Jun 10 2008
Frustration with Shoujo aka my beef with Vampire Knight.
Recently one of my readers asked me what the deal was with me not blogging Vampire Knight for like 2 weeks. Well besides the fact that NicoNico keeps deleting anime episodes, Winny stopped working ever since I upgraded to Vista, no one uploads it to Veoh or Tokyo Toshokan on time, I found myself getting frustrated watching the same thing that I have already experienced in the manga. Unlike with Soul Eater where I’m excited to see the manga “come to life”, when I watch Vampire Knight all I do is roll my eyes going “oh not again, when can we get to the good part already.”
I feel the same way with Special A, but at least with Special A there’s less angst, although having a better voice cast wouldn’t hurt but anyway. This afternoon I read a manga called Brilliant na Mahou. It’s a story that basically tells little girls that wearing makeup and fake hair makes hot bishies like you because no one likes your true ugly self who looks like a kid while all your friends are mature and stylish. (But what else is new with Shoujo manga plots.)
The thick of the plot, as is required in these kinds of things, is the fact that our heroine Mitsuki has fallen for 2 guys: Atsuki, her makeup artist and Kyo, a model that she’s worked with. Both are equally high on the bishounen scale, but the difference is one is oranyan (tsundere boy) and the other tells her his feelings even after knowing her “true self.” Now THEORETICALLY if this was a real life situation, any girl with half a brain would pick the guy who a) loves her for who she is b) tells her this right away. But alas in Shoujo that is not to be. She has to go for the jerk, tell herself that it’s ok to be in a 1 sided love, until of course in the end the oranyan hero tells her that he likes her as well. This of course leaves the really awesome nice bishie crying his heart out elsewhere. 
So after reading this I’m thinking “even though this manga is ages before VK even began serialization, the shoujo roots are there.” While I watched the anime I was cheering for Zero at first, but as I read the manga, I really felt bad for Kaname cause honestly, while he had that whole “Yuuki was born for me” thing going, he still treated her kindly despite the fact that she was off running with another guy.
I’ve decided that based on the shoujo genre mold, which VK has pretty much established itself in, Yuuki is very likely to end up with Zero, because he’s the oranyan jerk who hides his feelings for her. On the other hand, Kaname who will kiss the ground she walks on, will probably get dumped (or since we got a lot of blood going on, he’ll most likely kick the bucket) because he’s too much of a nice guy.
Maybe this is why sometimes I prefer the not so canon shounen relationships to the “obvious” shoujo ones. For example in Groove Adventure Rave (which btw is the BEST Mashima Hiro work because Fairy Tale is just a recycle of it) where the focus is on killing the bad guys, getting stronger and finding Elie’s past, but in the end it’s obvious that the two main characters, Haru & Elie are gonna hook up. The only angst is on the characters’ past, present and future, rather than the fact that there’s people to spoil the cannon or the fact that the main heroine’s only focus in life is to be some man’s play thing.
I mean why does shoujo always have to make the heroine some kind of a trophy wife in training? I mean I can’t stop reading shoujo because I know I’m guaranteed to get romance, but sometimes with these 2 guys 1 girl who can’t choose scenario…it doesn’t make her any better than our Nice Boat hero from School Days. He couldn’t choose either and what did he get? His head on a silver platter in a sports bag. When a girl in a shoujo manga can’t choose a guy, what does she get? One hurt bishie.
This is also why I was incredibly enraged at the ending for Shinshi Doumei Cross. You freaking think that she has liked 1 guy and was going to give herself to him, and in the end she says she can’t choose. What the fuck. This puts SDC as the worst manga Tanemura Arina has ever created on my list. 
So in conclusion, I really am starting to get sick of the 1 girl 2 guys shoujo manga scenario. I’d much prefer a larger cast of characters where the majority (or at least the main ones) are either paired up with someone, or not treated like a slice of bologna because the mangaka preferred one character over the other.
Tags: manga rant
soap operas ftl indeed.
But it’s so…weird to go for the mean guy who doesn’t even like you.
microlm> In shoujo manga, it’s the standard. Actually the ones I read aren’t nearly half as bad as trash like Hot Gimmick, where abuse is involved.
I had written a huge comment already, but just before I submited it my computer shut down and ALL WAS LOST. WHY GOD?!
You just ruined the ending of SDC for me
but that’s okay. I read a lot of chapters but couldn’t bring myself to really like/keep up with the story. First, because most characters [of the mangaka] look alike, and second because often I couldn’t identify who was saying what. — But yeah, that ending SUCKS.
