Ao Haru Ride

This is my very first review, so i'm very sorry if it's not so good :)


When i started reading Ao Haru Ride, my expectations were very high since i LOVED the mangaka Io Sakisaka's previous manga. However Ao Haru Ride still succed to reach my expectations, yeah maybe even more than that. Note: I only read the 11 chapters that can be found on the internet.


Story: 9


I really like the story. I started to read this manga because i wanted a good shojo and that's exactly what i got. The story starts out with showing the past of our two min characters, Futaba & Kou. Futaba dislikes guys, but she likes Tanaka kou (Tanaka-kun) , he is different to her. Kou also likes Futaba, but overhears her saying she dislikes all boys, and things get difficult. soon after this, Tanaka suddenly transfers to another school and disappears out of Futabas life.

Then we jump forward to 15 year old Futaba whos in high school. Her personality is very much different from the innocent cute girl we saw at first; the reason for this change is that Futabas friends started to dislike her for being cute and taking all the attention from the boys. As a given, Futaba soon meets Tanaka-kun, however he looks different and acks like a totally jerk. And he even changed name to Mabuchi Kou.

I like the story pretty much, since it's a typical shojo story, but not in a bad way. You won't get the "meeeh..." feeling while reading this. If you like Shoujo, there is no way you won't love this.


Art: 10

Io Sakisaka's art is ADOREABLE. I LOVE IT SO MUCH. really, it's just so pretty, shiney-shiney, fluffy and cute without being the usally shojo-style. Io Sakisaka haves her very own beautiful and remarkable drawing style.

Character: 8


The Characters is fine, i specially like our Main hero. Our main heroine, Futaba, is pretty standard shojo girl, She's not too plain and very likeable. At first she's trying to be all un-cutey and such, to make "friends" but soon realizes that she can't go on like that. She manages to make new friends, but is still the lively, not-so-cute girl, but in a way she developed a little. Next time where she develope, -- and this is what make her VERY likeable to me -- is when she realizes she loves - and want to be Kous girlfriend. I can't say WHY this is so special, but read the manga and you will understand, since you will surely think "Oh no.. not this type of manga.. dont tell me she.. oh.. she didn't. YAY!"

I find Kou very interesting. He's not this typical emo-like guy, but he also hides some troublesome past behind him. Everytime i read a chapter, i just want to know more about Kou.


Enjoyment: 10

I enjoyed this manga very much. I looked for a good shojo, and i sure found one! It's also have good comedy in it and good moments between our main characters which just makes you go "Kyaaaa~" (And the art i so pretty too, it's just perfect)

Overall: 10 . I might overrated it a bit, but im just so in love with this manga, i decided to give it 10. And i will recommend this manga to ALL shojo-lovers. Read it!

lets startup

The story was good with many cliche shoujo moments, the MCs killed the story for me in this case, Futaba Yoshioka the main Character said some words something along the lines of she'll never kiss someone without loving them, this was around the 12th episode of the anime for anime watchers, well (Spoilers) guess what she does a few chapters later, After a misunderstanding she sees Kou Mabuchi with his ex-girlfriend, guess what happens, Touma Kikuchi happens, the story goes downhill from that moment onward and only tries to climb-up again but it fails to do so in my opinion.

the art was cute

I like most of the Characters, hated a few including the female protagonist.

overall it was good 53 chapters, thought (spoilers)........... I wish Futaba*Touma never happened.

I'm a huge fan of Sakisaka Io's work. There was no doubt in my mind that this was going to be an enjoyable read. The story starts out with a prologue of main character Yoshioka Futaba's life in middle school. Blah blah da da things happen and BAM! She's isolated from the girls in her class. Now in high school, she wants to change her cute, boy-attracting self and gain girl friends. She reunites with her middle school crush Tanaka Kou,(whose name is now Mabuchi Kou) but he's a big as- jerk now. The story was going great, it was flowing nicely,but it has started to shift into completely different story line. Because of that, it got a 7. As long as it doesn't continue to shift, it should be an interesting story.

