guess? The side characters and their romances are also adorable.

It's just a really good manga and I think it's one of those that you can read a few times and love it just the same, like it makes you feel the same happiness you did the first time you read it. It's a nice story, so I really recommend it.

Ok, so I found this manga while looking around something new to read. Overall there is a reason I dropped this manga. Although I did go though a pretty good portion wanting to see how this turns out {out of curiosity}.As I had heard of this manga...
I will be going over the story, charters and art.

Story:
The story follows Ninako Kinoshita in her high school years..it is basically a story of her "first love" (which is the overall theme). She falls for Ren..who (surprise, surprise) is the most popular guy in the school. The only problem with this is that Ren has a girlfriend.
The story is cute but is sometimes overly sweet...like a tooth ache. Some parts are just overly cheesy and unrealistic.

Charters:
There are many charters in strobe edge but the main 2 are Ninako and Ren.
Ninako-Is the main character of our story. She is very childish and an airhead. Which is meant to be charming but come off as annoying. Which you can tell straight away when she buys sour apples because of what some clerk said who was just trying to get rid of the merchandise. She is contently tripping and falling over. Also she gets stuck to a tree because of piece of her hair gets stuck. How gullible and useless can you be? Especially, for a high school student.

Ren-He is the main charters main love interest. He is also suppose to be the cool, mature, mysterious popular guy. Although in the beginning it comes off as him just being cold. I really do not see the whole appeal of him. I also do not buy the connection between him and Ninako
Although the fact that he tried to stay faithful to his girlfriend give him some points. He does have a strong moral compass but overall he seems very unemotional.

I saved the best for last
Takumi Ando- A.K.A the second guy who appears to complete the love triangle for Ninako, who never had a chance at the main girl to begin with. Also the best written charter in the whole darn manga with a well rounded personality. He starts off as a player (after having his heartbroken by his first lover) then develops into a pretty okay guy. He tries to do the right thing and be honest with himself as the manga goes on- to bad he never had a chance.
All the rest of the charters don't really get developed and are just there for body decoration(except for Sayuri and Daiki who are just demoted to a side story).

Art:
The art for the manga is fine and clean at the start. I admit I am not a fan of the whole "duck face" look some of the drawings but I got over it. What I couldn't handle though was how every girl looks the same along with the guys.

Overall I find this manga to be very overrated it's ridiculous. the story is unrealistic, the charters are annoying and/or unemotional, and even though the art is nice all the charters look the same.

This story was incredibly heavy on the romance, which is what I love about shoujo manga. But it was ALL talk, no action. It was one of those stories where you just want to kick everybody for not speaking their feelings. But, on the bright side, I really enjoy all the cute (CUUUTE) moments.

There is something special about strobe edge that's hard to put into words. I am not a fan of dramas with love triangles, unresolved feelings, and hesitant relationships, which strobe edge has them all. Most of the time I find those things more irritating than sad, probably because they aren't executed well. When a character says or does something that's for the sake of character development or when a story progresses for the sake of creating complexity, I can't get myself into those sort of storylines. However, if a story can be as natural as it is progressive, like strobe edge, I won't be able to stop reading till the very end.

Strobe edge isn't very long, but there is a lot packed into one chapter. It's not a shoujo manga with filler development. Sometimes it's incredibly sad and other times it can be very funny. The contrast flows naturally out from the characters. Another thing I really like about strobe edge is that the main girl isn't just kind and bubbly without much behind her character. Another way to put it is, she feels both real and special. Other characters around her too feel real. I'm not usually into a playboy paired with a quiet lone wolf as possible love interest because it's a bit stereotypical for shoujo manga, and honestly, those types don't even go togethe as friends or enemies. They are usually created for the sake of the main girl, or just fan-serving, but strobe edge feels different. They are there and they are friends/enemies because they have to be. It's that sort of presence and relationship I sense, so I guess the only way to describe it is that the characters and their relationships are in the right place. Of course, I don't mean I like the situations they are in since I honestly dislike reading things like love triangles.

