Special A

Special A is one of the best shoujo mangas among the ones I've read. I think any story related to school, romance and friendship can't get any better than this. I understand this can't be everyone's cup of tea but all I can say is it's too good to let it pass by.

STORY: 9/10
While there were a few draggy or dull parts in between, the story never lost its grip. It's a fairly easy and smooth flowing story which manages to keep you invested in the plot. It does get repetitive towards later on but there are parts which are really cute and heartwarming. Of course, some might not like it but I am not going to speak for them.

There were no particularly sad parts and because the mood was always consistent I think the mangaka did a fabulous job with the story. Plus I found a lot of parts of the plot quite original and not much cliches were to be found.

ART: 10/10
I really have no complaints with the art. Hikari's chibi has to be one of the cutest ones I've ever seen. Kei was really good looking too and so were all other ones. Plus the character of Megumi was drawn quite well. The backgrounds and stuff also seemed nice to me.

CHARACTER: 10/10
Hikari and Kei will always remain among my favorite characters ever. I really cared about them and they wholly kept me engrossed in the story. I don't think I've encountered a story where I liked both leads this much. The supporting ones were okay and I thought they were portrayed better in the anime. Still- it was a job well done.

ENJOYMENT: 10/10
I think as long as the enjoyment factor remains, any manga deserves a high rating. It was like I said, one of the most enjoyable mangas I've had the pleasures of reading. The romance, friendship and humor is all excellent.

OVERALL: 10/10
Highly recommended to shoujo genre fans! I think this manga deserves more credit and love than it has already received.

This is going to be the first review I'll be giving. . . .so I don't really know if this would be helpful or not. :) Anyway, Special A is a brilliant masterpiece, in my opinion. I usually prefer the anime over the manga version (I wasn't so good at reading manga before, I just couldn't get used to reading right to left - it confused me!) but I am pleased to say that this particular manga bested its anime version. There are a couple of reasons I can give to explain myself. . . .

To summarize everything up before you get bored of the long explanation coming up next: if you liked the anime version, you'll LOVE the manga even MORE! Proceed if you really want to waste minutes of your life to know what's on my crazy little mind.

First, the manga was actually better drawn than the anime. The characters are so unbelievably skinny in the anime (I think) and Kei didn't look as handsome as he was in the manga. For me it was unfair that I found Ryuu, Jun and even Yahiro more appealing than the lead guy (in the anime), of course in the manga Kei was putting up a better fight. :D

Second, the scenes from the manga were WAY better than what happened in the anime. It will make hopeless romantics like I am itching to read the next chapter without pause. Character developments were pretty good in the manga too.

Third, the ending of the anime left something to be desired and was albeit so WEIRD too. I mean, Kei and Hikari were flying then! I know they were inhuman from the start but flying was just so unrealistic I really had to just laugh it off. But in fairness to the anime, the manga's end was so anticlimactic and a disappointment to me. It was like the end was hastened and didn't quite have a romantic feel (though what Kei did for Hikari was VERY romantic). XD

Fourth (I know this turned out to be a long list), I really hope there's a season 2 for the anime 'cause the manga continues on very well from where the anime ended (which was the main reason for me to read the manga in the first place; I wanted more from Special A). If not, the manga is DEFINITELY better.

Lastly (No, I'm not quite finished yet), the manga didn't just concentrate on the two leads' romance. It also had the romance of the other characters inserted which made the story better. In the anime, only Ryuu didn't get a happily ever after (each member of the SA found their soul mates [even the twins and Tadashi]). I really felt sorry for him there,so at least, in the manga, he even had two girls falling for him. :D That isn't necessarily a very important point to go into but it just means that the story in the manga was nicer than the anime.

I first saw the anime, so, i didn't even know that there is a corresponding manga of special A, since i finish first the anime, i had a "HUGE" conclusion w/ it's manga :)
For me, the manga is more EXCITING of course! Didn't you notice? there are lots of enjoying and exciting scenes and events in the manga that didn't appear in the anime, so it has been a little "FAILED!" to me :p
The only scenes that appeared in the anime from the manga are those important ones alone that could make the story flow and go on, got it? :)
but nah! It doesn't matter , I really do enjoy it! whether it's anime or manga! Whenever i watch the anime, i prefer to watch it alone cause i make some funny sounds (giggle!) while watching it especially the romantic scenes :D and of course! I LIKE THE DRAWING OF JEALOUS KEI A LOT! so much! very much! waahhhh!!*scream!* especially on the Manga. Seen the part when Tokiwa joined in a contest and he make Hikari as her model? ( she's so kawaii)..

(so sorry for the spoiler! *sorry!!!*)

Btw, the story was nice of course, but a little bit common, the Art was nice but a little bit dirty and a little bit hard to read ( But i love the way you draw the "smiling Hikari" and "jealous Kei!"! There emotion is so realistic!) , the Character is nice, but i scored it 9 and i don't know why. ( I'm a little bit unsatisfied) , the enjoyment was OUTSTANDING!!!of course!!! i really do enjoy it a lot!!SUPER!!!! and Overall is 9! somethings missing i thought? maybe it's all about the ending o.O ( I'm a little bit contented) ..