In Vampire Knight I predict (unfortunately
) that Kaname will have a tragic end. He’ll jump in front of Yuki and take a bullet for her, then his last words will be his undying love. Then Yuki will run off with Zero into the sunset. Oh… wait… AFTER the sunset, since he can’t be exposed to sunlight.
Like you, I read shoujo because I want to see some romance. Unfortunately most have that cheesy pattern of “girls like tsundere boys best”. Pretty much most of what I watch/read is shoujo or at least has romance in it. Sometimes it’s more satisfying to see a story that’s not focused on romance but has a love story as a subplot (can Soul Eater count?
). I’d love to see a shoujo story where the girl picks the nice guy and tells the other bastard to piss off! Then HE would be the one to come crawling to her, begging her to have him and whatever.
ahh! you almost spoiled the shishei doumei cross ending for me
, I have yet to read that final chapter!
PS: I completely agree with your comment about Hot Gimmick! One of my friends is totally obsessed with it and told me to read it. I was SO shocked! I couldn’t believe how anyone could LIKE that crap! That story made me feel sick
is that supposed to be a sick twisted type of romance?! Because all I saw was an abusive bastard taking advantage of stupid pretty girls. But then again… maybe that’s the typical old, fat & ugly japanese guy’s fantasy. Hot Gimmick sucks.
I actually never read Hot Gimmick after seeing a review on what it was about…and from your reaction I can tell I made a good decision.
Sorry about spoiling SDC, but like you said, the story was terrible. To me all the characters looked alike too!! I was sitting there going liek “who the hell is who??” In the last chapter I thought Ushio was Haine until they said “Ushio”
I really didn’t like Brilliant na Mahou, because she was dating one guy and then ‘ Oh wait, i don’t love him, who i really love is (the other guy xD) ‘ and i don’t like this kinda of manga, that she is with one and in the last two pages realises that the one she loves is the other guy
Why don’t you give a try to “Boku ni natta, watashi”? It is pretty entertaining and at the very least the two main characters are paired almost from the right beginning. The story deals more with the problems they have to face as a couple (like finding a quiet place to, er, being alone hehe
)
SDC did indeed suck. Talk about a random twist that came out of nowhere. I can’t stand generic harem shows where the lead can’t even make a choice, and that ending was no different. Plus, it ruined Haine for me. Strength of character? Not any more.
Beren> Thanks I’ll give it a shot ^_^
Nice honest guy finishes last while stupid girl chases bad boy of mysterious morality and obnoxious personality. Where have I heard that story before? Oh yeah! Real life.
I’m sorry but that was an accurate portrayal.
Girls like to be chased and guys like the chase. It’s like a masochistic twist or it is instinctive. They go for the challenge because of some bizzare evolutionary switch. Don’t pretend that everybody has somebody perfect for them sitting under their noses.
Hinano’s been reading my mind lately…i was just thinking about this last night and heres the post on it today…….
And once again Hinano on your last comment with the very last chapter od SDC…. I had too read the chapter then recap the other chapters about 5 times before I could understand what in the hell was going on…Let alone the fact I was sure that Haine knew she loved Takanari but all of a sudden in the last chapter she cant chose…She would have done better witht he original plan and have her marry both instead of letting her marry Takanari like every one wanted but then decides too let Shizumasa become a married lady killer (as the dubs put it)….
I agree the only reason I read shoujo is im 100% sure Im going too get romance out of the deal ( romance manga is the only kind I ever read)…other than that I read smut romance cause it isnt as predictable…
That brilliant manga was one of the first I ever read online…and once again you hit my feelings about the manga on the spot… why doo they always goo for the person that isnt sure until the very end that they NEED them in their life….
I’ve actually noticed this too. The events in all Shoujo are so cliche (I.E. Body switching, sudden kisses from the guy). But I do read it for the romance, although seeing the same recycled material is starting to make me yawn. Actually, I do get fangurl raged with the herione ending up with the wrong guy but they’re all usually hawt bishies, so I don’t care as much as I do with the hero ending up with the wrong bitchy girl. One reason I hate harem. I don’t really like any of Tanemura’s work- alot of her stories are so typical, the way she draws eyes creep me out, and everyone looks exactly the same. >_>;;
BUT this is why I suggested that you watched the Vampire Knight anime first, then read the manga…Since it’s too late, maybe you should watch the last couple epies and see the changes they made, because, frankly, I don’t think the manga is going to end too soon and the anime is probably not going to cover it.
And it’s weird, because I hate the progression like so but can’t help but keep reading. Whereas in Shounen, if I don’t like an aspect, I stop. The concentration on romance must be what keeps pulling me back, even though I keep on cursing at the lame indecisiveness especially when it is such an obvious choice.