Overall, I enjoyed strobe edge a lot even though it's heartbreaking and simply sad at times. Even if you are not into complicated relationships or stereotypical high school love lives, I still would recommend you give it a try. Strobe edge is a superb example that even with subjects that have been reused and recycled billions of times, they can still be as good as they should be because, if we have been reusing them for so long already, it must mean that they have great potential to be something even more amazing.

Stupid Ren. Stupid Andou.

Strobe Edge was a really fun and well written series. I love how the author shows that love can grow and change. Love can have lots of outcomes. Liking someone doesn't necessarily mean they'll like you back. Liking someone also doesn't mean you should or need to disrespect romantic relationships you've already built. Most importantly, love needs time to grow.

What's really great about Strobe Edge is that there are so many fun friendships. Sometimes you don't even know how strong a friendship is and how much you need those bonds. I think all of the characters learned a lot about love and relationships.

I enjoyed all of the characts. They were funny, sweet, relatable, and realistic. Ren, Andou, Ninako, Gaachan, - all of the characters added layers to the story.

I loved the art. My only complaint is the size of Ninako's eyes. That bugged me. Other than that, the art was awesome and the panels were very easy to follow.

Strobe Edge is the one story I will always end up drifting back to.

To start off, we are handed a typical setting in which there is a shoujo heroine, who is ditzy and childish, and her love interest, who is the school's stoic idol. Typical.

And then something not-so-typical happens when, as we read, all of our (admittedly low) expectations quietly detonate. Left behind is this gem.


*Story*
I've often seen The Story neglected, given way to tropes and cliches that are much easier to manipulate, as opposed to weaving together something unique and precious to the readers. Strobe Edge does not disappoint. It is NOT handed over to draw-from-a-pile-of-trash 'plot twists' that are stretched so thin they're transparent.

Strobe Edge instead offers something completely different. It offers sweet, subtle turn of events that will gradually wrap fairy fingers around your heart and squeeze. The slice-of-life is strong, but it does not plod through the character's daily life, it flows at this gentle pace that pulls you in piece by piece until you're completely immersed in the character's sugary-yet-believable world of heartbreak and first love.

*Art*
This is very much a shoujo manga, yet the mangka's art style remains unique amongst others. Ninako's shoujo heroine design in particular stands out. The characters are all distinguishable - even Ninako's group of friends (otherwise, the side characters) are given distinct features that separate them from simply being a faceless, nameless gaggle of girls surrounding the main character. Very sweet and expressive. Flawlessly captures the more subtle exchanges between Ninako and Ren.

*Character*
This, above all others, is where Strobe Edge excels and truly shines. I cannot shower enough praise. The characters, each of them, the side characters as well as the mc's, rope you into their lives until you're entirely invested. We are given characters who think, who have friends that they care about, who are driven by morals, self interest, love, friendship, happiness, heartbreak. We are given 'characters' who are 'human' in their frankness. And we are given two characters, a boy and a girl, who find themselves becoming incredibly fond of one another, and gradually discovering the truth about love.


(This is a quick review and quite messy! I apologize! But I hope my enthusiasm for the series encourages you to give it a shot! I adore the manga, I figured it would make a good spot to try my first review. Thank you!)

I'm giving it the highest score because it deserved that rating. Well, I don't give a fuss to those who are saying that this work is an overrated one so Imma just give my own review.

Anyways, first and foremost, this is the very first shoujo manga that I have read way back 2010. And yes, coincidentally, I read it while the manga is still on its early stage. It was still at the 5th chapter when I read this one. I'm a female and a shounen manga lover so reading a shoujo felt like a new experience to me. I mean, I live coz of the Naruto and One Piece series but then I stumbled upon this fluffy manga thus I ventured to others too.

Art: 8/10
As you can see, I have only given a review now tho I finished this a while back. I can compare the art to all other manga that I have read (in all genre). And I tell you, the art is way waaay better than the other works. Not that I discriminate on em, it's just that other mangaka has their own style of creating their work. Strobe Edge' art really fits to its story and genre. The expressions are really portrayed by the characters and you will really feel them.

