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This review is based on me watching the movie first and reading the manga second within a few hours apart from each other. Pardon the comparison.

To start off, and it may even be a contradiction to my prior statement, the movie and the manga feel like two different stories. The movie leaves out details that have bothered viewers that were faithful to the source material. However, the movie works around these changes and in turn change scenes accordingly, and it feels justified.

My point being. the movie is better in a sense of value, the amount of time spent vs the enjoyment received from it.

Spoilers ahead.

One of the main problems that I have with the manga is the fact that some of the supporting characters are not fleshed out and fail to redeem themselves.

Take Miki Kawai, the narcissist of the supporting characters, we discover that she is one of the people watching and laughing along with shouko's bullying. When she mentions to stop the bullying they are halfhearted and are said just for the sake of saying it. Which is fine and in fact makes sense for a child to do so. However, when the scope of the film is for not only Ishida's redemption but the reflection of the other characters wrongdoings, I find an issue where this character finds nothing wrong about herself throughout all this time. This character is not only a blight on the movie but even in the source material itself which is unforgivable. There are moments where its clear that she cares for the misfortune that befalls the main characters Ishida and Shouko but its not justified. There are at least 4 other supporting/minor characters that fall victim to this. I'd rather they just be cut from the plot in general....

There are details within the manga that I desperately wanted in the movie, they give context to the actions the characters take, but I think in general the movie took a better approach than the manga. .


The ending, the manga is a failure for closure, not in the sense that leaves me wanting more but rather I felt neutral about how it ended.

Why is the movie satisfying?
The movie uses its time well, cutting even some crucial moments out of the manga to make a believable and coherent story. Although there are still faults that are shared between both mediums, the movie is a superior experience.


Sooner or later, I will make a more fleshed out review of both the Manga and the Movie, but for now these are whats on my mind. Thank you.

An excellent story with powerful themes and gripping characters, it really drives home its main theme of "the world is cruel, but the world is also very beautiful." Eren is a very unique main character, and his journey is compelling. The female characters are just as human as the male characters with arcs and goals and flaws that render them excellent characters, which really stands out.

The main issue holding it back in terms of writing is the pacing, which can be very poor, and a monthly release doesn't help. Character arcs and themes are generally satisfyingly portrayed; however, the way in which they are portrayed thanks to the pacing is a bit frustrating at times, especially reading on a monthly basis.

I'm not exagerating giving a 10/10 in almost every aspect of this manga.
Art is not really the forte of Isayama, even thought his style evolved over the years.
But when we talk about story and characters, Shingeki no Kyojin has a really rich universe, that transforms completely over its progression.

The final arc is completely the opposite of the feeling you get reading the first arc. You will begin loving/hating Eren Yaegar and will end hating/loving him.

It's totally worth it to keep reading, even if the begining feels a little like a cliché zombie manga. Every story note is gray, there's no evil, good or condemnable choice made by the characters, like in any other shonen, which makes the story more mature and grim.

If you're feeling a little hard to understand the action scenes, the anime adaptation is excellent.

Not your most entertaining manga, nor does it seem to have that purpose in the first place. It reminded me of listening to the life of a socially unacceptable friend: no happily ever after or uplifting moral stories, just one step in the mud after another.

I don't think many would understand the point, or enjoy reading this, besides those who enjoy something anti-pretty in almost any sense of the word.

Despite what I've described, I liked that it isn't over-zealous. There are no lucky circumstances, dramatic attempts at happiness or fantasy-like alternative universe. Just one of those below-the-radar mangas that told a twisted one-shot story.

Who would I recommend this to? I guess it's for those who can relate to it. But.. even at whatever possibility that could be at, I wonder if it could say anything further on the subject than "it happened".

I guess that's something that could be admired. Though it could be called laziness on the author's part, it's very much the laziness of the reader who expects all the thinking to be done for them.

Of course, being rated 'mature' by mangafox.com, there are issues that pop up here and there (inappropriate teachers, parent-child conflict, bullying, etc). They're not really addressed further than 'it happens', but act more as the building blocks to an imperfect world. I guess that's why one would call this manga realistic.

Suppose that's the punchline: if you don't like hearing your socially unacceptable friend's tales of stepping one foot into the mud after another, you probably won't like this one.
(do excuse my first time reviewing something and a rather unsatisfying review)

Keep in mind that this is solely my opinion and my opinion only. I'd also like to say that I don't dislike this manga, and there are no hard feeling towards it. Also, if I don't make sense in some instances while writing this, my bad, I'll get you some soda to compensate. (i owe a lot of sodas, this is also my first manga review)

5 on MAL is average, and I can say that me and a few others are comfortable with this rating. To me, Alicia-san no Diet Quest was just a short series of laughs, (i didnt laugh) unique diet techniques, along with a short story to go along. Let me explain why I thought this series deserved a 5.