PS. Somehow, notice that it is somehow similar to an anime entitled Kaichou wa maid-sama?familiar w/ this anime?? o.O??

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Story:
I enjoy the fact that this story is not totally focused on a girl who has a crush on a boy (like so many shojo titles out there). I like it when a girl first feels bitter towards the boy and then slowely falls in love. Those, to me, are the cutest twists of all. Every side story involving other characters are also fun to tie into the story.

Art:
Neh...not the best I've come across. The art starts sloppy, but then gets better and better. However, the artwork of one chapter may not be drawn as good as another, more earlier one. Sometimes one chapter will be released and it'll look like the artwork was rushed. Then the next chapter will come out and it has much better art. This cycle continuously repeats.

Character:
The manga-ka has a very good way of involving almost each and every character that is introduced. Of course, Hikari and Kei are the main characters that are focused on the most, but the other characters get their moments to shine too. I think Maki Minami has done a good job of developing each of them, whether they are S.A students or not.

Enjoyment:
-It's an ongoing series spanning over 80 chapters so far. I love longer stories!
-A story with comedy and an actual plot is enjoyable to keep up with.
-Cute moments (whether they are romantic or not) make me want to read it over and over.

Overall:
Non-constant artwork, good characters, a storyline that isn't too romantically mushy-mushy, and lots of competition in almost all areas. Those sum up Special A for me.

To some this up in one sentence Special A is Boys Over Flowers ( http://myanimelist.net/manga/877/Hana_Yori_Dango ) but with a more comedic twist. I'm having a hard time not putting spoils in this review...

Story: Pretty much the main duo start off as enemies then become a couple then have trial and tribulations to the same ultimate end. It's retard how much the story matches Boys over Flowers... The only difference is the side characters.

I'm Dead serious if you have already read boys over flowers pass this one it's like you are reading the same exact story.

In short: Special A - Comedy / Boy over Flowers - Drama

It's not your typical "boy likes girl, girl doesn't realize she likes him" story. Lol, it also doesn't focus on just those two people.

It's a high school story about great friends, troublesome encounters, family dilemmas, and love, but love for nearly every character, which is great cause you won't end up feeling bad for anyone cause the characters in this manga are lovable to where you admire all of them.

Even the characters you disliked will change your opinion about them by the end.

The story:
The seven highest ranking students of Hakusenkan High School are placed into a separate program then the rest of the school, and are known as the Special A class, S.A. for short. Kei, Hikari, Jun, Megumi, Tadashi, Akira, Ryuu, (ranked in order 1st-7th place,) are the seven people who are the central focus of the manga. You'll eventually come to know all of their stories, and sympathize with them. And the characters are all different, they have their own personalities. Many of the seven have known each other for a greater time than others because of their families. They're basically the children of wealthy families, with the exception of Hikari. On later chapters there will be new characters who are introduced and become an important part to the story, but they're all related to the S.A. students somehow.

You can say Kei and Hikari are generally your main characters, but the story doesn't take it's main focus on just these two, their love progression is a main part of this manga though, as well as Hikari's constant attempt to challenge Kei due to the fact that she's never truly defeated him in anything, which enrages her.
These friends would go through any lengths to remain together, which is shown frequently in the manga.

The art gets better, it's starts sketchy, but it improves tremendously. And the first few chapters seem annoying because the concept of the S.A. class is constantly repeated as if you didn't understand it the first time, but hang in there, it's worth the read. :D

It's altogether a story on great friendships, family troubles, and true love. In others words, why not read it? What do you have to lose? It's not a cheesy love story, and the shyness of approaching the love relations are realistic.

Special A is for me, the definition of an average shoujo series.

Characters:

We have Hikari, an initially refreshing female lead with a certain wide-eyed innocence and a strong desire to defeat her eternal rival Takishima Kei. Hikari’s got fighting spirit, something that is so often lacking in shoujo heroines of late. On the other hand she’s incredibly dense, a trait which becomes all the more prevalent as the manga progresses much to my chagrin. An important plot device is that the students in the SA class are the crème de la crème of an already prominent school for the wealthy. We are not so much as shown, but rather told that these characters are of high intelligence. Of course they all get high marks on exams but when it comes to basic comprehension skills in real life situations our characters often come up shorthanded. What was once endearing in Hikari becomes stale after one has read through several volumes of Special A. Other than Hikari, the rest of the cast is fairly stock. Kei is appealing in that smirking bishounen sort of sense but his character falls ultimately flat. Maki uses her other characters as means to extend the series, adding multiple couples to the point where almost no one goes single in the end. Even the conniving Yahiro who acted as antagonist in earlier volumes is reduced to a rather underdeveloped love interest for Megumi. When all’s said and done the characters don’t feel fleshed out enough despite the manga’s length.