Story: 10/10 (may contain spoilers)
Yes, it's a cliche' story of an ordinary high school girl falling in love with the most popular guy in school. Love triangle is typical on a shoujo manga. HOWEVER, the circumstances, that tested the love of both the main leads were the things that I like on the story. I like it how Ninako can't be swayed by Andou's persistence and just stayed loyal to Ren. Ren is also not your typical shoujo hero that makes the heroine suffer. There might be misunderstanding on their parts, but the both of them really made effort to clear it up in order for their love to be achieved.

Another thing, I didn't get pissed to any characters therein so that's a plus on my rating. I really like it if the characters doesn't piss me off that much. I mean it's a shoujo, I want it to be somehow fluffy! I read it when I'm down and weary, don't piss me off! And yes, the feeling that I get on Strobe Edge is totally wonderful and satisfying. This series really have a special place in my heart.

Above all, Strobe Edge has become my standard on reading of shoujo mangas. I kept comparing it to others and I'm dissatisfied if they can't give me that same feeling I had when I read it.

I reeeaally did enjoy this, although I am only in the process of reading it. It is your typical shoujo plot, and I read shoujo day after day and nothing makes me more disappointed then a typical plot. As I continued reading though, I could see everything going in many directions, and I found myself thinking "whats going to happen next? I wish the new chapter would come out already!" and thats what makes a good manga. The suspense, and the drama and that fact that you can relate to the characters, and they're not just whiny unfaithful bitches. The art is flawless, Ren is a total looker bahaha, and overall it's one of my favorites at the moment. Recommended for all shoujo lovers!

I can say that this manga has a very complex love story. It's like you wouldn't know who will end up with who. Despite everything, the story line was a great hit for

Written and illustrated by Sakisaka Io, the story was about a high school girl with the name Ninako who is so ignorant about love until the Ren (the most popular guy) suddenly showed up by accident.Suddenly, Ninako had a liking towards Ren but when she confessed to him, she got dumped.

I liked how Ninako responded through that situation.
=)))
RECOMMENDED

This is my first review and I might not be really able to do it so please forgive me if I'm not good enough.

Anyways,I decided to do a review of this manga 'because I really loved it,before telling you anything I want to clear that I'm really really hard to please when it comes to shoujo,in fact I dislike the most popular shoujos cause I hate how the main girl acts,so for me to say that a shoujo is really good it's hard though I can say that this is a really really really good shoujo,also I didn't like the ending couple,so really guys this manga is worth it.

The best thing about this manga is that isn't predictable,everything leaves you breathless and you just want more and more of it,also you can't hate a character,is just impossible cause the mangaka showed you the best and the worst sides of everyone,she's really capable to show humanity so for you it's hard to think "Why XX does even exist?",also the story was just enchanting and real,it's hard to find a shoujo that you can call 'real',but this one it's.
The character goes through a lot of real life problems but they do their best (supported by other characters of course) to overcome the problems and they show you that love and life are not only red roses but also dark thorns,yet we humans have the capability to face it all and win. This is not just a normal love story,this is a work that can enter in people's life,who can give you emotions,who can make you feel like you're the protagonist and that shows you what is the meaning or real love and how it's hard to deal with your own feelings when they make you suffer.

In my opinion this is one of the best mangas out there.

This story begins with a girl named Kinoshita,Ninako and she's your average girl who likes to gossip and also cares about others. So there's no special magical power that she hiding from everyone else.Sorry, not this kind of story,but to tell the truth she is the most honest to good female character I have every read about. She doesn't shy away from acting like girl sometimes (calling friends on the phone,painting nails,etc.) ,but she's also very weird and cute at times,too. That is a beyond average girl,but a kind of personallity that is not used very often in shojo-type mangas.
So when she starts to like Ichinose, Ren she gets confused of this feeling and as the story continues you will see Ninako's true feelings and her beyond average personality become the reason why you love her.
Then come along many challanges,too and Ninako will handle them in a way that most people wouldn't have.So be sure to read and fall in love with all the characters in this manga.
If you have any questions be sure to ask.