In respects to vampire knight, maybe it is just how the anime is doing it but I like Zero more but thinks he need to get out of emo mode and have some hot steamy blood sucking with Yuuki again. I didn’t like Kaname in the anime but he is starting to grow on me, maybe it would be more prevalent if I read the manga but I don’t want to spoil myself and end up hating an adaptation just because it didn’t live up to the original, as I have done countless times.
I like my shoujo but I can’t help but think at times, ‘Why am I reading this crap?’
Mika> it’s too late for me lol T_T I actually really liked Kamikaze Kaitou Jeanne and Full Moon wo Sagashite, but SDC was just a pile of crap :S
Ryunatta> LOL while we’re on topic any other shoujo mangas you think I should stay away from since apparently we have similar tastes
Deranged> I feel your pain, that’s why I’m still watching the VK anime, but I can’t bring myself to blog anything about it.
Teeif> THe point I was making, is the shoujo heroines always have 2 perfects sitting under their noses lol
Hinano> Too bad.
Actually, I liked KK Jeanne, but I didn’t fully enjoy Full Moon. I dunno why. I wasn’t really impressed by any of the characters. And Mitsuki annoyed me. I only read one volume of SDC and didn’t really get into it. 
Is it wrong to enjoy seeing you frustrated like this? This is similar to how entertaining the tentacle-rape scene in The Tower of Druaga was. Oh rant more, more! Hinano-san! This is just getting good.
Arina just ruined everything that I thought was good about her just because of her shit ending. The chapter where Haine’s father accepts her and her mom remembers and crap was where I thought it was going to end and you get to fantasize on who she ends up with.
That’s why I only read 1 shoujo, VK. To get me sumz hot bishiez.
bakaneko>
*goes to take our my frustration by drawing hawt soul x maka fanart 
Ehhh … well, I’m not going to the agree with the SDC since I was very satisfied with the ending for reasons my fingers are much too tired to type. I actually ended up reading Brillant na Mahou a while back and thought: MAH GOD WTF!? I also gave up on VK a while ago too because … well, it got way too emo, Yuuki got on my nerves, despite having Mamo voice him Zero’s on my hate list too … and the whole 2 guys 1 girl thing. Ugh.
Well I haven’t read much shoujo manga though it makes up most of what I have on hand. Thankfully in the one I have read for the most part the heroine is gunning only for one guy or treating men like the unwashed peasants that they are. Zero does have one saving grace in that he is a gun toting stoic, who is burdened with protecting a girl who can’t defend herself with weapons or wit.
For some reason Itazura, Macross F, and Toshokan Sensou have basically filled my seasonal requirements for the romantic ration. VK is more of a side show right now. Besides Naoki is the reigning monarch of those tsun tsun bishies, and while he is an ass I cannot wait to see Kotoko kick him off his throne.
what I hate about Shinshi Doumei Cross’s ending is when she said she will marry both of them?? I meant wtf. there only can be one husband. How is she going to continue further in their marry life? I mean the younger brother is her husband on Mon, Wed, and Fri while the older is Tue, Thu, and Sat?? and on Sunday, she is free??? wtf. it is the worst ending ever. I hate it now, how can’t the author be more realistic.??
Save the bishies! I like the one girl/two guy deal as long as they overtime realistically* introduce another possiblity for the leftover guy and he falls for her as well (Yuki from Fruits Basket)
Maybe Beast Master or something would be more fitting for your tastes…
Hinano> the list would take about 3 days too complete butill try (has read about 567 manga XD)
This is mainly why I’ve stopped reading shoujo manga as much as I did in middle school. Now I can barely stand it at all (unless it’s comedy like Ouran or the romance is more “cute” than angsty) I just found myself so frustrated with the main heroines, because none of them seem like they don’t have any brains! Then again I sometimes don’t understand why all those perfectly good bishies fall for them in the first place XD Then again most shoujo heroines are mary-sues
I am really fucking tired of how anime and manga treat any character with an inch of wisdom. They get relegated to being support characters and losers and apparently should be happy because of it.
While the treatment of some bishies is bad, the portrayal of women and girls in far too many series/serials is simply appalling. They make small girls think that their only options when they grow up is to become a model or a nanny/cleaner/prostitute for their husband who they should expect nothing of except a sense of entitlement, it’s sick. Actually that’s not all true, they could become a manga writer and help brainwash the next generation.
