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

The series is set in a high school (completely original setting). The series is based around 7 characters. These 7 characters are the top 7 students in the school and are known as Special A. The MMC who is no. 1, The FMC who is no.2, Hot Twin boy is no.3, Hot Twin Girl is no.4, Punching Bag is no. 5, Violent Tsundere is no. 6 and AnimaIIover69 is no. 7. Together they form the group known as Special A.

The story mostly revolves around the MMC and FMC (obviously). They have a rivalry going on. The FMC is trying super hard to beat the MMC but she fails every single time. The MMC on the other hand is in love with the FMC. You kinda have to feel bad despite his teasing he does try to show that he likes the FMC. But she is sadly suffering from density syndrome. Truly an epidemic in romcom main characters. The problem with there relationship is that its not really equal. The FMC despite being incredibly talented needs rescuing from the MMC multiple occasions. No wonder she can't beat him. Even then its really disappointing how she just loses all her charm just so the MMC can come in and save the day. Despite these negatives. I did like the comedy surrounding those two (albeit they over do it by making the same joke over and over again no. 2). Their romantic interactions were cute. In the much more later half of the series the FMC does help the MMC more and more. Its not enough but it does balance the relationship more. I also had an issue with there rivalry. It never ends. It got from being decent to being a mess. It feels less of a gimmick and more of a reason to make the characters more and more stupid. Honestly it was rather disappointing. Than their is the ending. Its the equivalent of Naruto not becoming Hokage or Luffy not finding the one piece. Thats some stupid ass shit.

The side characters as well are not all that better. Violent tsundere and Yahiro (Asshole as i will name him from now on.) Were both garbage characters. They constantly pulled the series down. By doing the one thing they are noticeable. Complete assholes. Holy shit. When will Japan learn that tsundere is the most garbage tier lazy ass piece of trope to ever exist. It is literally done to extend pointless drama and is just overall awful implementations in the series.

The story is not much better. Oh everything's resolved? let me add another love triangle, and another, and another. It wouldn't be problem if the character that were introduced didn't just fall from the sky (some literally).But also the fact that they are some of the boring generic characters man. They have no real personality. Its like the author picked there personalities out of a hat and then decided to remain the exact same for 11 volumes. Characters is incredibly small ways but not in any meaningful way. And definitely not enough to be satisfying.

I also don't like the main drama involving the grandfather. Its completely random for one thing. I don't just mean how its introduced but how its resolved too. Its like the author got too lazy to find a way to properly finish it and instead opted for those really bad twists instead that make no sense. Everything that gets resolved feels that way. To the characters personal story to outside interference that occur.

Another disappointing aspect was the flow of the series. Characters would just appear in places randomly, settings would change, straight up character personalities would change. All for an stylish artwork scene but it ruins it because the motivation and/or reason behind it is plastic. I took it for granted. The flow and continuity in a series. But now seeing such a massive mess its hard to believe I never noticed it before. This series is a joke and i hope the author's other works aren't as disappointing.

Overall im disappointied. This had so much potential. There were lighthearted kind moments in there all the time. Romantic interactions as well. But its such a complete fucking mess that i can't really recommend this to anyone. 3/10 bad manga

Well this was the first time I read a manga and idea was emerged from just coincidence (although I am pretty much into anime) So about Special A.

It has a kind of a feeling I get from Ouran as every character is formalized and steoretyped in one class of being exteremly diffrent (Every-Aspect-Perfect Kei, Hikari who is just tries and tries more, Tadashi who only responds to Food, Akira with a good taste and so on...) Manga was just really to much fun to read that in just one night I read all 34 chapters and now really anxious to get my hands on the next volume :)

Anyway I would recommend this to anyone who just at least enjoys a litte bit romance.

Special A is what truly portrays a story with a happy ending. Each and every well written character in the series was paired up with another character by the end. Also, how nice of the author to start off the story with two characters who are endlessly in the battle of love and triumph. The author also ends the story with these on going battle.