The story seemed promising, but for some reason, I feel like I've seen this basis before. We have a set of characters (Ryan, Alicia, and Sara) out on their journey to beat up the big boy demon lord. That shouldn't be too hard. However, Alicia and Sara seemed too upset about their weights and want to change that while making their way to the demon king. The group gets sidetracked and everything. I didn't find this story that remarkable to be honest with you. Just genius, dumb, funny ways the squad fights with monsters and their weights.

The art was good. I found it very nice, attractive, and detailed. One of the reasons I read this manga to begin with was with the art, and partially Alicia's melons. I don't know what it is, but this manga gave off cute vibes. I also like the RPG vibe it gave off. If this was a game, (could or could not be at the moment) I would probably play it.

The characters in Alicia-san no Diet Quest were average to me. Just a squad of heroes who get sidetracked off their main duty and instead slack off doing questionable things. These characters felt really similar to those in the Konosuba series, just less eye-catching and funny. In the end, I would say they are barely satisfactory in my book.

I'll be honest with you, I did not enjoy the series at all. Like for a few other series, you get hooked on the first few chapters, then you lose interest because they perform the same actions over and over again. I was out here like "When are they going to beat up the demon king?" To be honest I was just more into that than the weight interventions. If they had a game changer or two that was eye-catching (for example, permanent death), it would have been a little bit better.

Overall, Alicia-san no Diet Quest was just an average manga to me. Nothing was too special or remarkable to me. (besides alicias melons) I feel like they could have a better job on this manga. For example, they could have included side quests or other events like a beach/coastal side trip. I would recommend this to you if you want a quick laugh, dumb, but genius ways to lose weight, or some melons. Not bad, not good either, just in the middle.

(i probably mustve said some controversial/dumb/questionable comments. it is my first time reviewing a manga. just wanted to express how i felt while reading this manga. feel free to let me know whats on your mind)

Warning. If you hate sex scenes, this is NOT for you. Turn away now.

Story. 7/10. Only 18 chapters are currently available and so there is not much to the story. Youta our MC has been dragged into a world where males do not exist anymore, the last one died over 3000 years ago. All the females have evolved in order to make sex easier. Whenever Youta touches a woman she will get into heat.

Youta hides his identity as a man to avoid the mass orgy that will inevitably follow (but cor blimey. lucky dude), as I mentioned earlier the story is merely starting so this is all I can really say.

Art. 9/10. Whether you like the story or not, the art is impressive.

Character. 4/10. No development thus far, characters are introduced but not much is known about them.

Enjoyment. 8/10. Its a fun manga, there are sex scenes but its hilarious, I find it more of a comedy.

Overall. 7/10. This manga was created by the same person who created Elfin Lied and Gokukoku no Brynhildr, two shows I loved so I was happy when I stumbled upon this, however, it is more of a harem sex manga which drags it down a bit.

Nevertheless, this manga is pretty funny, so far do not expect anything serious from the first 18 chapters.

Art:
The art is probably my least favourite aspect of this manga. However, this mainly comes down to personal preference as I am personally not a fan of the early 2000s anime style such as the artstyle of Clannad or other anime from the period. The art itself is competent, although sometimes during the fight scenes it is a little hard to follow what is happening (this may be because I'm a bit dim lol)

Story:
The story here is probably the best thing. At the start it seems to just be a continuation of the AU seen in episode 26 of Neon Genesis Evangelion - however it develops into a much deeper plot than that.
The characters develop very well, and, in my opinion, are infinitely more likeable than their NGE counterparts.

Characters:
Asuka:
In NGE, I found Asuka to be very annoying. She was borderline hateable in my opinion and never showed any softer side. She wasn't a tsundere in my opinion, she was just a bitch. However, in this manga, she was more of a confused girl under a lot of stress. She could act out and even be annoying at times, however she did show a softer side and she was kind when it counted. When Shinji does something to help her, she thanks him.

Shinji:
Shinji felt like a relatively typical romance manga protagonist, and again I felt he was more likeable than in NGE, although I didn't really have a problem with him in NGE (I hated him a lot in EoE however)

Rei:
I didn't mind Rei in NGE, but she was a bit boring. I expected the whole time for her to reveal a kinder side to herself, however she never really changed at all. Rei here starts with more emotions, however she feels quiet and unusure - as you would expect from a girl who only ever knew scientists who were studying her.