Ooh I think that’s the angriest anime-related post I’ve ever written…
This is why Hana Yori Dango is STILL the best shoujo manga to date. The heroine is kick ass (she doesn’t stand for abuse, PERIOD), and while she ends up with the tsundere-MAX guy, it’s not a pairing where you go, “Dude, he doesn’t deserve you.” The two change each other for the better. He teaches her to be less indecisive and she teaches him to be kinder, or at least stop being a beast and let his kind side out. And they both go through hell and high water for each other. (HYD is basically Pride and Prejudice, the high school shoujo version)
I think Hot Gimmick TRIED to aspire to be like HYD, but it failed utterly when Ryouki didn’t stop being an abusive jerk. If he, oh, EVOLVED as a character or something it might have worked, but no. I normally LOVE Tsundere guys, but Ryouki was the limit.
I would have more sympathy for Kaname but I think what kills it for me is his stalker-vibe.
it’s the melodramas that usual shoujo mangas/animes have. We just need more kickass heroines who know what they want, not some lame stupid shoujo “heroine” who can’t decide for herself.
While it’s frustrating to see many shoujo mangas fall under those stereotypes you mentioned, there are always hidden gems among the pile of shoujo shit. There’s the timeless classic of Basara, Cipher, and Mars, the pure awesome Tokyo Crazy Paradise, even Skip Beat is great though I haven’t read past the first volumes (Yoshiki Nakamura <3). You just have to know the rare few good authors out there, or other ones who are turning out to be good (from real bleh bad), like BokuImou author Aoki Kotomi. I totally lurv her latest manga “Boku no Hatsukoi…”, which is ending soon. And if you don’t want bittersweet / drama shoujo mangas you can always go read stuffs by Yuki Nakaji, her mangas are simple and sweet, couples are paired up without the confuzzled-ness and angst. Just sweet
Ok, I’ve already said too much lolz.
Skip Beat is AMAZING. And I’ve read all the recent chapters, so don’t worry Usagijen, it continues the amazingness.
Crimson Hero is a current favorite too. The main pairing is like the antithesis of “wimpy girl/jerk guy.” Last I heard the pairing was on the rocks, but when the manga ends (which is soon, I hear) they’d BETTER get together or I will have blood!
So I’d definitely check out Crimson Hero, Hinano. It’s by the same author who did Akuma de Sourou, but it’s like ten times better. Not just the story and characters, but the art is even more attractive. Seriously, this woman draws some of the handsomest guys I’ve seen in manga.
Ryunatta> Uh no lol it’s ok I was just asking you to give me something off the top of your head ^^; I’m slowly making my way through onemanga’s completed series list atm
Marmosette> YOU GO GIRL, er I mean YOU GO BROTHA!
IN regards to other shoujo manga, I’m trying to just read completed series at the moment as I’m already “keeping up” with 17 and I’m trying not to make the list go higher ^^;;
lol. Well, as said, Crimson Hero is set to end soon, so you’ll have the leisure to check it out at your own pace.
Skip Beat . . . . well, it’s 122 chapters and shows no sign of stopping. Not that I want it to!
Ahh, I can’t stop complaining about the SDC ending. I am never aware of who is mary-sue and who isn’t, but Haine exceed the limit of perfect-person, and the ending was just stupid. At first she didn’t want to choose because that would create chaos between brothers, even if she loved Takanari, but then, oh dear. I mean, I suppose it’s still Takanari/Haine but it annoyed me to no end.
I lol’d at the slice of bologna.
As Crusader said, Itazura and Macross Frontier are filling the romantic side of anime this season, -as well as Nabari no Ou, cough-.
The thing with Kaname in Vampire Knight, though, is that he really treats Yuuki like she’s still ten years old. He’s constantly covering her eyes and giving her amnesia to “protect” her - he isn’t looking for a relationship of equals, he wants someone he can more or less have control over.
It’s like how I was reading New England White (Stephen Carter) recently - in it, the husband of the main character is always pulling strings and keeping things secret from her, and I really disliked him for it. If someone was doing the same to me, I’d hate it, so I hate the person on behalf of the character its happening to.
So, yeah, Zero’s kind if a jerk to Yuuki sometimes, but he’s not trying to exert any control over her, and he doesn’t see her as a possession, which is basically the way Kaname behaves towards her. So that’s why, even if Zero is being mean to her, I’d rather see him end up with Yuuki in the end than Kaname.
The problem with Vampire Knight, like other “save me” shoujo series, is that they’re too formualic. I read two volumes of Vampire Knight and it didn’t feel any different to me than the rest, beyond the vampires. I assume the same is true of the TV series. Switch up a few character archetypes, change theme, you have a new series. That’s why these types of series don’t work.
Shinshi Doumei Cross bothered too much after the first few chapters, so I dropped it. Is it worth pursuing again? I’m reading about it everywhere these days after it ended.