The art, as always, is beautiful. I'm a picky person, so not many art styles please me. I especially like the fact that the eyes don't take up half the face. It's an 8 for me.

The characters are pretty interesting. The main girl doesn't just sit there and cry all the time and she's getting pretty good at standing up for herself. The main male is my favorite character in the story so far. You barely know anything about him,but he's probably the only thing left in the beginning part of the series(that's relevant to the future parts). He's not the nicest guy, but not many people go for the nice guy now do they? The supporting characters help complete the story. Anything that could be missing from the story, they help add in. I'm interested to see the situations they create. Characters are a 9.

As I stated earlier, I'm a fan of Sakisaka Io and her works. She creates stories where you cannot help picturing your own ending to the stories. She leaves room for imagination which makes the story 10000Xs better. Enjoyment is an 8.

Overall this story has a lot of potential. It's only at ten chapters right now so it can go either way. Hopefully the story stays fresh and upbeat. I recommend everyone to read this, I have a good feeling about this one. Right now..it's an 8.

Only rarely do I ever write reviews, but this manga was simply amazing and I want everyone to know about how great it was. So as much as I dislike writing, I'm forcing myself to do this. First, I'm not sure if I qualify to rate shoujo mangas yet because I don't think I've read very many, but I have watched numerous anime series, a myriad of movies, several books, and an ample amount of manga series. So in the large scale, I'm good enough.

The story of the manga isn't too special but it is very realistic. It's not about some girl--out of some bullsh*t necessity--living in some bishounen's apartment/house. Or merely popular bishounen who randomly falls in love with an average female protagonist. Or whatever other incredibly typical storylines of mangas/animes are. Instead, it's a relatively simple and realistic story. The story's very slow-paced, nothing's ever random or surprising, but still very exciting. Bishounens also don't pop up out of f*cking nowhere, who claims to have had a crush on the female protagonist a long time ago, forming a love triangle and then randomly disappears when not needed (I can't help myself but to compare this manga with the last manga I read: L-DK).

In comparison to other shoujo mangas, the art is well done. Though unoriginal, the art fits with the genre and it doesn't at all interfere with my overall enjoyment of the manga. The manga did have a hint of originality though (I have a thing for originality and uniqueness).

Unlike many other mangas and animes, the characters aren't defined by the whispers of others. That is, whispers about how amazing, weird, or beautiful the characters are. None of the characters are introduced that way. The characters actually HAVE character. I'm able to understand all the characters, and they're all very likeable. More than two main characters are present; the manga has many other loveable characters, making it not just about romance, but also about friendship. The friendship of the main characters have a really beautiful bond and it's just very pleasurable to read/see. Again, to compare this shoujo with others, the female protagonist isn't some dumba$$, her feelings and little goals and desires make her relatable and fun to watch.

OVERALL, the manga stayed more on the realistic side, but despite that, it still manages to be really cute and exciting. Though it's not a masterpiece, Ao Haru Ride is easily my 3rd favorite shoujo manga/anime yet (after Bokura ga Ita and NANA).

I just finished Ao Haru Ride (Blue Sky Ride) and it was... ok. I expected more from an 8.3 and found it very bland.

Characters: 6.5/10
-Protagonist: Protagonist is fairly interesting and acts for the most part logically. Doesn't fit into any of the "dere" molds which is nice. She has clearly defined goals and motivations and the story is mostly about her trying to move on from one thing or another. However she doesn't really have a backbone and just takes LIA's bullshit for most of the series. Because love. (8/10 Protag.)
-Love Interest A (LIA): An absolute ponce. A bipolar twat of truly epic proportions and the reason for almost every gripe I have with this manga. This manga would be a 9/10 if he weren't Love Interest A, for LIA always gets the girl in these and this is no different. Would have been a great story if it focused on LIA learning a painful lesson about self doubt and being too late. Letting people slip away. Jeeze. (3/10 LIA)
-Love Interest B (LIB): Classic LIB, perfect guy in every way, loves unconditionally, but doomed to fail. Interactions with protag. are genuinely touching and its nice to read with a character that doesn't beat around the bush and just blatantly says the shit that needs to be said. A bit boring though, not really much else to the character. (7/10 LIB)

Plot: 7/10
Classic highschool setting. Nothing too fancy. No notable subplots and the entirety of the focus is on character interactions. No new ground tread, but its decently written.

