Torikagosou no Kyou mo Nemutai Juunin-tachi

I haven't read too far into the story, so I don't feel like I can write a full review--I'm still gathering my impressions and trying to see where the manwha will go.

But, I'm writing this because I really recommend trying Birdcage Manor out regardless!

The first thing that will strike you is the clean, gorgeous art. It's not like typical manwha art, which exaggerates aestheticism, but it's drawn with the same appreciation for beauty and detail. The result is very refreshing and devourable art.

The other thing that will draw you into Birdcage Manor is the story. You get a particular feel from the story; it's different. I can tell that the author had intention going into this, although I'm not sure how'll she do in maintaining it.

The manwha treats its subjects (the residents of a run-down apartment complex) specially, giving them subtle but significant attention even if they're just side characters. It does the same with the main characters: the focal point of the manwha is the stories behind the characters. But unlike other works with this focal point, it tries to incorporate these stories with the action of normal flow of life rather than examining backstories through arcs or other devices. The approach gives the manwha a sort of sleepy feel, like how you might feel when you ponder about the various lives of the people residing in your apartment building.

This interesting effect is counterbalanced by the romantic action that develops between Kizuna and Asai and sort of Yuki. I really think the approach the author takes with examining her characters has the ability to work well with the romance, and she seems to be tacking towards that as well, using Asai's past to affect his relationship development. However, it's a matter of balance, which takes art and skill. I feel like the manwha has a predisposition to get absorbed in the progressing action and botch up the pacing, leaving the potential of the focal point not fully developed.

The characters, though, will have you smiling even if the romantic progression seems to get a little weird. Kizuna has a real personality and Asai's apathetic charisma actually has some depth to it, unlike the normal deadpan character. Yuki adds dynamism to the interaction between the three characters. And really, it's just those three characters; the rest are side characters. I like this, and I hope that their personalities are well-developed before or if any other characters emerge.

Overall, Birdcage Manor seems a really interesting, unique manwha. Regardless of whether or not it's executed as ideally as I like to envision, the premise is different and generates an enjoyable read. It'll be interesting to see how it turns out.

(I thought this manga deserves a review, but it's the first time I'll be writing one so go easy on me.)

Story: 7/10

True to its title, the storytelling is rather sleepy. The progression is rather slow-- and the events are nothing surprising. There's no bang. But that's the beauty of it: it's a very easy read. If you read to relax, this might be to your tastes. Instead of surprise, it stirs anticipation.

However, it's not for everyone. For people who likes their manga fast-paced and event-driven, this might bore you to sleep.

But because I like this genre, I would also like to give the novel a try. I feel it's better read as a novel than as a manga.

Art: 9/10.

If I do read the novel, I'm going to miss the art. The manga has a very clean, pretty art, from the characters, to the background. They look so fluid (like something from a KyoAni anime). If I were a good artist, this is one style I would like to learn.

Character: 9/10.

While I didn't like the heroine at first because she's so whiny and flawed, I realized that she wasn't so much different from some people I know in real-life (maybe even myself). She's relate-able. (That's teenage angst for you.) And as much as she's flawed, she's developed a lot through the series too.

And she also has good points: she's strong-willed, calm, and level-head. Considering this is a shoujo manga, she doesn't let her emotions for the guy cloud her judgement a lot (because he does sway her a little sometimes.)

Because story's the pace is rather slow, developments in characters are gradual-- better justified, as compared to the overnight-transformations typical of other mangas.

Enjoyment: 8/10.

Because it's a change of pace from the usual kinds of manga I read, I enjoyed it a lot. I liked it on a different level that I would another like manga. It's a breath of fresh air.

But I repeat, it isn't for everyone.

Overall: 8/10.

If nothing else, read it for the pretty art and the characters with very consistent character descriptions. The story is good too, but a little different-- mellow. If you like taking a good book in bed to read on rainy days, you might enjoy this. Otherwise, keep an open mind and this may prove to be an enjoyable experience-- who knows?

/

Oh. And props to the scanlation group that did the one I've read, since, unfortunately, there's no official release of the manga title in my country. The translations, while I don't know if they are accurate, are very nicely written, with a English on the level of an actual published article.

Okay this is my first review so please don't be hard with me.
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The protagonist of this story is Kizuna a teenager who lives by her own in a set of apartaments called "Birdcage Manor". Kizuna is involved in a hard situation where she gets money flirting with middle-aged salary men. After, because of some reasons she mets with Inoue Yuki who ask her to model nude for one of the residents of birdcage manor: Yusei Asai. This is where Kizuna's adventure and story begins.
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First of all, if you're looking for a different manga without those boring shoujo clichés this is the manga for you.