This story also went through how the paths in life aren't always limited to A and B. You are always entitled to the path that would bring you the most happiness if you truly desire for it. It also went through how love isn't an easy thing and that there are many levels/kinds of love.

As for the art of the series, it was amazing. The artist would do mini round headed stick figures to emphasize the scenes containing comedy was amazing. The character Kei and his will to "mass murder" anybody who dares to threaten is dear beloved Hikari was hilariously portrayed as well.

Overall, a great series it was. Containing not only two beautiful main characters but several of them. Past and present problems were resolved and what is left was a endless cycle of happiness for the future.

***Contains spoilers from the first few chapters***
(but no worries about ending spoilers. I haven't gotten there yet ^-^)

For me this series started out like a ton of other manga that I've read before. A highly skilled and well-rounded female character out to compete with the one person she can never defeat: the flawless bishonen who can do anything better than she can with little to no effort. Having recently read Kaichou wa Maid-sama in particular (yes I know which one was published first but that doesn't change the order in which I read them) I can see so many parallels and typical cliches that made me think that there was little point in reading the series.

Story (7): All my prejudices aside, I started reading the series anyways. For the most part I'd have to say that the storyline so far is pretty typical-- which isn't necessarily a bad thing. For shoujo manga lovers out there I'm pretty sure that this series would provide all those sweet and romantic moments of interest. In my opinion the storyline isn't anything special that would make me scream my approval of it. One thing that I will acknowledge though (spoiler ahead) is the moment when Hikari jumped in to protect Sui from danger. When Sui ran off looking for help I figured: "Oh great, the damsel in distress needs to get beaten up for her prince to save her." Needless to say I was pleased when that proved NOT to be the case. Thank goodness this mangaka can give her female characters a backbone of their own.

Art (8): The art is pretty standard shoujo stuff I guess. I think it's pretty decent considering when it was published. The drawings are good and neat but I don't think the character designs would particularly stand out from other manga I've read.

Character (7): I was torn between rating the characters up or down for awhile, particularly when thinking about Kei and Hikari. Even though they are the main characters of the series I feel that there's nothing special about them. They're just another simple manga couple. As I'd mentioned earlier I was grateful that the mangaka gave Hikari a backbone to defend herself. Likewise I'm glad that Akira, Hikari's female friend, also has a defined and independent personality, but other than that I don't feel anything amazing about the characters. Hikari's clueless traits towards Kei is typical and, quite frankly, I find more annoying than amusing.

Overall I think that this seems to be a pretty good, if not slightly overdone, series (8). The plot doesn't seem to be anything very original, but I found myself enjoying it nonetheless (9). I would recommend it for shoujo manga lovers looking for a good series involving romance, particularly since it is already complete (because the last thing anyone wants to do is wait a month for a suspenseful moment to end).

When I was younger, I absolutely loved this series. Hikari was tough but kind and Kei was the silent but cool type (aka, my type). Then as the years passed by, I reread it. And reread it again. And realized…meh. SA wasn’t as good as I thought it was. The first few volumes were enjoyable and I loved the relationship between all the SA members, especially Hikari and Kei. But everything sort of went downhill for me.

What essentially ruined my reading experience was Kei and Hikari’s relationship. Their relationship became too repetitive. They’d have a misunderstanding, then start to drift apart until their friends put them together through a certain situation (or they finally TALKED). Then Kei would sigh, fall to the ground with relief, and say some line like “I thought you hated me.” Then Hikari would reassure him that she didn't and they were back to normal once more. Until the situation happens AGAIN.

It really hurts me to say that Kei and Hikari’s relationship was the most boring relationship in all of SA. Their relationship when they were children was more interesting than their relationship as teenagers! Even the relationship between Tadashi’s puppet and Aoi were more interesting! Do you understand me? I’d rather read a whole chapter about the relationship between the Tadashi Puppet and Aoi!

Wait…was that a spoiler? Whatever, you guys don’t even know what I’m talking about unless you read it, in which case, it’s not a spoiler.

The series got a little better during the later volumes, but from there on, I was just trudging through the series just to finish it and see if my prediction for the ending was right. And yup…it was…*sigh.