Art: 6/10
Unassuming, uninspired. Nothing to write home about.

Final thoughts: Just, ok. Had potential but marred by LIA. Seriously thought, "This would get so much better if LIA was brutally killed right now" about 5 chapters from the end.

6.5/10 Better things out there.

I was so moved by this manga that I actually gave a fuck to write a review about it. I'm going to try to make this spoil free as possible so don't worry, after reading this review you'll still be able to completely read the manga without disappointment. Now let's begin.

Now for Shoujo romance set in high school. This whole boy falls in love with girl, but boy is too much off a pussy to confess to girl love complex cliche is repetitive to no end, but this certain manga adds a little twist so don't fret just yet. The main grill in this manga Futaba actually pursues the main male character Kou. So right off the bat you already know she wants the D. That right there already should be a sign that this is going to be heat. There are scenes in this manga that literately put me to tears. Now, nothing in my whole anime career has ever put me to cry like a LITTLE BITCH, but Ao Haru Ride wins this one. I broke down into tears (several times). There are also heart wrenching scenes that actually made me contemplate my own life decisions. When the manga hits you that hard, you know this shit's good. There are some cliches in this, tbh there actually cute cliches, not annoying cute but something as light as facial expressions, reactions, thoughts, and awkward situations. Those are the real hitters right there, those are the ones that get you hooked into this.

Let's be honest fam, the art of this manga is 11/10 when it comes to comparing other Shoujo manga's. I mean you look at something like Skip Beat, Orange, Horimiya and the characters faces look like a fucking CANNOLI! You look at the facial expressions of Ao Haru Ride and you just contemplate right there how you will never be as good looking as a drawn manga character in your entire life. So basically the art of this manga just GG'd every Shoujo manga out there for the most part. Jokes aside, this manga's art is down right fucking gorgeous.

Let's discuss these characters, I don't wanna spoil anything here so i'm going to be pretty general. The love between Futaba and Kou is so god damn cute bruh, like fuck. Why can't real life love be this good. Each character adds plot twists that will leave you mind-blown, the supporting characters also add suspense and little side-story's during the story. Majority of the time the manga is centered on just both Kou and Futaba. That's all i'm going to say about the characters.

Enjoyement, well considering this manga made me contemplate my life, made me crash into tears, and even made me contemplate actual REAL LIFE ROMANCE. I enjoyed this manga maybe a little too much.

Overall, 10/10 this manga is brilliant. I've read several Shoujo's and Slice of Life's but none are even on the same leverage as this piece. I loved every single moment of it. I know this review was a little flamboyant, vulgar, and excessive but there's no other way I can describe how great this experience is. Do your life a favor and read Ao Haru Ride.

Do not be fooled, my fellow Shoujo lovers--this is a refreshing manga.

The theme of "change", "love", and "friendship" have been the cornerstone for shoujo manga. In actuality, it's been repeated for so many times that the essence and beauty has lost its click. Things become cliche and repetitive, that it sends me to a rampage. Although this manga holds these overused themes, it stands out for me.

One mistake a person could make is judging a manga before they could thoroughly understand it. Let's say you've only read three chapters of it; will you judge it then? Neglecting the fact that the characters and the story can develop, you may miss the chance of reading a heart wrenching and emotionally moving manga.