Story: The story is pretty unique and interesting. It's narrated by Kizuna and at some points by other characteres's view. I personally loved how the mangaka managed the story, its really well written and you don't get bored of it.

-9-

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Art: its very unique and beautiful and it adds a lot of points to the enjoyment of this manga.

-10-
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Characteres: The characteres are defenitely the best of this manga they aren't exagerated like most of the shoujo mangas and you get to understend and feel empaty for all the characteres. My favorite character was Kizuna, the protagonist, she's one of the best shoujo heroines I've found in Shoujo/romance manga. Kizuna's a strong character not like those heroines who cry for everything and can't do anything by themselves but she isn't either the stronger person in the entire planet. So, yeah basically I'd say Kizuna's just a normal girl not like the typical shoujos where the protagonist is or a tsundere who kicks everyone's ass or a crybaby where the male main character bully her or something and she just feels guilty and goes to follow him like a dog. Kizuna is not like that at all. She's intelligent, independient and strong but also has feelings and feels sad somethimes as every human being. So, yeah Kizuna is just a normal girl.

About the other characteres I'd say the same, they are really realistic when we talk about personalities and feelings and you get to appreciate them all. I loved all the characteres, they were all nice and funny and I laughed a lot with them in this manga.

-10-
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Ejoyment: This manga was pretty amusing and I had a lot of fun with it. I cried with this manga, I laughed, I blushed. I had a lot of feelings reading this manga. In some parts it was hard to keep reading because of the long arguments but it isn't something you should really worry about.

-10-
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Overall: In resumen, this manga isn't the typical shoujo manga where you get bored or angry because you know what is going to happen or how anoying the characteres are. This manga is pretty unique and i'd recommend it to every shoujo lover. tbh i was sad because of how short it is but i wouldn't add more characteres to it, its just perfect how it is.

-10-

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I can`t say much about this manga because I`m not that familiar with the romance genre, I only read a few others like GE: Good Ending and some others I forgot the name. What I can say is that the characters are interesting because they do have flaws but aren't unlikable, the plot is kind of original, but these days you'll always be able to find something similar, there are a few Deus Ex moment in the end because said character is basically useless for work since she ditched school.

Now, comparing this manga with similar ones in the same genre category I would say that this manga is missing that "the story is so great that it can make you feel butterflies in your bely", like I felt with GE, and similar - but different - with tragedies like Graveyard of the Fireflies or any great drama out there. But I'd say that the reason for not having that is because the mangá is so short, 21 chapter is barely close enough for a good character development, imagine making your plot so deep it makes you really care about them.

[[ This is my first review so please go a little easy on me k? Oh and also this review is based on the first 8 chapters... ^^]]

"The Sleepy Residents of Birdcage Manor" a.k.a "Hotel Williams Child Bird" it's name stroke a little curiosity in me to start reading it... The story revolves around three characters and their lives in Hotel Williams Child Bird. The three of them carry that little of darkness within their hearts.

Starting with Kizuna Etoh quite the hot-tampered and determinate, 16 year old girl. She's somewhat smart and has some common sense in her. along with her friends, she walked the streets aiming for middle aged men wallets. But rather sick of the life she was leading and so she starts working for a rather sloppy but prideful artist, Yusei Asai. He seems to be the darkest character up until now, unable to let go of the past he warps himself in the wounds and pains that the past gave him, afraid that if he lets them go he'd be unable to paint. And for last we have the weirdest character(?) Yuki Inoue, a good looking woman (... or should I say man), who's also Yusei's cousin and the one who offered Etoh the job as sensei's model. Not much is known about him, what I know for sure is that he seems to care a lot for his cousin and that he loves to dress up as a woman. Well basically they share some mystery in them.

I found the plot to be rather intriguing and interesting. What makes it so? The pace of the story has its own flow, it gives you enough information for you to understand, it doesn't bombard you with too much information and lose the flow. Like a puzzle it gives enough pieces to be able and understand the picture but not completely. The art matches the story perfectly, what really stroke the first interests in this manga was the art, Takarai Rihito, did a great work on the art.

And now to conclude, so far, I'm enjoying reading this manga. I'm curious to see how will things change, I have some high hopes for this manga. I suggest you'd give it a shot...