Link> No it’s really not. As others mentioned, the characters sometimes feel like they’re all identical (aside the fact that they LOOK identical with almost no distinct features)…and combined with a shitty ending, well let’s just say I hope her next work is more promising.
A Day Without Me> You know you bring up a really good point
I never even thought about it that way but now that I think about it I guess he is trying to make her his little barbie doll isn’t he! Well I suppose that makes the Yuuki x Zero pairing a little more justified 
Arcana> I thought Haine was cool at first with her fighting skillz but yea the manga got progressively lame ^^;
Brava!!!! Insightful blog entry. Personally I was wondering why of all the Spring anime why I didn’t want to start seeing Vampire Knight and why I gave up the series at three volumes in the manga.
I am tired of Shoujo series with love triangles… if I wanted to see love triangles, then I’ll go see a soap opera with love rectangles..
Still I am not sure if I count Ouran, although that would be probably like La Corde D’Oro.
A Day Without Me said it all as to why I don’t like Kaname. Well, that combined with his “I’m pureblood and noble” attitude.
A Love Triangle done right can be really fun to read, but it easily can break down into “girl leaves good guy for jerk” scenario.
believe me or not, I liked Nana for its extended cast of charas… Nana, Hachi, even Reira had all their loves and troubles. And as to the shoujo standard, there is old adage: good guys finish last. Sad, but very often true.
I agree with you wholeheartedly. There’s a lot of screwed up shoujo out there — it seems like either there’s a love triangle (VK) or the heroine is too dense to realize the hero loves her (Special A). I guess that’s why I like shoujo like Kare Kano, which put the focus on the other characters to extend the story rather than drawing things out between the main couple.
Even with Fruits Basket, I picked the “wrong” guy (Yuki was my favorite, and I never quite got over it, even if now I think he’s too good for Tohru
). But as some others have said, Skip Beat! is a good pick too. The heroine’s a bit on the dense side, but she’s likable enough that I can forgive her for it (plus, she does early on what every shoujo female should do to their tormenting idol 
)
Wow. My first comment ever here. <3 So…yeah…hi everyone and a big hi to Hinano!
Despite the fact that I’m gonna get pelted with various objects for saying this, I actually like SDC. I think it’s funny personally. The romance thing is kinda odd (though I do love Maora x Maguri cause they’re both so weird
), what with Shizumasa and Tanakari beating each other up for Haine. I’m mostly partial to Haine x Tanakari since I think it’s really sweet that he was just happy that she loved the book that he wrote, not Shizumasa. That just made my day when I read it. ;] Yeah…the ending did kinda weird me out though… 
Grr….maybe not Tanemura’s best series (that either goes to Full Moon or ION), but it was alright.
As for the shojo cliche, that always pisses me off. Sometimes I really think that the majority of these girls were dropped on their heads as small children. I totally agree with ewok that NANA was on of my favorite shojo manga. Even though there is angst and such and the randomness of it all, it just held itself up very well with the story telling and how things are just moved along. Azawa is a really good author. She just is I guess. Neighborhood Story was amazing honestly. It doesn’t follow that cliche of ‘NINE MILLION GUYS WANT THE MAIN GIRL TO BE THEIR LOVE/F**K BUDDY AND BABY MAKER’. You know (almost) know who’s gonna go with who by the end of the first volume. -cough also likes Kaicho Wa Maid-sama cough-
My logic is this: you gotta read a lotta crap to find that diamond in the rough. And holy shit that was a long ass post. Er…sorry about that one. ^ __ ^;;
I’ve NEVER understood why the nice guy hardly ever gets the girl in shoujo manga. Seriously, what idiots these girls (/mangaka) be! Hot Gimmick disgusted me and VK just had me rolling on the ground because of how dramatic everyone was. I also recommend Skip Beat for a much more tolerable character (if just as idiotic).
I wonder if it’s just that shoujo protagonists tend to be teenaged idiots, though. (Hot Gimmick–check. Fushigi Yugi, check; Itazura na Kiss, check…uh, well, now I’m just flat out of manga to remember.) I much prefer something like Kaichou wa Maid-sama, where the protagonist actually is very self-capable without being too oblivious to The Boy. She isn’t sickeningly perfect, either, and has to confront her own limits as an individual.
Koukou Debut was another one that I liked, despite protagonist idiocy. The mangaka’s style clearly conveys that the protagonist is, at best, cute (instead of some styles where the protag is supposed to be “plain” but actually looks just as physically attractive as every other girl in the cast). Also, she’s obstinate, and somewhat clueless, but she really does try her best. One of the few teenaged shoujo protagonists who I could say really does have a heart speaking for her instead of vacuous eyes…
I am always so impatient waiting for new episodes, so I went ahead and looked for VK summaries. When I found out about the ZeroxYukiXKaname love triangle I said “this is IT”.