Don't get me wrong, the plot is a generic shoujo manga. A girl who was bullied in the past wants to fit in, so she completely changes herself as a person--but then she finds out that the change that she has obtained never brought her true happiness or satisfaction. Then a boy comes in and shoves some sense into her brain...story continues and they find out that they depend on each other.blablabla they make friends. What makes this manga stands out is how it approaches these situations differently.

The author makes a point on how there is no meaning in a person's life if they don't treasure the relationship with another human being. This opens a door to AMAZING character development, and it really makes a person feel personally connected with each character. The repetitive idea in this manga is "change", the characters want to change, but the great thing is that, they were able to change because they had friends that helped them do so.


I think this manga brings a new breathe of fresh air to overused themes. The romance is cute, the theme is wonderfully established, and the art is awesome. Oh gosh, if you just want a good read. Read this. I wouldn't go as far as to say it's a masterpiece, but for sure this is a really good manga. :)

THIS. Is adorable.

I've only read the first three chapters that can be found online, but since there isn't a review about it and I'm pretty fond of those 3 chapters I've read, I was like. What the heck, let's write a review.

I must note that I do recommend reading the manga, even though my summary of the story may sound like I despise it. Because, you see, sometimes when I talk about things I like I feel like I must point out what bothered me about it, as a warning. I think it's important.

So, the story goes like this: Futaba used to hate boys, except for Tanaka Kou-kun whom she's been in love with at some time period back in middle school. He liked her too, blah blah. Then he overheard her yelling at someone that she hates boys, he misunderstood her and magically disappeared.
Futaba is also disliked by her girly classmates because she's cute. Oh god, why are girls evil?
Afraid of being alone, she changes her personality and eats tons of bread so guys will think she's gross and her friends will stay by her side!
Wait, now there's a twist! Kou, whose parents' are divorced now (so he changed his last name to Mabuchi), is back! And he's a jerk. Do not fear though, he's just... unexplained. Yet. I hope it won't turn out to the "I couldn't forget about you, so seeing you eating all this bread, I… I had to make you miserable".
The plot loses its point throughout those chapters. I'll tell you why, even though it's a little bit of a spoiler; she gets over her "I can't be cute because then girls will hate me" complex somewhere in the middle of episode 3.
I get it, she's afraid of being alone, and then you came to your senses but please, show me a more reasonable progress. It's her bloody friends, even if they're idiots. Mourn about the loss and the pain of leaving your comfy position; I want to see you suffer more.
Despite it all, it's a fun story. Those who are fond of the genre will definitely find what they're looking for.
I would have given it a 7.5, but I can't, so it's a 7. Life's a bitch.

I love the art, it's so… fluffy and cute, reminds me a bit of a shoujo-ai drawing only with, well, male characters. It's very light, with many whites and nice shadows, not too dark. I love the lines and the characters' design; they don't look like they're going to stake you with their chin. Not sketchy, easy to understand what is going on in every panel. Also, the mangaka seems to know how to color, which is fun and important to me.
Art gets an 8. It's not the best, but it's good.

The characters; I'd give it a 7. They are not developed enough yet (only episode 3, duh), so maybe I'll change my mind about it later. So far they're okay. Futaba is easy to understand, and well, the bitchy girls around her are reasonable. I'd punch them none the less, but at least they are not a stupid bully or anything, just very stereotypically shallow. The main guy's a jerk, but in real life all the guys I seemed to like were either jerks or idiots, so I guess I like him as well. Who wouldn't want to change the bad boy blah blah girly fantasies, anyone? BESIDES, in his middle-school times he reminds me of Kazehaya from Kimi Ni Todoke, and damn, I love Kazehaya.
Oh yeah, back to the main girl; she's likeable. She's afraid of being alone so she took it to the extreme, and she's very naïve and stupid, but I like her because she works; and I can relate, and I feel like hugging her at times.
There are also two more girly female characters, my guess they're going to be her new friends or something; one is all cute, the other is a lone wolf.