Story:

Again, this is the definition of an average shoujo. Pure hearted girl attends wealthy school, oblivious to her long time rival’s affection for her. Misunderstandings and shenanigans commence as the two try to work out their feelings for one another. Expect lots of competitions between the two and the repeated use of the running gag of Hikari being ranked number 2 to Kei’s 1. Special A, aside from being a tad on the melodramatic side also relies heavily on comedy. There are many absurd situations for which one would have to put aside their sense of disbelief to enjoy. I myself got a few chuckles from the slapstick comedic elements featured during many of the competitions. In later volumes however, there are a lot of plot twists featuring conflicts that feel quite forced. The issue with Finn for instance, in which Hikari discovers that the “Prince” is actually a girl and is more or less imprisoned for discovering the secret borderlines on silly and needless. In this instance an absurd situation is used for the sake of drama and plot device rather than for light-hearted comedy and it fails to hold any kind of believability. Ultimately there are several arcs which could have been cut out entirely without much of value being lost. Perhaps if Minami Maki had skimmed the series down by removing clunky side plots with no real impact on the story, this manga would have been a little more enjoyable for me. As it is however, Special A dragged on and on, repeating similar jokes, similar conflicts and similar interactions between Hikari and Kei. When the series came to a close I was left unfulfilled and a little bit disappointed that a manga I had once enjoyed had become so stale and repetitive.

Art:

Minami Maki’s art is decent enough. It just doesn’t really stand out. Her character designs are often a little too similar and there isn’t a ton of distinction. Not that there’s anything particularly wrong with that. I’m actually just thankful that she doesn’t draw eyes in the same style that another famous mangaka does. Aside from character design, Minami’s backgrounds go almost unnoticed. To her credit, the little stick figure drawings so often used in moments of humour are quite hilarious to look at. She’s good at utilizing simple sketches for slapstick comedy.

Overall:

At its best this manga is mildly amusing and heart warming in that “doki doki” shoujo manga sense. At its worst it feels redundant, silly and utterly cliché. Special A is a fun series that just started to run out of steam and ideas long before it finished. It’s nothing outstanding in terms of art, story or characters but it’s not particularly bad either. If you’re looking for a nice light-hearted shoujo series to pick up and you can look past a certain amount of banality then by all means go for this one. If however, you’re after something a little more substantial and semi-realistic you’d be better off picking up a copy of NANA or Honey and Clover.

For the record I don’t consider 5 a bad score. Merely average as it was meant to be used for.

This has to be the funniest manga I've read yet. The main character is really dense but very noble and kindhearted so she didn't bother me like other lead females and the lead male, though seems perfect does actually have some believable flaws. A few of their ablities are unrealistic, but it's usually for a comedic effect so you tend to over look it. I also like how this series doesn't focus solely on the leads' romance, the author takes side roads and shows the budding romances of the friends, which tends to be ignored in most shojo so you don't get bored with the main couple plus it feels more realistic. After all, your friends date too.
Some may consider Hikari unrealistic but anyone who was obsessed with school and working hard on that side would be able to understand her better, just like with anything love has to be learned and experienced or you don't understand it. So I think this is a really good coming of age story, it shows what it's like for a teenage girl who wasn't looking for love and what she does once it finds her. Plus you can't beat the silliness that's added. Between stick figure drawings and the turn-about scenes that leave characters dumbfounded with great experssions, you'll definitely be busting a gut with this series.
Actually I felt it wasn't long enough in a sense, I think it would have been better if Maki had lept ahead in the last few chapters and did a few bits with the characters after High School, after all we never stop maturing and it would have been nice to see how the characters turned out as adults. Plus I felt the characters needed to be developed a bit more, they sometimes fall a bit flat and you fall out of the story, remembering that you are reading a story, I prefer to get sucked in and be apart of the world as if it were real. I feel Maki forgot to give them more depth at points because she was too busy focusing on the comedy.
However, I think I'll always pick this manga up whenever I'm feeling down or lonely because it definitely lifts my spirits with its lightheartedness and comedy.

Its an amazing story! It has a mix of adventure, surprise, and romance. It was also funny too. I found it so exiting to watch that I couldn't stop. I cant really explain how awsome it is. I love all the characters mainly because I was able to compare them to people I know. (somehow! :) ) Anyways it was a really great story! I really didn't want it to end.

Special A is your typical shojo rom-com which has a dense main female character which can be somewhat annoying. Despite her denseness, this manga makes up for it by having a nice line up of characters with different personalities. The comedy is also funny, but not to the point that you would laugh your head off. The art is the typical shojo type so nothing very remarkable about it. But despite all these flaws, I enjoyed it pretty wel so I guess you can enjoy this too. My one advice is if you already read a lot of shojo manga, it would be hard for you to completely enjoy this manga because compared to other manga, I can rate it as average. ^^l