I started Strobe Edge thinking it was another typical shoujo manga, and honestly, it was at first. Nothing seemed to be out of place. They had your seemingly nice male protagonist who performs chivalry and your curious, ignorant teenage girl fresh in the usual high school setting. After a few encounters with Ren, Ninako quickly comes to realize she has fallen in love with his rich kindness and caring nature. Though, before I realized it, I couldn't keep myself from wanting to know what happened next.

What shoujo manga tend to lack that Strobe Edge strongly holds is that real sense of development. Most of the time, the mangakas have the male characters save the female in typical situations, and only then does she gain confidence to stand up for herself and others, but in this story, Ninako goes through self-discovery and develops from the hardships of unrequited, first love by herself. I personally feel that female protagonist make too many cliche mistakes by deciding to go with an easier, less painful route in predicaments, which is why I love Ninako so much. She follows her heart and doesn't let others persuade her to think otherwise.

Ren was also an interesting character. It isn't until much later that we find out why he is the way he is, and because the backstory's not overly dramatic like most pasts we see, it's simple yet heartwarming to the point where it's easily relatable. He seems like the mysterious type in the beginning, but the small twist in this story make it perfect for steering his real personality progressively throughout the manga without losing our attention completely.

In truth, there's no character I thought was unnecessary. Every chapter, every subplot seemed to fit itself perfectly and weaved into a very charming manga that's perfect for those who are looking for a romantic classic to read. I highly recommend it for first-time readers of manga, as well, to try out this page-turning read.

I loved this manga, it was such a good read and kept me on my toes. Its about falling in love for the first time and finding true love.
Its funny and very cute and I have been waiting for an anime to be realeased for this like Ao Haru Ride but a live action series to look forward to!

But I took matters into my own hands and have created a 3D Fan Made Animation for Strobe Edge!

I really want the manga fans to know about this so I hope you all give it a chance and watch as I have enjoyed every minute of creating this manga as I enjoyed reading it, and if it becomes popular I will do more manga series.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=boqcj7nNRKU

Let me know how I did on recreating this amazing manga!

Strobe Edge was a manga I knew of for a while due to my love of Ao Haru Ride. I would see pictures of it, so I decided to just skipped through(didn't read) the last chapter for fun, but never decided to seriously read the whole manga. I always wanted to go back but since I spoiled the ending I felt as if there was no point, but I came around and ended up truly reading this manga and I'm glad I did.

Plot:
This is one of those very relatable manga where the characters are filled with constant thoughts and put in situations that the average person experiences. It's a lovely story that is plain old cute. It's one of those that never gets boring. Every frustrating, cute, and sad part, I wouldn't change any of it. I enjoyed the fact that it steered away as much as possible from typical shoujo clichés. It was a beautiful story filled with nothing but the thought of love.

Art:
The art was great(expecting nothing less from the great Sakisaks-sama). It's not as detailed and vivid as Ao Haru Ride, and you can defiantly see how Sakisaka-sama improved from Strobe Edges to Ao Haru Ride, but that's not disputing the fact that the art of strobe edge was great.

Characters:
I didn't hate a single character in this series. I loved them all. The main characters were outstanding, and the secondary characters were nothing less. I loved how parts of the manga focused on other characters relationships and not just the main characters feelings of love. Going back to the shoujo clichés, I'm very glad that there was no real female antagonist (I hate them the most) and even the male antagonist was more of a hopeless romantic, filled with the agony of unrequited love. I also enjoyed the fact that the female protagonist had a larger group of friends instead of how in a lot of shoujo they only tend to have one or two friends. To make a long story short, the manga was filled with characters who really lived up to the saying "everybody loves somebody."

Overall:
I give strobe edge a 10/10. I enjoyed so much, it was really funny and super sweet. And definitely one of those that are fighting for the first place in my favorite romance manga list. Sakisaka-sama is a gifted author and artist who I adore. I truly recommend you read Strobe Edge ^_^

Ao Haru Ride is becoming pretty big but the story sounded like any typical shoujo so I was reluctant to start it. Yet at the same time, I wanted to give the author a chance to pull me into her storytelling, so I started with her completed work Strobe Edge.