Despite its flaws I think it can develop into something really good. I usually only read romantic stuff, so I'm very picky with my ratings. The story in Ao Haru Ride is decent, the art is good, and the characters are okay – what more can I ask for? (More published chapters that is)
It gives me a nice feel reading it, and that's an important thing in the genre. You must know it, when something good happens you get that warm feeling in your tummy, like falling in love or something? That's what I like about romantic manga; how it makes me all happy or sad or emotional. I felt pretty good after reading it, happy and joyful and I'm definitely going to continue reading this, so – give it a shot, you can go and read something else if you don't like it.

(Enjoyment's an 8 btw. Overall 7)

Started well with the main leads romance, but then it turned into many unrequited loves and love triangles with various characters. The two leads liked each other, but many, many things interfere for them to be together. Early on, I was rooting for the leads, but after a while I stopped rooting for any couple pairings. The male lead had a chance to be with the female lead several times, but he rejected her for different reason. He finally acted after the female lead had a boyfriend. As for the female lead, she only agreed to having a boyfriend for convince. She liked the male lead in middle school, and like him again in high school. However, she immediately dated the first guy to ask her out and was forcing herself to like him. In other words, the boyfriend is like a rebound boyfriend, without having a boyfriend before. Yet, with a boyfriend she was flirting and sometimes acting lovey-dovy with the male lead. As for the boyfriend, she told him he had feelings for the male lead, and he saw it himself. It did not matter to him, so he still wanted to go out with her. So, he should not have been angry or surprised of how she was acting, but he did. The character I probably like after a while might have been Aya.

Story 6/10

Because I got really frustrated with the push and pull on the love story of the characters. For me it's too much. The start of the manga was really good but the latter part is very tiring. If Narumi wasn't included in the story, I think it will be great.


Art 9/10

The art is good.


Character 7/10

I'm mostly frustrated with Kou's character development especially in the latter part of the story.


Enjoyment 7/10

Maybe if I didn't feel frustrated with the "love triangle" I will enjoy this story more.


Overall 7/10

I still enjoy it somehow and didn't jump to the ending out of frustration. Hahaha

I have to say, I'm slightly disappointed with this manga.
I can see it is a very popular manga and shoujo manga readers are head over heels with this one, but I just can't understand why.
Don't get me wrong. I'm a fan of Io sensei's previous work (eg.Strobe Edge) as she usually takes shoujo elements and wraps it up into a nice meaningful story.

STORY
The mangaka starts by setting a strong foundation in this manga: catchy plot, interesting and lovable characters and some good slapstick comedy.
All is well until the main characters start doing idiotic things without explaining themselves properly. It's like "Ok, you did that. I don't agree but can you at least have a good excuse to do it? wtf"
There were a lot of unnecessary and cliché things done in order to drag the story.
Then the course of events goes from those situations onwards in a very unrealistic way. It feels as they shoot themselves in the foot and then try to make up for the mess by doing something far-fetched from reality.

ART
The art style is a strong quality of Io sensei. I would like to see more mature-looking heroines in the future, though. Usually, they look a little bit child-like compared to the male main characters.

CHARACTERS
There's some good character development in the beginning.The main characters' issues are relatable.
It all goes in vain as the story progresses. Io sensei really makes us believe that these characters are different from the vulgar shoujo characters by adding some unusual features to them. However, in the end, they end up doing the most predictable things and it is pretty disappointing.
Also, I don't understand the need for a love triangle. It is just there to fill a gap I guess. I wish the mangaka would have conveyed more meaning to it. Perhaps, she should have explored the unrequited love theme and the codependent relationships that unfortunately do exist in real life.
There's very little character development for the supporting cast, but in the rare moments that it does occur, I do appreciate it.

ENJOYMENT
I had pretty high expectations in the beginning. I think part of the enjoyment I once had faded away a little. I can't feel that much empathy as I used to for the characters as well. I still think it is a good story that catches your attention right away but I did get dissatisfied in the end.