Tohji + Kensuke:
In NGE, these two felt like background characters and I did not care one bit about them. In this manga, they were developed more and I came to like them.

Overall:
There were a lot of things I preferred in NGE to this manga, but there were a lot of things I preferred in this manga too.
I feel like an ideal situation would be a mix of NGE and the plot of this manga - and I hear that the NGE manga is like that with better character development and such.
Give the manga a try if you're like me and wanted to like NGE but couldn't. This isn't a perfect manga, but it was rather enjoyable. I haven't finished it yet because I can't find volumes 5 + 6 online but I will consider buying them and maybe I will update my review when I read them.

Also known as Hajimete no Gyaru. In English, it's called My (Frist) Girlfriend is a Gal. The two main characters are fairly typical Japanese high school students, although one of them has bleached hair and dresses like a gyaru. Something else you might not have noticed is how unusual their expressions tend to be on the various covers.

>Characters

I originally found this manga by its anime. The art was nice, and the main female protagonist, Yukana had something about her... something so rare in a female anime character. This girl is overflowing with confidence, and confidence is sexy. The male character, Junichi is no pushover either. Let's talk about him first.

-Hashiba, Junichi

This is the face of youthful passion.
Junichi is just a guy, and that's what makes him so great. He's not that tired whiner trope like Hope from Final Fantasy XIII, or some crybaby who contributes nothing to the adventure like Yuki of Mirai Nikki. He's also not an unstoppable omniscient god like Sora from No Game No Life.

He's just normal. He's nervous about meeting girls since he and his antisocial friends probably never talk to them, but he's not petrified. He actually builds up the nerve with some help from the aforementioned friends and asks Yukana out on his own. They meet up outside the school, and after a lot of inner dialogue, he musters his nerve and asks her out.

-Yame, Yukana

When it comes to personality, Yukana is more than just a pretty face and some tits (although, she has both). Yukana is confident, feminine, and friendly. Despite being a gyaru she's actually friendly instead of high-and-mighty. She's also fairly condescending to the main character, but he's no slouch! He can take it! She accepts his request at the end of the first volume and they start going out. She likes shooter arcade games and karaoke.

Yukana also knows how to dress up, which is to be expected of a gyaru. Outside of school, she usually dresses in a fairly normal manner. The gyaru thing might just be to keep people out of her hair at school. This I find interesting, because usually gyaru are always gyaru, like her friend Ranko. Yukana isn't though, when it's time to go out in public for dates, she dresses like any other girl trying to look nice.

>The Good

Hajimete no Gyaru is really awesome when it comes to the main romance. Here's a breakdown of how romances work, in both eastern and western works of fiction.

-The main two want to get together, or maybe one is pursuing another.
-Something gets in the way.
-They get over it.
-In the last chapter they make up and get together.
-The end.

Well, Hajimete no Gal put step 4 at the beginning. They're dating for most of the series and it's great. Why has no one else noticed this? It's so unique, I mean, name another series like this. Not where they're chilling from the beginning, but actually actively going out and inviting each other on real, deliberate dates. Love Hina sort of? I can't think of one. What does that mean? That means something unique is happening here, and unique is very good.

>The Bad: Plot vs Character

I don't think I'm the first person to notice that this manga doesn't have a specific plot, however, I think I am the first person to put into a review why a plot would be a bad thing.

Hajimete no Gal is a character driven romance/comedy with a bit of drama for good measure. Plot is something that detracts from character. Consider this, I'm a writer with two copyrighted works under my belt. I've experienced first hand the relationship between plot and characters. When you start a novel, you have to choose which is more important, Tales of Symphonia and Bleach both chose plot, and thus the complexity of each series' main characters are lost on most people.

Character driven narratives are much harder to do, because any plot must happen because of a character, not because they must "save the world," or "kill the bad guy." All of the plot elements in Hajimete no Gal are there to further the main pairing's relationship, and personally I'm fine if not happy about that.

>The Great: Jurassic Park level pacing.

Pacing! The pacing in this manga is impeccable! This series moves so fast, but still gives you enough time to take everything in. It's wonderful!

I actually caught up to volume three in a single night. For reference, at the height of my manga reading, while I was going through Kurokami, I usually read one volume a day. That meant I covered three times my normal amount when I started (and caught up with) Hajimete no Gal. Why? Because I was engrossed.

I can only compare the pacing to a Michael Crichton novel. That's right, the New York Times bestselling author that wrote Jurassic Park, Sphere, and Rising Sun. (Rising Sun is about how different Japanese culture is from Western culture. Great read if you are interested in Japan.)