I mean sure, on the one hand I wanted a YukixZero pairing, but then Kaname was much cooler and more caring… So because I didn’t want to get annoyed at all this I just ditched the series at ep 3
agreed
Y’know, Kamikaze Kaitou Jeanne has it all over Gentlemen’s Cross Alliance or whatever it’s called. Admittedly, the premise is a bit… bad, but the execution is really good. There’s no second guy, the heroine doesn’t do the usual stupid shoujo stuff, and the drama has much more to do with family relational issues than “OMG I LIEK THIS GUY BUT I LIEK THIS ONE TOOO!!!1″ And Maron beats out the girls of Gent’s Cross because, while she’s a strong character, she also has been deeply affected by her parents’ emotional abandonment and subsequent divorce - she’s not perfect.
I’m not really too big a fan of love triangles, I feel like the one I always prefer gets screwed in them, and its also really obnoxious to watch people be all indecisive for 84 chapters/26 episodes. The only one I can really recommend in the shoujo-world is After School Nightmare, and probably only because that manga has the complexity to actually make it worthwhile (also, the gender-bendery aspect isn’t fanservice-y but instead actually asks legit questions about gender roles in society, which in turn adds to the complexity of the triangle itself… which then raises additional questions about gender roles in society… and so on and so forth).
Dude, at this point of the manga (VK) I just don’t care who the stupid girl ends up with, I just want it to be over.
By the way, if you despised Hot Gimmick, don’t read Teacher’s Pet. It’s good for smut material but after you read it, you will be like, “Wait a second, did she just end up with the guy who raped her?”
But the other guy made her wear a freakin’ sex toy while she’s teaching. 
Honestly, she should have just changed schools and stayed single.
The only promising series from this manga-ka is Honey Hunt but it’s not over and it’s running in Cheese! so that means that sum kind of smut will appear. The main character of this series is thankfully not going for the asswholes but the creator is famous for turning things on its ear and making people angry.
The only good series I can think of is Skip Beat! because no matter how much the creator tries to redeem the idol-ass, everyone knows that it’s unlikely for the main character to end up with him.
@ Hinano - It would be nice if the emo-level of Zero was a bit reduced in the anime, though - his emo-ness is absurd, and it also makes him seem harsher towards Yuuki, I think.
Anyway, I think the ED with Yuuki looking all limp and doll-like is a great way of illustrating how Kaname wants Yuuki to be.
Sorry for double-commenting, the edit feature doesn’t seem to be working =/
Oh shikes, I hate it when you’re like, the LAST ONE TO COMMENT! XD
But anyway, I never really enjoyed Vampire Knight but liked the manga for a while until things became too predictable.
I enjoyed Vampire Knight because it’s one of the few vampire mangas that wasn’t so ridiculous.. … OK, that’s not what I really mean, but I’m out of adjectives. But comparing it to other anime (I’m not really into manga that yet), it’s was ok - put it beside Rosario+Vampire (terrible) and Blood+ (just not my genre), it’s great. But you’re right too… because of the things happening in the manga, people would come together and get similiar conclusions as to how the story will end.
For shoujo manga, you’re right in one respect. I’ve always been a shoujo love-rom-com, but I’m starting to lose my taste in it probably because I’m getting older and the girls are so indecisive and the bishies never make things any easier for her. Maybe it’s a culture thing I don’t know.
I think that’s why they say “Nice guys finish last”. = =
Senna> I had picked Kyo and I was happy my pairing came true
But that’s because from the start I was biased towards cats 
kuromi> Welcome! Hope you post more often
Kaicho wa Maid Sama is awesome btw, at least she doesn’t have 20 guys she likes 
Kage> I think Kodomo no Omocha is another good example people tend to forget…Sana is pretty self-capable considering what she found out about her childhood. She only runs to Hayama when she like snaps at the end but generally yea she’s out there on her own doing her thing.
A Day Without Me> I’ll take a look at that one it sounds interesting. Also in regards to edit feature I think ever since I upgraded the plugin it’s been buggy. I’ll see if I can figure out what to do about it (other than wait for an update)
Christina> I try to keep away from smutty shoujo manga as in those stories typically the girl is a doormat/sextoy etc.
blissmo> I think VK was predictable the moment we realized she has “2 bishies” that both like her
biankita> my favorite vampire MANGA is probably Karin, and fav vampire ANIME is Master of Mosquiton. Definitely check those out if you get a chance.
I read shoujo for the romance and I have to agree sometimes I’m stumped as to why girls end up with the guys they do.