Well, it is still an on-going manga so who knows?

Overall: 7/10

When I found this anime I didn't know that I was going to like it as much as I did. I really like romance anime/manga but I didn't think that this one would be ranked as high as it was. I fell in love this this anime and manga from the beginning. I watched the anime within a two day window, which is pretty good for a high school student, and I read the manga in 3-4 days. I was blown away! The manga had me clinging to every word, just waiting for the next chapter. I'm so excited for chapter 46 to come out that I can barely sit still anymore. I think I'll probably go insane if I don't get Ao Haru Ride merchandise sometime in the near future. I think this is the most I've ever loved an anime or manga in my entire life and when it ends I think I'm going to cry.

Since in the beginning, I was also a sucker for romance animes, specifically high school romance. This anime really connected to my liking. The characters were so interesting and unique. It was pretty stereotypical but character development was really a huge focus.
In the beginning I really couldn't keep my eyes to read it, I didn't pay much attention till I really started to try. And I honestly couldn't stop. The main character was amazing, she wasn't annoying and she wasn't dumb. She was such a normal girl with so many lovely qualities. I also enjoy seeing a rival in the picture and I couldn't stop reading. This manga really taught a lot of things about friendship and love.
It was a bit aggravating at first, considering the male lead was very irritating. The way he was acting but those who enjoy guys who are cold but deep down sweet, then this is the anime for you.
The story was also so unique but very plain. And I loved it so much. So many pulls in the heartstrings, a few plot twists. And this manga was so good at distancing the relationship time frame. Some animes/mangas make the main characters fall in love to quickly but this manga focused on struggles and wonder "will they fall in love in the end"?
I highly recommend this manga if you love school romances, drama and friendship makeovers. it's well worth to watch considering the pull of the heartstrings, the lessons throughout the story. The heartbreaks and crushes were placed accordingly and didn't make the story sound confusing or annoying. This manga is my favorite and I had so much enjoyment reading it :)

Refreshing take on a typical shoujo manga! Amazing characters, character development and beautiful art!

The story is quite ordinary: high school girl trying to fit in and get together with her crush, lots of love triangles. What's different is that it goes the extra step to have significant character development and proper communication between characters. The atmosphere in general is a little more mature and dips its toes into darker themes such as grief and depression. The ending is satisfying.

I loved the protagonist. She may seem like a cliche shoujo girl, but she's actually very self-aware, honest and down to earth. All the characters are likable and Sakisaka makes a point to showcase why they do the things that they do.

Literally the only con I can think of is that the middle of the story drags on a little. Overall, a great read. 10/10 recommend!

So this is a very updated review that I'm making since this manga is now complete.

Story: 7/10 - I really loved how the started off the manga. The plot was slightly cliche but was pretty decent. Like how they built up Kou's character to finally reveal his sad backstory. But in the later arcs, I feel as if the whole "love triangle" ordeal was a bit too much. It had pointless drama and the drastic character change in Kou towards the later chapters of the manga felt forced. So forced & drastic I didn't even think that was actually his character. I felt like the author was just throwing random details to try and wrap up the end. Which is a shame because I felt like it could have been something significantly better.

Art: 8/10 - I really love the art style of the characters and how everyone had distinct features. Overall very eye pleasing.

Character: 7/10 - I'd say all the main characters and main supporting characters had some decency. The personalities weren't too bland.

Kou obviously being the asshole of the manga (in the beginning) has very nice development. He was probably the character with the most depth and had the most development. But his drastic change throw me off. It was nice to see a sweeter side to him, but there was literally no gradual transition. Just a "oh, yea, he's such a sappy sweetheart now" It looked like the author was running out of ideas.

Futaba was annoying at times with her almost winy personality. Her character hardly changes except after her fake friends ditch her after the first couple chapters. But the bond between her and Kou is quite pleasant minus all the stupid love triangle jazz.