Overall, SA had potential, but then it took the typical shoujo route.

One thing I’d like to point out is Minami’s drawing style. Early in the series, I loved her defined and sharp features, but as the story progressed, her style changed into a more “shoujo” style, which disappointed me. Her faces became rounder and her eyes became bigger. And the blushing. All the damn blushings.

However, there’s one thing that hasn’t died off from SA. And that’s the humor. Whenever I need a good light laugh, I just flip open any volume and can find at least three scenes to chuckle at. Good job with the humor…not so good job with the romance (between Kei and Hikari only. The other characters were fine. But it says a lot when I’m bored of the MAIN couple).

Special A, just Laying it out there on the outset, is really good. Not so typical of a shoujou manga where it concentrates solely on a romantic relationship development, it's refreshing in that it focusses more on maintaining the general bonds of friendship and creating the story line based on that.

Story 8/10:
The story, even though I'm currently only half way through, is captivating in that ridiculously addictive sort of a way, and, more surprising for a shojou manga, not as predictable as they are of wont to be. I like that particularly because there's nothing more annoying than knowing exactly how something is going to pan out for the next few chapters or so. The ongoing plot line has enough going on so that I don't want to go into any kind of mini-summaries in explanation for fear I might spend way too many paragraphs in the process.

Art 7/10:
Initially in scoring the art I was quite low, but thinking about it a little more I found that really, there hasn't been another manga where I have laughed so hard because of the art. Sure, it's not the cleanest, most attractive kind of art out there, and it's certainly not keeping to any consistent standard, but to me the humor stands out a whole lot more than the attractiveness of it, and this one gets a 10/10 for humorous art.

Characters 9/10:
Character development is good for most all characters. Background stories and individual character analysis' are thorough and interesting. As far the characters themselves go, the heroine is the standout (of course). She's ridiculously dense, which contributes and makes up a lot of the story line. The other characters are each of them unique enough from eachother and even from other shojou manga characters so that makes them genuinely likable and fun to read. Each character seems to have unique personality complexes that make for interesting plot twists here and there.

Overall 9/10:
Overall I rate this manga highly. It's enthralling and its different enough from your average shojou manga that the word cliche won't really surface. It's a great story about friendships that transcend the physical things such as social statuses or wealth, encouraging the kind of humility, loyaltly, and impartiality that is lacking in most every aspect of everything. Special A creates the most 'rolling on the floor laughing' moments than most any other manga Ive read. It's definitely a must read.

I picked up a copy of SA during a random manga buying spree, and I wasn't sure if I'd think much of it at the time, but it sounded interesting enough for me to give it a shot.

I am so relieved that I did. That was in February 2008, and now SA has become my favourite manga of all time. It starts off like your average shoujo, but as I read more I was just so surprised how much I enjoyed the story and characters. It's very well written, every chapter is entertaining and the re-read value is very high for me. Needless to say I've done so quite a few times. :) The more I read the more obsessed I get with this manga...!

I usually find it hard to get into shoujo manga... I'll read them, but the cliches and events that happen over and over again makes me feel like all these manga artists are just copying each other's plots in order to show off their art. The stories feel empty. SA was different for me. I feel like it strays from the norm of the main female quickly falling for the main male and that was what grabbed me. It isn't just that, though, SA is different in a number of ways. There's a lot of characters and Maki Minami eventually gives all of them attention, and they all get their own stories. I really enjoyed that. Instead of everything revolving around Hikari and Kei at all times, she offers a good balance of character spotlight.