> The Amazing: The Natural Slice of Life

The characters are very realistic, they truly feel human.

Side Cast

Look, even the side characters contribute something. Even the smallest character manages to eventually gain some relevance. Instead of introducing new people, the author got a clever idea, one that I use in my own works. Why not have old characters do the things I want to have new characters do? Keep the pool of people focused, streamlined.

-Honjo, Ranko

Yukana's best friend Ranko? She's jealous of Junichi because he's taking all of Yukana's attention. She sits in on some of their dates, and more often than not actively disrupts them by showing up right when things start to get interesting.

But there's more.

When Ranko realizes that she's not going to be successful in breaking the two up, she changes gears. She becomes the badass protector of Junichi and Yukana's relationship. (While still trying to drive them apart.) How? Why? Well, let's take a moment to be rational. It seems that Ms. Honjo has a very specific set of priorities.

-Keep Yukana all to herself.
-If 1 is not possible, Junichi x Yame is the next best thing.
-If anyone gets in the way of 1 or 2, stop them with physical violence or intimidation.
-Ranko is essentially my type. Intimidation and drive!

-Kashi, Yui

This is your typical goody two shoes. The pure girl who the main character is destined to fall for.

Well, this isn't that kind of story, so instead she gets pushed aside and resorts to deceptive tactics to try and force her way into Junichi's heart! Does she succeed? Well, read the manga to find out! (Hint, no.) Actually, Yui tests Junichi's outer limits of commitment, and she still gets turned down. Then she tries to force herself on Junichi, and of course, Ranko comes in and saves the day, leaping in from... I don't know, the sky maybe?

-Sakamoto, Shinpei

This is our ringleader, the catalyst. He's the leader of a group of outcasts, the group Junichi finds himself in at the beginning of the story. Some might write him off, but he has clear motivations and a consistent character. If it weren't for Shinpei this story might not have happened. See, he was the one that forced Junichi into asking Yukana out. It was his idea, and he had to basically force it to happen.

Then later he returns to make MORE plot stuff happen! Like, don't discount this guy, he's serious! Sakamoto is jealous of Junichi's relationship and does what he can to sabotage and cock-block him. Usually, it has the opposite effect, and so Jun thinks they're on the same side and thanks his "good friend" for the "good advice."

There are people like this in the real world. Lots of them. In fact, many of my own friends doubt my potential for success, but few are rude enough to try and stop me. But maybe you know someone that's the jealous type like Sakamoto?

Fujinoki, Nene

I'm not a huge fan of this girl, but luckily her arc was short, and way less cringe-inducing than I expected.

Nene is the childhood friend who's returned to claim her boi. And that boy is Junichi. She makes a lot of advances on him, utilizing handcuffs and nudity and taking advantage of the fact that she knows where Junichi lives. In the end, she claims that she will be competing with Yukana for Jun's love. Yukana decides that this is both hilarious and adorable, and stops taking her seriously. Good! I didn't sign up for another generic harem!

>The Endearing

-Junichi's Contributions

Not once, but twice Junichi stops a girl's advances. He informs two different girls that he's already in a relationship, and he's perfectly happy with it. Why is this important? Well, consider the typical harem. The main character has not (and might never) decided on a woman, and so he never blatantly turns down a girl. Junichi is and does. His greatest character trait is his resolve; his commitment.

Junichi does more than just pull his weight. He's a true second half in this relationship, whether his girlfriend is there to babysit his emotions or not. This is so reassuring. When I see an MC almost cheat on his girlfriend, it's not something that I enjoy. I cringe and get uncomfortable. Why should I be happy if he two times? With Junichi in the MC slot, I feel safe. I know he's going to do whatever he can to stay committed to Yukana.

-Yukana's Contributions

At first, for both halves, the relationship was sort of a joke, and sort of a test ride. Yukana wasn't conceited about it though, she regarded Jun with open eyes, and took it seriously when things got serious.

She dresses up for him and keeps him at a fair distance. She picks on him, flirts with him, and tests him. She asks Ranko for advice and considers Junichi fairly when he makes an advance. (Although most of the time she turns his advances down. She's not sure what to do in a relationship either!)

-The Pair

These two are a great match, which is exactly why this series works. It's the seed from whence all the plot elements stem. Yukana teases Junichi to confuse him, and Junichi spouts his honest thoughts to confuse her. Neither of them has been in a relationship this deep before so it's all very new and exciting. A prime example of young love!

>The Human

This is the gold of the series. All the characters, all the situations are so natural. They seem so real, it's the kind of stuff that happens all over the world, with regular people. It truly is a slice of life, and I love it.