Now to the friends AKA the supporting Characters.

Yuuri was the sweet innocent type, and her overall character never changes and her personality is pretty typical in a shoujo. Not saying it's necessary a bad thing, but she has no depth.

Murao was the quiet, caring type. She's very straightforward and had good head on her shoulders.
[the next part is a spoiler--skip if you don't want to know]

It's revealed later on that she really likes Kou's older brother, who is a teacher at the school, and they go in a backstory of her and him. It was nice to see how her feelings for him grew and intensified throughout the story. But it was also sad to see her confess and then get rejected. I appreciated her character.

[end of spoiler]

Kominato is that blunt yet very caring guy who you could just have a great time with. He has slight development later in the series, but he's the typical "go to man" for Kou. Not really a spoiler since it states it in his description, but he's in love with Murao, which adds for future tension in the manga.

And now for Kou's brother, Tanaka Sensei. He's a big ball of joy who really cares for his little brother. There really isn't much to say without really spoiling too much (I mean the last chapter of the manga). Pretty average character overall.

Enjoyment: 8/10 - Regardless of my opinion on the plot and characters, I did really enjoy this series. As soon as I saw the first episode of the anime in July, I had to know the secrets that Kou was hiding! So I picked up the manga and fell in love.

I wish my enjoyment level was higher, but due to the obvious things I pointed out, I don't think it's possible. But on a side note, I really loved the last chapter, even though it was obvious, I felt like the very last pages of the chapters were symbolic to the entire manga.

Overall: 7/10 - I know this is probably an unpopular rating, but I really did enjoy this manga. I do suggest that if you do like shoujo, to read this one! It's definitely a good manga to pick up if you're new to the genre :)

I m actually choosy when it comes to reading good manga specifically shojos, not that i'm not a fan of it, I like it but I want to read some unique ones which have their own style of showing and I believe Ao haru ride is one of them.

It caught my and my sister's eye right from the first chapter, where we were introduced to a guy call Kou with a quite personality yet appealing and Futaba clumsy, funny, yet honest who was trying to cope up with her high schoolers. We get to see their past where they liked each other but did'nt get their feelings across and suddenly they meet after some time and that's where the story starts...
Although this story also has the same high school setting: Love,friends,rival, school events and all but..how should I say its shown in a very carefree way.What I really like about this manga is that everything is shown so naturally, the author doesn't imposes too much forced or overused drama like it other mangas. You can't help but feel good and nostalgic while reading it and the light hearted Art says it all.
Almost all characters are good they have their own unique aura to them. Everyone Kou,Futaba and their group have all grown since the first chapter especially Kou and you'll be able to symphatize with them too.My fav ones are Kou. He's cute, reserved but funny in his own way. Futaba ,she actually cheerful and not over emotional like the other shojo heroines and Touma too he' s also cool and interesting.Another thing I like about is the art its refreshing and has its own style even the small details are cute. Credit to Sakisaka Io.

The pacing of the story is good although it may get a bit irritating at times but its a good read for those looking for a good romance shojo. And one more thing I and my sister say after reading it: THIS SHOULD DEFINITELY BECOME AN ANIME ASAP.

This manga made an incredibly good first impression on me. As it went on, I ended up finding it ordinary, a pretty good read overall, but nothing that special to it.

The first chapters are about how to fit in. It is a theme that I relate a lot to, so I'm quite biased about it. Truth is, it is a very overdone theme in mangas, and especially in shoujos - Kimi ni todoke or the likes - and has been done in a more in-depth manner - for example OreGairu.
What struck me about Ao Haru Ride is that the viewpoint was subtly different and realistic. The main character doesn't have a major lack of social skills, she's just looking for the right way to make friends. So at first, she adapts her outfit and her behavior to what would please the other girls in her class, but ends up realising that it isn't the best way, creating only superficial relationships that way.