As far as art goes, I really didn't like it at first. It certainly has its moments, but it's nothing gorgeous like, for example, Arina Tanemura can pull off. But to compensate, the story quality can't even be compared. I now have a soft spot for Minami's artwork because of how much I love SA, it doesn't need to be beautiful at all times. (though I'll admit I'm one of those people guilty of buying manga just for lovely artwork. xD)

And Hikari is just an awesome character for a shoujo heroine. She always cracks me up with how ridiculous she is, and that's part of why her relationship with Kei is so much fun. 8D

I'm really, highly enjoying SA right now, and am excited for future chapters to see what other dramatic events Minami can pull out of nowhere. ;D I'd recommend this manga (not so much the anime, the manga is much longer and much better in my opinion) who happens to like romance (for there's plenty to be had!) or just a really amusing story with characters that are easy to become attached to.

i watched the anime before the manga and i was surprised to read the manga

any way i love the story its like ouran and i also love ouran

STORY: basically its just a love story between a poor girl an a super rich guy

Hikari was a daughter of a carpenter. she was introduced to Kei, Kei is one of the most rich kid in Japan. Hikari always challenged Kei into match and it always have a bet on it an Hikari always lose but it never stop her.
Hikari followed Kei into high school, in a prestigous school were a class called Special A was formed it was only for the top 7 of the school and they can do anything they like. Kei is the top 1 while Hikari is the 2nd. they met a lot of friends their.

Ahahaha xD! It appalled me when I realized that I had not written a review for a manga that occupied 80% of my lonely high school life and also, introduced me to the world of manga.

Note: This review will contain personal bias xD

So I had grown up with anime as my sibling, but my entry into the world of reading manga came at a fairly later stage, aka, middle school to high school transition period. I had seen AMVs of this anime on youtube and decided to watch it and what do you know, I loved it. However, after learning it had a manga behind it, with ninety-nine chapters at that, I decided I had to read it.

I'm well aware that by this time, your normal shoujo category is saturated with over-the-top characters and the stereotypical 'Perverted-but-secretly-nice-and-terribly-perfect-good-looking-Prince-desu!" guy and your "AVERAGE" girl, who somehow ends up winning his heart and bla bla bla~

But SA is... different.
Different to me at least, because of the following (not exhaustive) points:

1. The female protagonist isn't a doki-doki idiot.
2. The guy falls in love at first.
3. The girl is so horribly dense that it's kinda frustrating but that's one of her most attractive traits (in the context of SA, at least)
4. The comedy is hilarious, tbh.
5. The storyline is unique compared to most other shoujo manga out there.

I'll keep my review rubric as short as possible:

Storyline: 10
I actually really really like the storyline. It's refreshing to see, even after all these years, a setting and atmosphere in SA that's different from your usual typical shoujo manga. I like the competition and Hikari's perennial death-wish to beat Kei in everything that happens. It's cute. SA is not supposed to be realistic, but more entertainment, and it pulls that off successfully.

Art: 10
I always find Minami Maki's art appealing to me, I don't know why, but I like it a lot. Maybe because it's slightly different from the style you see a lot around, these days. But it's like that for a few mangaka - you immediately recognize their art style on seeing just a single panel even though there's no caption to indicate what manga it is and from who. Minami Maki's one of those artists.

Characters: 10
These days I'm highly picky. During my high school days I used to be liberal in watching and reading whatever I could and hell, I'll admit that shoujo used to be "THE" thing for me because... hey, I was 15 and wanted to have a high school life as entertaining as these female protagonists I kept reading about. Since I'm really choosy in what I watch and read these days, I make it a point to only give a try to those things that I find TRULY worth it. However with SA, though having read it years ago, I still feel that the characters are honestly some of the most entertaining people in manga ever. I don't want to dig too deep into how realistic it is, because SA is not supposed to be realistic! Hikari, Kei and the others are all truly colorful, hilarious and MASSIVELY entertaining.

Overall: 10
For me this manga brings back a lot of nostalgia. Not only did I enjoy it a lot but it made me appreciate the work that goes into making a story using pen, ink and paper and a lot of effort and time. I have a LOT of personal bias in saying I love this anime, but hey, who doesn't? In SA, you have ninety-nine chapters of entertainment to get through and it does a GOOD job of keeping you busy and engaged. Also since it's slice-of-life, shoujo and mostly just pure fun, you can go back years later and read it all again from scratch and STILL enjoy it. You know what? I think I'm going to read it again now.

Thank you for reading!