How should I describe this manga?

…Meh.

Story: 7

There are plenty of clichés to point out, but ultimately, Strobe Edge covers what it feels like to fall in love and the heartache you’re bound to feel when it happens.

Art: 7

It’s shoujo, but the eyes are especially big in this one. Other than that, everything’s decent.

Character: 6

I’m not going to say something stupid like I couldn’t connect with them because to me, characters don’t need to be relatable in order for me to like them. However, the characters in this manga are likeable. The protagonists aren’t annoying and the side characters have their reasons for doing whatever they’re doing.

But in all honesty, everybody was sort of bland. I didn’t really fall in love with any of them and neither did I cheer them on. Considering the fact that most shoujos have annoying heroines and “I’m too cool and cocky for you” love interests, these characters were more chill, so I give them a 6.

Enjoyment: 6

Okay, so far, it may sound like I didn’t really enjoy the manga. That’s…sort of true? I guess?

Look, this isn’t a bad manga. By no means is it a bad manga! It’s decent! Believe me, it is! But this is MY review of Strobe Edge, and ultimately, what I feel about it. So here’s MY issue with this manga:

It’s the emotions. When I read this manga, I felt like the author was trying too hard. That may sound harsh, but that’s what I felt when I read it. The emotions just felt stiff. When something sad happened, I felt as if the author was nudging you with her elbow and saying, “And THIS is what you’re supposed to feel! Do you feel it? It hurts, right? Right? Do you feel that? It’s the heartache. Right?”

Ummm……….riiiigghhht…….

The appropriate thing to say is “show, don’t tell,” which is really ironic since this is a manga. I guess one of the issues is the constant internal dialogue. The characters repeat their feelings over and over again internally that it becomes annoying.

And the author has her characters—especially the main character—say every single detail they're feeling about their love-life (internally of course). To some, that may not be an issue, but to me, it’s as if the author’s treating me like a fool. It’s as if she’s assuming I won’t be able to understand the emotions she’s so heavily trying to draw out of her characters and their situations unless she literally draws them out for me to read.

But the thing is that the author’s milked the emotions so much that now I have no use for them. I get it, their actions bring up consequences and those consequences affect their emotions that they don’t know what to do with. I get it! Do you really have to repeat the process over and over again, as if I didn’t get it the first few times with the first few characters?

Overall: 6

Strobe Edge is on the border between bad and good for me, leaning more towards good, but unfortunately, not there.

Now, will you enjoy this manga? If you enjoy shoujo tropes, then it’s VERY likely you will. Did I enjoy it? Not really, but I do acknowledge that it’s definitely a decent manga. There are deeper emotions to experience besides girl falls in love with boy, boy already has a girlfriend, yada, yada, yada, other teenage angst.

I actually went and reread the manga to see if my feelings about it had changed over the few months that passed since I finished it. I couldn’t handle it and skipped some (many) chapters, but I still shrugged most of the time and pursed my lips as the author spelled out every emotion possible. (Maybe this is why many people enjoyed it. Everything’s spelled out in front of you so you’re not confused as to what’s going on. But that just wastes time in my opinion. If this were a novel, I’d say there were too many unnecessary details). As you can see, my view of Strobe Edge remains unchanged from then ‘til now.

Again, if you’re into shoujo, give it a chance. You’ll most likely enjoy it. If you’re not into shoujo, the choice is up to you. A warning though: Strobe Edge is 10 volumes long, so you’ll be using up a good amount of time to finish it as a whole.

If you are someone who seeks more on insights and inner emotions of characters rather than superficial actions, read Strobe Edge.

Strobe Edge, a typical shoujo manga that one may read. The story starts off simple, readers may not be expecting much from this series at first sight. Because it seems cliche, a guy having a girlfriend (being so popular in school), and a normal high school girl. However, this manga touches on the inner feelings of these characters more than the development of the storyline. The story proceeds pretty slowly for something that can end quickly. There was nothing much to dwell on this cliche storyline but the inner emotions of the characters.