But that only takes the few first chapters of the 49 in total. The rest is a romance, which is after all what you'd expect.

The romance had potential. The male protagonist is quite interesting in himself, mysterious, with a trauma to overcome. But the manga doesn't make the best use of him, in my opinion. The build up around his character is forgotten quickly to focus on the usual tricks to drag on the story. From the first chapter, we know that the two main characters are in love with each other, and they can't stop missing the timing to find each other.

I liked the art. The characters have all these cute moments that made me fond of them, making me carry on even through the parts of the story that didn't appeal to me that much.

Overall I would still recommend the read. It has some very good ideas, and the first chapters are worth it. The story, though, will not surprise the readers familiar with the genre.

I first watched the anime and really enjoyed it. I decided I was satisfied with how the first season ended that I wanted to read the manga. It was wonderful. It wasn't like a lot of romance manga's that you read. It was unique.

Story: 9
Spoiler
I loved how Futaba dated Touma for awhile and were able to see the jealousy and true feelings of Kou. It's uncommon in anime for you to root for both the main character and a side character to win the heart of the female protagonist.

The build up to their relationship was the best part of the whole show. It made me want more and more. I couldn't stop after each chapter. Someone had to pull my phone away from me to make me stop reading. Each chapter ended with me wanting more.

I also really enjoyed that it was more than just about Kou and Futaba. It showed the relationship between each character and how they interacted with one another. The character development was one of the reason why this manga was so fun to read, which I will talk more about it a second.

Art:7
The art was nice, but it wasn't anything special. The characters did have their own unique look though. If you shaved all the characters bald, you could still tell which character was which.

Characters: 9
The Characters in Ao Haru Ride were one of the best parts of the whole manga. Each character developed into something more amazing, not just the two main characters. You watched each character grow and showed a story for each one. like the relationship between Murao and Tanaka. I was just as interested in them then Kou and Futaba.

You have an opinion about each character, whether it is good or bad. That is what I like about this manga. I care for each character and want to know what happens next in their story.

Enjoyment: 10
Like I said, people had to take my phone away from me. I was so drawn into the story and the characters, I had such a hard time putting it down. I felt sympathy for each of the characters every time something went wrong and I felt happy when something went right.

Overall: 9
It was a very fun and unique manga to read and I really hope they continue the anime because I would love to see it in full animation!

Right off the bat, I will state that the anime covered the good parts of the manga (Chapters 1-15). That season was a wonderful & adorable exploration of Futaba meeting the rest of the cast and finding out what she really wants out of life.

If I were to give ratings for sections of the manga: Chapters 1-15 are 8/10. Everything after that is 5/10. I will explain why below the break.

POTENTIAL SPOILERS BELOW - I did my best to vaguely word things to avoid overt spoilers, but touching upon elements of the later plot are important to understand my views on this manga.




Just a few chapters beyond where the anime leaves off, I no longer felt a sense of enjoyment when reading. Instead, I felt disappointment in the story's direction and anger at how hard it was indulging in some of shoujo romance's most annoying tropes - NTR (twice!), the love interest going extra dark-and-moody, failures to communicate, and just all in all unnecessary drama.

I forced myself to read to the end to get some closure for the gang of idiots I fell in love with while watching the anime, but even the end left me wanting.

It is not Usagi Drop levels of "the story going downhill and losing what made the first part so appealing," but all the same, for those of you who loved the heartfelt fun, goofy antics, and light drama of the anime and are considering reading the manga, you should pass on it and just imagine a happier, less convoluted ending.

I watch many shoujo, and all has the same history.
This manga change my mind completly about the shoujo.
Is a different story, with different characters.
They are evolving.

I am impress, cause is the first time that I really love a manga like this.
Have a nice story, and is funny as well, then all change, and you could start to cry suddenly.

This manga is like an open door. Many time talks about her/his feelings, but as well, talk about how the feelings change at the person, and make it stronger.

An manga, that till' now, worth it read it.