Thankfully Hana Kimi wasn’t one of those ^-^ Mizuki like Sano from the start and that’s who she ended up with. Although I do feel bad for Nakatsu thinking he was gay for the majority of the manga. The love triangle in there wasn’t really even a love triangle. It was always going to be Sano.
Koukou Debut is nice too in that its pretty much Yoh and Haruna. Looked like Asaoka might have a thing for Haruna, but Yoh is the only one for her. Plus I think she’s too dense to realize someone else might like her anyways.
I’m more a fan of those types of shoujo. Where you have a couple who get established quickly and really the manga is about the trials and tribulations of their relationship.
Not OH NO! which bishie will she pick. As for Fruba, that was hard because I liked both Kyo and Yuki. But since Yuki was there from the start I kind of swung towards him. I think the whole he saw her as his mother thing was a bit of a cop out.
@ Hinano = aw! Thanks! Not trying to be a suck up or anything but I’ve been a fan of yours for a while.
And thats so true about Kaicho wa Maid-sama. NO ONE likes the really sissy girl who has all the guys fighting over her I don’t care who you are because you know it’s totally true. 
The best vampire manga is definitly Karin, too. It’s funny and not completely drama-y. And Kenta and Karin are so adoreable, cept the ending is way sad. ; ____ ; VK’s alright if you want a vampire/high school setting. I always like Kaname since he was just kinda cool. I was reading it a lot, but now it kinda died for me (heh heh heh. Puns.
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Furuba was good, but it went on WAY too long. And I miss when they used to have all the nuts-o transformations.
But I always like Kyo better than Yuki. I like characters who are kinda energetic like Kyo more than guys like Yuki who are…well…like Yuki. I was sooo happy though that it was Kyo x Tohru in the end. Those two are so cute together. <3
(OH! This whole comment wasn’t just to Hinano! Please don’t think that. It was only the first paragraph.)
does this mean that you won’t be blogging Vampire knight?
ribbons> possibly..I haven’t even watched ep 10 yet nor have I had the pending desire to do so :S
(First post here :), and sorry for my bad english xD)
Because of that I’ve been reading a lot of shonen and seinen, they don’t have the big romance quota but there are some with amazing plots 
” Tanemura disappointed me, I really liked Kamikaze Katou Jeanne and Full Moon wo Sagashite 
I totally agree with you, I too try to read shojo for the romance, but I think I already read all the good ones. I was searching for something new to read and all the reviews were about love triangles with the same pattern, useless girl fell in love with cool guy who despises her and the a good boy tell her that he loves her and all the rest of the plot is about who is she going to end up with
I can make some recomendations, I think you should read Beast Master, it’s finished, only the last chapter is still unscanlated (does this word exist? xD) or some by the same mangaka (Kyousuke Motomi). Skip Beat is a good choice too, and I think so is Gokusen. There is Sasahara Mizu too, she has some simple and beautiful shojo one-shots, and a really pretty drawing style. And for smut try Yoshihara Yuki’s manga, women are the ones who take the lead, and they’re pretty funny too.
PD: I also hated SDC end D: I was “wtf!? she is going to marry both of them!?
I just stumbled upon your blog and read this, and I just had to tell you how awesome you are for writing this XD;
I usually love shojo, but lately it makes me want to pull my hair out. Like in Itazura Na Kiss, why does Kotoko even love Irie??? He’s just a complete asshole and her throwing himself all over him is just ridiculous to me. Then at the same time, I’m also frustrated with something like Vampire Knight, with the whole crazy love triangle thing, and I don’t even like Yuki… at all. I don’t understand why both Zero and Kaneme like her O.o I don’t keep up with the manga so maybe it will make since later, but whats so great about Yuki? But that’s not the point lol, point being I try and stay away from love triangles because I hate how the main female character plays with both guys hearts, running back and forth between them, just to leave one totally hurt. Like I don’t know if you saw Peach Girl, but she kept breaking up and getting back together with BOTH guys in the series it was horrible >< so the stupid love triangle shouldn’t have even existed.
Haha sorry- I wrote a weirdly long huge paragraph, but you don’t have to read it XD; I just needed a nice little rant lol.
I never read Peach Girl but when I saw 1 ep of the anime i’m like eww how hideous lol so I never went on. I guess that was another smart move on my part
I go away for a week and you go through some changes.
I have a question, exactly how long will you still be blogging seeing that you’re anime fascination is going the way of your Con fascination?
And this is why I don’t read shoujo anymore (than necessary). Either the girl is a moron who can’t make up her own mind or she’s some kind of masochist going for the worst guy. Now I don’t mind her going for the jerk as long as it’s her choice, but stretching the plot by her inability to choose? In my book, these bimbos are no better than bullies or spoiled daddy-princesses and should be burn in hell for ever being an ideal shoujo heroine stereotype.