This is what makes Strobe Edge a more unique manga than the other series that have similar storyline. The details of the characters feelings are greatly shown in the art of the characters' facial expressions and actions. Short and insightful lines delivered by Ninako each time as she struggles with her feelings for Ren give the manga a greater and deeper meaning. This is because the author strives to teach her readers the feeling of love.

The art is what you will typically call - pretty boys art. Actually the male characters look quite alike with their features, only slight difference, and with a different hairstyle and hair colour. In short, if you fit the hairstyle of Ren on Andou you will still see the character as Ren. So goes for the girls, even the sideline female characters look pretty. (Can't believe that they are normal high school girls). If you go for pretty art, this is what you should see.

I have re-read this series many many times, and every time I find it enjoyable to feel for the characters within the manga. The author puts in quite a lot of effort in making the story a meaningful one so it will only do justice if we, the readers, read it extra tastefully. Strobe Edge is a manga that can touch your hearts if you do try to feel for the characters. The best part is that no character is actually the real antagonist, which is quite different from normal shoujo manga. It's a rare opportunity that I get to enjoy a manga series without flaring up at any character particularly.

I'm about to finish reading this manga, so I thought I'd write a short review to let people know how overrated this manga is.
Basically this manga tells the story of a very clumsy girl who falls in love with a guy who already has a girlfriend. Instead of trying to steal the guy away or just repressing her feelings, she decides to treasure the love she feels for him. So, yeah a pretty average plot.
Regarding the characters, the male lead is someone you can relate to since he is someone who is constantly struggling to be honest with her girlfriend, while feeling attracted to Ninako (the female lead). What I really dislike about this manga is Ninako, she gets really annoying throughout the story, especially because she is the typical shojo girl with a really "kind" heart that compels her to cry for every little detail. I think that there is no chapter in which you can't see her shed some tears. What I mean is that if you like crybabies this is your manga.
This manga is far away from being a master piece. I don't even know why I bothered to read the whole thing. Well I do know, I kept on reading because of the supporting characters which have a really interesting back-story.

I suppose that this is a usual technique for writing 'credible' reviews, but let me tell you now that I am, in fact, a considerably jaded romance shojo (I'll be talking about 'romance shojo' in particular for this review) reader. I read any shojo title with the initial thought: "I'll drop this once it gets boring." This is because I've read quite a lot from this genre and in fact, I started my love for anime and manga with shojo.

Why, then, out of all of those titles, have I decided to leave a review for this seemingly ordinary and cliche, been-there-done-that shojo?

This is because Strobe Edge managed to get that spark running again for me.

But before I go into that, here are the basics.

STORY

Strobe Edge’s story is nothing that deviates from the usual. Ditzy, clumsy, awkward girl falls in love for the first time for the most popular guy in school. A love triangle ensues with the girl, the popular, lead guy and the guy's bestf friend. Nothing new.

What I like about Strobe Edge (and what I’ve read from Sakisaka Io-sensei so far) would be the way she handles cliches. She handles them – for the lack of a better, more accurate term – sincerely. She puts nothing complicated out – no extreme characters, no denseness, no ridiculous plot twists, because first love is already complicated enough.

For one, Strobe Edge isn’t exactly a biased manga - although we have a clear set of leads, Sakisaka-sensei made the journey towards the obvious end worth it, like they aren’t just going to end up together JUST BECAUSE they’re the lead characters, but because of what they - the main characters and the involved parties - went through to get there.

Strobe Edge is a manga that'll make you want to have your first love all over again.

CHARACTERS

I love Strobe Edge’s characters. They follow cookie-cutter patterns, but at the same time, they break away from them.

Ninako can be like any other girl out there experiencing the haplessness of first love. What made her stand out for me among the hordes of shojo heroines is that she is straightforward, honest and she just wants her friends to be happy . Ninako has been consistent so far: she is as awkward as she is sincere, and although she falls in love for the first time, she doesn’t really go out of her way to find it and be dramatic about it.