I love the fact that this series is so grounded, that it invites you to expect a cliche and then gives you a natural response instead. As someone who's seen over one-hundred anime, and read my share of romance and shounen manga, I'm familiar with all the tropes. When almost all of them were avoided or directly subverted, I was both impressed and refreshed.

>Conclusion

If you like realism, and good characterization, this manga is for you. I'm so jealous! I wonder if there are any gyaru in my country? Or maybe a goth. Or maybe just a nice girl :) I need to start dating before I turn into a wizard >_>

>Verdict

I almost never give a true 10/10. All my My Anime List ratings are bumped up by 1 point since I'm so unfair. (Bleach is a 9, Slayers a 9, Oretachi... I'm not sure, 9.7?) Hajimete no Gal gets a TRUE 10 out of 10. I absolutely love it, and if it gets translated officially, I will be supporting the artist by purchasing the manga.

Read it if you even vaguely enjoy a good romance.

This is a manga with a lot of good parts that’s bogged down by some irreconcilably bad parts.

The story is extremely simple but passable and the art is very good. What simultaneously makes and breaks Aho Girl are the characters.

The side characters are enjoyable, likable, and quirky. Nothing revolutionary, but they’re all pretty fun. The male protagonist is unconventional for a romcom. He's a loner who is pretty disinterested in the people around him and just wants to study, which works better in this story than that description might lead you to believe.

The main thing bogging down this manga is the titular character. She manages to be so annoying and unlivable that it’s actually shocking this manga has any good parts. I get that the author likely wanted to make her annoying, but my god, she sucks the enjoyment out of every scene she’s in. By the end of the manga, I get the feeling you were supposed to like her somewhat, but I just wished she wasn’t there. Her jokes are overused by chapter 2, her personality is annoying and never gets even the slightest bit better, and she's never gone from the story as long as you'd want her to be.

The only other big negative is the ending. Without getting into spoilers, the ending is very inconclusive and forced, with no closure at all. If you want a satisfying conclusion, romantically or otherwise, do not read this.

It’s also worth mentioning there’s a lot of physical violence where the main guy hits the stupid girl, which might be a big turn off for some. In my opinion, however, it’s more like extreme slapstick than real violence.

In the end, this is a mediocre romcom that could’ve been so much better with a few changes. If it sounds like your thing, I’d recommend giving this a try, especially if after the first few chapters you can tolerate the main girl.

I don't think the description is really suitable for this one shot so here's what i think it should be like; it's a story about two successful young men; a flower coordinator(Satomura) and a photographer (Kyoutaro). A career turn-point for Kyoutaro comes up which will make each of them reevaluate their relationship and themselves.


I really liked this piece, first of all let me make it clear that i'm here just to specially review the "Art.

I'll start with the story itself (4) it didn't really impress me to be honest, there's no twist to it and no real "obstacles" but it's a lovely one shot and it's not so tacky as most shounen ai one shots tend to be, it doesn't really focus on their romance as much as the self-struggle of the characters and ultimately their "sacrifices".

I didn't really care about the story to be honest, which will lead me to the "Art" (10) which is why i'm here in the first place. I knew just by looking at the cover that this is gonna be beautiful but i didn't expect it to be THIS beautiful. I can't actually describe how beautiful it was, it was breath taking, as i turned the pages i couldn't focus on what was being said as much as the details of the background, their eyes, their eyebrows, their hair, their facial expressions which seemed tender and true and full of longing and love (or at least that's how i perceived it). The characters are elegantly drawn, handsome men. I was captivated by it. I immediately looked up the artist "Maruya Kae" and i decided that i'll read every manga she was involved in. That's the least i could say really, i'm totally enchanted by her work.

As for the characters i'll give it a (6) for most one shot mangas there's rarely any room for character development. The characters are simple and easy to read, however i do appreciate that there was a "revelation/realization" in the end which in my opinion compensates for the lack of character development and actually the realization is what kept the manga going and gave it a sweet ending otherwise there wouldn't be a manga in the first place i mean the story is very puny so that made up for it. I really liked that the characters were true to themselves and consequently each other.

Enjoyment; this is a tough one to judge if i'm judging the story itself i'd give this a 5 BUT the art elevated that to a 10, seriously i really enjoyed looking at every panel and every detail.

Overall, I'll give this one shot (8) it wasn't cheesy, no jealousy or whatsoever that is stereotypical of some shounen ai. To be honest, what really made this manga stand out to me was the art. Gorgeous. It is worth the read nonetheless.