Manga-ka: Aya Nakahara
Publisher: Viz Media
Rating: Teen (13+)
Release Date: July 2007

Synopsis: “Risa Koizumi is the tallest girl in class, and the last thing she wants is the humiliation of standing next to Atsushi Ôtani, the shortest guy. Fate and the whole school have other ideas, and the two find themselves cast as the unwilling stars of a bizarre romantic comedy duo. Rather than bow to the inevitable, Risa and Atsushi join forces to pursue their true objects of affection. But will their budding friendship become something more complex?”

Above average in height, Risa Koizumi wonders if she’ll ever be able to enjoy the normalcy of an average stature. The only one who seems to understand her is Atsushi Otani, the shortest boy in their class. Seeing worlds from different views, and arguing on nearly every one, the two manage to come to an agreement when being in love is involved – as long as it’s not with each other.

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Manga-ka: Taeko Watanabe
Publisher: Viz Media
Rating: Older Teen (16+)
Release Date: June 2006

Synopsis: “Sei devotes herself to becoming an ideal bushi, or warrior, and accompanies the Mibu-Roshi to Osaka. There, she finds the man responsible for killing her father and brother. Desperate to avenge her family, Sei uncovers his hideout with the help of a friend, but they are soon discovered and her companion is slain. Is Sei ready for the hardships of the Mibu-Roshi? Or should she return home to lead the life of a normal girl?”

The first chapter of this book cracked me up, sharing with readers an honest peek into the mind of Sei, living a life among men who are anything but as refined as she had envisioned. Smelly, rude and perverse, she sees the honest side of men and has no plans to be a part of it. When her plan to rise to the ranks of ‘a real man’ is taken into the hands of the boisterous Serizawa, Sei is suddenly whisked away to find her masculinity in a misinterpreted manner.

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Manga-ka: Chie Shinohara
Publisher: Viz Media
Rating: Older Teen (16+)
Release Date: April 2009

Synopsis: “Charged with treason, Nakia is interrogated by the Hittite council of ministers. Nakia denies her guilt and, despite being confined, uses her magic to free her henchman Urhi, who is then suspected of launching a campaign of murderous retaliation against Kail and Yuri. Nakia, however, seems to have made one mistake that could undo all her schemes–overlooking the devastating effect all the intrigue and treachery has had on Juda, her son and intended heir to the Hittite throne!”

Red River is a series that manages to mix political intrigue with shoujo romance. The characters all strike a nice balance between being idealistic reformers and shrewd politicians. As in any good shoujo manga, the relationships between the characters are always at the forefront of the action. The series is at its best when it pits the strong bonds between the cast against what’s best for the Hittite Empire, making the characters choose between helping their friends or helping the country. Luckily, that is exactly what volume 25 of Red River does.

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Manga-ka: Yoko Kamio
Publisher: Viz Media
Rating: Teen (13+)
Release Date: October 2008

Synopsis: “Although Tsukushi Makino is from a poor family, she attends an elite school for the super rich, where her life has become intertwined with the “F4,” the ruling boys of the school, in a whirlwind of love and confusion! Tsukushi’s on-and-off boyfriend Tsukasa is hospitalized after a gruesome head injury! While his life hangs in the balance his devious mother shows no emotion at all! Could a mother really be so heartless?! Even if Tsukasa is able to survive, he may never be the same again…”

This volume of Boys Over Flowers (or Hana Yori Dango for you purists out there) ties up one cliché plotline and moves onto another: out with the controlling family and in with the amnesia. It’s not surprising that the manga pulls out such a tried and true trope: it’s used just about every other rom-com road block to keep the two leads from getting together. Heck, it’s more surprising that it took 31 volumes before one of the leads lost their memory. Yet despite being a cliché and a half, this new arc manages to be funny and heart-touching.

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