Ren is your typical heartthrob. Quiet, mysterious, not able to express his real feelings, and, well, really good-looking and smart. But something’s different: he’s taken, and he isn’t really all that willing to throw all those memories away just for the lead shojo character. Despite his attraction to Ninako, he loves his girlfriend not only because he’s supposed to, but because of the memories they share. In the end, he's just a regular guy, who doesn't know how exactly what's right.

There is the clear third party: Andou. Andou is Ren’s ‘best friend’. He is a happy, outgoing playboy who knows just the right moves. He falls in love with Ninako and changes for the better: that is, he decides to ditch his old ways and take on the path of true love. Typical. Now, onto what’s different: he loves Ren, as well. They aren’t really close as best friends are supposed to be. In fact, they both share a trouble-filled relationship. But for some reason, Andou is attracted to Ren and he treasures their friendship. This, however, doesn’t get in the way of his love. He doesn’t throw away either of them. He fights head-on and he says that he won’t give up until he has a chance.

The side characters (especially on Daiki’s side) are given proper attention, and they really just don’t blend in the background and act as characters who can be thrown out of the scene when it’s not convenient for them to be there anymore. Faceless roles are rare (actually, I don't remember any).

TECHNICALITIES

ART: Again, nothing really special here. Typical shojo style - good-looking boys, cute girls. What I love, though, is the pastel-y feel to it, even if it’s black and white, reminding me a bit of Honey and Clover (anime).

DIALOGUES: Quick, easy to understand, and pretty sincere and honest with what it wants to play out.

Xx

I began with Strobe Edge reeling from the disappointment that I faced with Ouran. I stayed for a whole different reason.

Getting back to my first point: What spark did Strobe Edge fire up in me, and how did it do it?

Strobe Edge is enjoyable because it doesn't pull off its story with flashy plot twists.  In fact, at its core, Strobe Edge is esentially a love story, and it doesn't try to become something that it's not.  While in that process, it still manages to effortlessly tap into friendship and growing up (among other things) because those are inevitably connected to love in the first place.

Strobe Edge is a manga that'll make you want to have your first love all over again.

I adore this title, and will definitely have it up in my bookshelf once it gets licensed in English.

Another gem of a shoujo manga and that is Strobe Edge. Sakisaka-sensei did something so enlightening here. Something that explains why some works while others don't.

Again, typical story - girl meets boy, fell in love first, confession and rejection. Or maybe not typical as it seems to be. Strobe Edge have much more to offer and things to ponder.

Admittedly, the characters were not the reason I was drawn to it. Protagonist Kinoshita Ninako is not a strong character to be begin with. Innocent and bubbly. Easy to get along with and a good friend. She fell in love with the silent Ichinose Ren, a popular boy in their school when they happen to rode the same train going home, at least it started there. There's Daiki, best friend of Ninako who confessed to her and rejected at once and being confessed to by another friend of Ninako, Uehara Sayuri. While the boy in question has a girlfriend Mayuka who happened to be Daiki's onee-chan! To make things more complicated, Ren's best friend Andou Takumi fell in love with Ninako. It's tangled! Teehee. xD

Basically, it's a love war. Clashing of emotions, holding on to a promise, unspoken feelings, accepting changes, letting go and starting anew. That's where you'll find Strobe Edge's strength. The story is so compelling because it's so real I can feel the agony of working so hard and yet in the end you have no choice but to accept the fact that there are things that will change no matter how you try to stay the same. It's inevitable.

This is actually the first time I couldn't wholeheartedly support the main couple. Probably because it meant accepting that there are feelings that really do fade in time. It must be fate but who knows. Although one thing I really do like about Strobe Edge is that in the end they have no regrets because they gave it all. Each have done their part. Good job.

I cried, I laughed, I fell in love, got hurt and fall in love again. It's almost magical. Oh, love. xD

Lesson? It's good while it lasts. Have the courage to move forward. Embrace change and fall in love because it will be worth it.