>Story---------------10

The first few chapters made it seem like Shinshi Doumei Cross would have a pretty predictable plot. Normal girl with a troubled past goes to elite school and falls in love with the most popular, powerful guy, then works hard to make senpai notice her. It's been done a million and a half times. However, once the story really gets going, twists--I won't say what for the sake of not spoiling--are introduced that really make it stand out. Most of the romantic pairings are still pretty predictable (once you know the characters involved), but the way in which they develop is, in my opinion, fresh and unique. There's also some guy/guy and girl/girl romance, which I can definitely get down with. I only wish the latter had gone on a little longer..

>Art------------------8

The art is probably the part that frustrated me most about this manga. It's undeniably stunning. Even a cursory glance will tell you that a lot of work went into every panel, which is why it's hard for me to criticize it. However, there were a lot of times when the pages felt too "busy" (sooooo much shading!!) and made it hard to follow. There's almost no empty space, so it can quickly get overwhelming. Also, the designs for some of the characters were very, very similar, especially early in the series, so I ended up spending a lot of time trying to figure out who I was looking at.

All that said, the it's still absolutely gorgeous. If you like "pretty" manga, it'll be right up your alley!

>Characters---------9

There are definitely some unique characters in the series. All of the main cast had very compelling backstories--though I wish there'd been room to delve into some a little deeper--and all had good development from beginning to end. I didn't like how they made so many jokes in the beginning about how stupid Haine was, but that was dropped pretty quickly anyway. Though she seems like your typical ultra-cheerful-to-the-point-of-being-an-annoyance heroine at first, she has other sides to her that make her a pretty compelling protagonist. I especially enjoyed the hesitant camaraderie that developed between Haine and Maguri for some reason. I also found it interesting that, by the end, there was no longer a clear "villain" to hate.

>Enjoyment--------9

Do recommend.