W-Juliet

Mangaka: Emura

Genre: Gender-bender, Comedy, Romance, Manga

Serialization: 14 Volumes

Summary: Miura Ito is the president of the drama club, adored by all the girls, tough, strong, and a girl. Always dressing up in boys clothes much to the dismay of her school teachers, she indulges in a boyish nature and claims that being a girl doesn't suit her much anyway.

Amano Makoto, the new transfer student to join the drama club, is delicate, beautiful, and the complete opposite of Miura. Despite the amazing contrast, from personalities to appearance, they become fast friends, and Miura thinks that it's possible that she might finally be able to have a close female friend.

Until she discovers that Amano Makoto is actually a boy.

Amano Makoto, actually Narita Makoto, wants to be an actor. However, being the only son of a traditional kendo family, his father does not approve of it. The only way, his father had stated, would be if he had acted out his high school life as a role of a girl, and managed to graduate without being discovered. Rising up to the challenge, Makoto had accepted for the sake of his dream, and Ito, recognizing his strong conviction, decides to help him.

Review: So, its a gender bender. Nothing new since its a shojo manga. What I liked however, is that its not the typical girl-in-a-boys-high-school-for-whatever-reason drama/manga, but it works BOTH WAYS. Although yeah, everyone knows Ito IS a girl, while no one knows Makoto is a boy. But still both ways! And I have a weakness for bishies in these things *_*.

So since it is a typical shojo manga, it's not really the plot we are going for, right? ^_~
What is it for then? The ~FUWA FUWA~ ofcourse. And this has fuwa fuwa aplenty. There are cheesy lines (which are actually kinda sweet if you kick half of your brain out) and adorable adorable poses, and other random cutenesses! This also has a coupla supernatural-y chapters involving ghosts and mermaid legends and time traveling into the past.

One of the reasons I loved this manga so much was the supporting character stories. They are all awesomely well developed and fully formed. Basically I adore both Mako's and Ito's families to pieces. Ito has a family of three brothers, and they are super protective of her, and all ridiculously strong (their family also has a martial arts doujo) and continue to threaten "Ito's boyfriend" right in front of poor Makoto whom they still think is a girl. [And her elder twin brothers are awesome eye-candy *__*] Mako's has three elder sisters, and they are all awesome and amusing too. My favourite side story was how Mako's sister Akane and Ito's brother Yuuto meet and its all so adorable and-*gushes and turns into melted puddle on the floor* The side story between Ryuuya and Chris was awesome too. XD The Tou-sans from both the families, while being all strict and stuff at times, were kinda awesome too. Specially Ito's. XD

The main relationship in the story, between Mako and Ito, is just MADE of win, btw. Sure, its impossibly cheesy, but the two have a good dynamic, while on stage/with people/while they are alone, and the cheesiness doesn't get entirely out of hand, its cute, and doesn't have Annoyingly Ridiculous Self-Sacrificing, or Incredible Stupidity, found commonly in Shojo manga, which was refreshing.

Also, I LOVE LOVE LOVE the contrast between Mako's girly facade and his true self which is all hot and kachoii like WHOA. *____*

I liked how the story turned out towards the end, there was pretty good development throughout and the artwork while not being utterly distinctive (at least not to me), is still really pretty, and worth checking out.

Rating: 7/10

Quotes: Hah. Manga needs artwork and paneling and character positioning and poses for quotes to be effective. Even I am not stupid enough to quote manga! [I lie. I am.] Um, at least, not this time? ^^' excusesismymiddlename

Note: Who wants to see a drama adaptation of this? XD And whom do you want to play Makoto? I'm thinking Junno now. He would fit the descriptions pretty well. Gorgeously pretty face (he looks girlier than UEDA, facewise!), looks good blond, tall, ability to deliver utterly cheesy lines with a straight face, good at acting all dramatic and flair-y (Bidou~), normally all sweet and adorable but has a good convincing B-gata-side which could be his manly Mako. What do you think? ^_~