The label 'shoujo' may be a little misleading for this title, but the story certainly adds another interesting work to the shoujo category!
Prior to writing this preview, I sat there trying to come up with weaknesses of this manga but I couldn't really pin-point any. But if you're looking for the cliché cases of people going blindly for unrequited love in tears or love triangles that sets the heroine crying every five seconds, then be prepared to be disappointed.

That's not to say that the story does not come equipped with unrequited love and love triangles, but they are portrayed in realistic strokes. The heroine slowly finds herself between two individuals so different from one another but complements her in varied ways. You will learn through her interactions, her inner thoughts and her quiet musings on the chemistry she shares with the two individual. I love how this departs from the usual 'cry-baby' shoujo heroine, that breaks into tears just because she cannot decide how her heart leans towards the people involved in the love triangle. And the (presumably) hero has a secret, thus making the love unrequited but the reason for that is neither ridiculous or far-fetched but adds on to the persona of the quiet, introverted hero. In this wonderfully balanced shoujo, the characters drive the story and yet the progress of the story grows each character into beautiful personalities that you admire.

Therefore, I sincerely recommend this!

Are you tired of reading always shoujo in school settings with a tsundere girl or a fragile whinny protagonist divided between her childhood friend and the most popular guy at school? Well, then this is for you. At first glance it might be mistaken for just another shojo manga, but its definitely not.

Story- Etou Kizuna was a girl driven by money and her group. She ends up meeting two people who will change her life, Yusei and Yuki. A nice pacing and a story that will make you feel divided of which guy you want to end up with her.

Character- The characters are the best. Kizuna is not a girl with a trauma, she is not enraged with life, does not have a mother or father complex. She accepts her loneliness without being too emo. She is not a crybaby and she is not a tsundere. Just a plain normal girl without being clumsy that has very realistic characteristics on her personality. you will love her straightforwardness at times, and she shows a very common type of person nowadays, which is, a person that desires money, yet, her good nature balances her character, making her not superficial, but a realistic protagonist. Admitting her mistakes, makes her very unique. Also, not the type of girl to fall in love at first sight, and does not show the"delicacy" of the typical japanese women. Not the cliché usual shoujo protagonist.
To accompany her, you have two other protagonists, Yuki and Yusei, two cousins that bear each one, a secret.
Yusei is the typical serious hardworking bishie with a cold/ironic attitude most of times, yet he is not the typical cliche tidy perfect guy. He actually does not care about his appearance and most of times lives in his own world. A messy guy who expresses and drowns himself into his paintings.
Yuki is to me, the most interesting character. the opposite of his cousin, Yuki enjoys dressing "herself" in elegant and cute clothes. It is hard to know her true self, yet, you´ll find her sweet:) She also has a little secret, and I love how her character becomes even more adorable when its revealed.

Enjoyment- Great. It gives you a josei-ish feeling even being a shoujo, due the fact that the guys are all young adults while only the girl is a teenager (but she doesn't go to school!!!). Great setting.

Overall- A nice and refreshing love triangle. A well developed story with some mysteries to unveil. As a shoujo fan, i must say this one has became one of my favorites.

This manga greatly contradicts other shoujo manga in a good way. The art is beautiful. Not the best, but beautiful none the less. The heroine, Etoh is both pretty and strong willed. Both of the guys, Yuki and Asai are really likeable (and hot), making it hard for us readers to decide who WE ship, despite probably knowing who she ends up with. Etoh was a prostitute (sort of). She and a couple of others play this 'game' where they gather up money from salary men without any actual intercourse.

One day, one of the girls quit. One of the rules of the games was that you weren't allowed to quit. The girl who quit was then beaten up, and a passerby yelled for the police, making them run away. Etoh then enters her Manor's elevator and finds the person who called the cops, Inoue Yuki. Yuki then tries to hire her as a model for Yuki's cousin, Asai Yusei. Thus, behins the story of 'The Sleepy Residents of Birdcage Manor'.

It's an amazing manga, and I'd recommemd anything this manga. I muself had only started and finished today.

First review so don't flame me. xD

Story: I found the story to be quite interesting, on how it all began with a game between a group of young girls to then later one gaining an interesting job as a model for a fellow resident's cousin. Won't get into it too much but the story is different than most that I have read.

Art: Quite good, with the added more of "art" in the manga. Character designs are soft.


Character: Very realistic personalities and situations.

Enjoyment: I quite enjoyed this manga that is still ongoing, my only complaint would be the lack of a defined release date, varying between weeks to months between chapters.

Overall: I gave this an 7 for now, if the story and art keeps developing for the better, I may rise it later on.