Special A is truly something of a treat for readers of all genres. Since I'm more of a shoujo reader, I'm going to focus on that aspect, but it's kind of impossible to not point out the outrageous humor which laces every single panel of SA.
Most importantly, this story couldn’t possibly have ran for 99 chapters like it did if it were JUST about two people falling love, no matter HOW dense one party was portrayed. So while the various romances which keep popping up are significant in keeping the story light, more pressing adolescent issues and elements are dealt with as well, lending this hilarious tale depth and longevity.

The story starts out slow for our lead couple, because even though it's painfully obvious to the entire class, Hikari, our very intensely competitive and considerate to a fault heroine, is dense about Kei's intentions. While Kei constantly keeps her on her toes often labeling her Miss Rank Two and challenging her to make her do as he wishes all the time, he is very sweet and besotted to an adorable degree with her pigheadedness. After clearly confessing his emotions at least three times over, Hikari finally gets the point even though this journey of “when-will-she?!” is tantalizingly played out, with Kei's dreamy eyelashes always making your breath catch. Their further journey is perhaps more comical with Hikari being awkward at intimacy and Kei playfully overt about it, chasing her about and taking on Akira's equally outspoken affection for "her angel".

That brings me to another point. I personally loved Akira's relationship with Hikari and her personality towards girls the most. Who wouldn’t want to be molly coddled by an onee-sama type character who is an excellent cook, kicks some major boy-ass, and it always the firs to jump to your rescue! It's so novel and vitalizing to the entire plot. As are the other SA members, each of whom gets plenty of panel space to themselves and their respective lives. You realize that even though a girl is so confident and talented, and constantly beating up the carefree nature freak, she still hesitates to confess her feelings because she is capable of the most shoujo of traits, vulnerability. While all stereotypes are cheerfully mocked in this story, none of the aggravating ones are explored such as weepy females, overbearing bishies or trite misunderstandings clearing up within the volume.

Friendship, cementing old ones and forging new ones, is another area which Special A specializes in. Every possible kind of relationship is exhibited in this series, which almost always culminates into romance. But each starts off as an awkward and inimitable bond between two characters which gradually matures and strengthens as they face trials and tribulations together and become somewhat symbiotic later on. Be it the confidante/blossoming love between Megumi and Yahiro, the tempestuous (and somewhat abusive!) bond labeled “love” between Akira and Tadashi, the unlikely friendship Ryuu strikes up with Finn, the ambiguously reverent bond Kei shares with Aoi… I could go on and on! Special A excels in making each such relationship rich and multilayered, leaving no aspect shallow or unexplored.

The art oh the art! It's splendid! While the mangaka was probably saving time by drawing stick figures and round headed matchstick men, I think I like those geometrically challenged species so much more than the dreamy Kei and Hikari sketches. They're friggin' hilarious! The poses they constantly strike and the action sequences which are liberally sprinkled across each chapter really make you want to devour them as soon as possible, but to relish them slowly at the same time. Characters sometimes have little internal monologues which verge on slapstick and you have no choice but to break into a guffaw when Hikari competes with Kei on who can be the most romantic and gets one upped each time! (Warning to easily moved readers: Kei may not look it, but he is THEE most romantic, devoted, besotted, gentle and tempting boyfriend on the planet!)

Expressions: Yes, expressions in Special A warrants a whole separate category from Art, because part of the reason SA is as big as it is, lies in the rip roaring, fall-off-your-chair, hit-your-head-hard, realize-your-pants-are-wet-coz-you-laughed-so-hard, but-continue-shaking-in-mirth-anyway, expressions that Minami Maki is so gifted at sketching! Each expression is unique, evokes an intense reaction from the reader and is completely tailor made for the scene’s atmosphere, which makes the re-reading factor for SA skyrocket.

While it's obvious the mangaka has given us well chalked out characters, I do wish Hikari could have had her way once in a while, and win at something from Kei! That girl is relentless in her pursuit even though she knows the outcome each time! Each and every such small feature in this story makes you want to read it over and over again. A definite 10!