Now I don’t even wanna watch Vampire Knight. I was gonna give it a chance for the bishies but no thank you.
@Hinano: Peach Girl is actually a great read (Momo makes mistakes but she follows her mind), the manga to anime transition is blasphemous, so I recommend you grab the book.
Sabrina> I just hope I can last till my 3rd anniversary
Since there seems to be a boatload of hate towards many shoujo titles can anyone recommend a good shoujo? I know that most of them piss me off but I still have a desire to read them.
Utena is good shoujo… as long as you can stomach incest, pedophilia, yuri (although not in the manga), and a metric ton of sex (well, not like they show any of it).
Kona, Skip Beat is good, its funny and the heroine Kyoko isn’t a simpering wimp. Neither will you find rape, incest, lots of sex etc etc. And if there is any violence, then its Kyoko who is laying the smack down.
Koukou Debut (High School Debut) is really cute and sweet. Once the main pairing Yoh and Haruna get together, which is pretty early on there is no confusion over who they love or that kind of thing. Its more about how they both really have no clue about dating (although Yoh is a bit more knowledgeable than Haruna) so they muddle their way through.
I’ve also been enjoying Shiawase Kissa Sanchoume. This is pretty laid back, and has got cute guys. Its pretty sedate and has its humorous moments.
I would also highly recommend Hana Kim (Hanazakari no kimitachi e. This one is just so damned adorable! The same manga ka, Hisaya Nakajo has a new one out right now called Sugar Princess, about Ice Skating. The characters look just as cute as those from Hana Kimi.
Um there are plenty more but those are my favourite right now.
I kept reading Hot Gimmick wondering if that messed up Ryouki would ever become a not-horrid-person. I think in the end he wound up being about one degree less horrid. And the nice guy became a monk.
The hell, man.
There was a somewhat controversial article on Sleep Is For The Weak that talked about this sort of thing a while ago. It’s written by long-time shoujo readers, and specifically went after Hot Gimmick in its analysis. And even mentions the “Nice Guys Finish Last” bit.
http://www.sleepisfortheweak.org/articles/shoujodangers.html
…
At the moment, as far as comics-not-quite-intended-for-The-Guys goes, I’m reading Honey And Clover and Crimson Hero, which are really a breath of fresh air compared to what comics I usually read, for any demographic.
As I get them both from Shojo Beat, I’m probably well behind the Internets in my awareness of any timebombs lurking in their plots. But at the moment, it’s nice seeing one comic where everybody’s actually decent people, and likable. And in the other, I’m just surprised I’m willing to sit down and read a sports comic.
But for the most part, I find myself shaking my head in dismay when I read shoujo comics.
Awww! You won’t be blogging anymore Hinano?
@ A Day Without Me = Is it really that full of sex (Utena I mean)? I just thought it was a complete yuri series?
@ Kona = Well…anything by Yazawa Ai is really good. I recomend her. <3
Kuromi> Yea I barely feel like watching it let alone blogging. I think Omni and Aroduc can cover for me, they both do massive screenshots/detailed summaries anyway
@Dorian: Someone else who likes Crimson Hero!!
(and I call Crimson Hero a shoujo manga in sports drag, don’t feel bad)
As for timebombs . . . . . there’s some wicked stuff that goes down in Crimson Hero, but it’s nothing I’ve thrown a fit over (yet), I just hope it ends with the happy ending and right pairing. And it ends, like, soon.
@Kona: I second that recommendation for Skip Beat. It’s so utterly fantastic and addictive and attractive. Did you ever see Tokyo Crazy Paradise? Same author, but a gigantic LEAP in quality. TCP was good. Skip Beat is FANTASTIC.
Lovely complex is my favorite shojo ever! Simple, funny, and cute
Read Otomen. Love it.
Its a definite fresh breath of air; “stoic and manly” guy is really into “girly” and decidedly un-manly hobbies. He falls for a new transfer student who also different from many shoujo females.
Its cute, the characters destined to paired up are introduced from chapter one, the fun is seeing how it progresses.
I like the “stay-true-to-yourself” theme. Again, much welcomed change of pace from typical shoujo flair.
@ HyperlyGenetic = It IS the best one. It displays how relationships form from something so simple to something so important. It made me realize that it was somewhat like my own friendship with my boyfriend was before we started dating. > 3 <
Its hard to explain but Vampire Knight has no love triangle, you’d know if you read the manga. At this point in time it should be obvious who she’s gonna end up with. But then again explaining that would be supreme spoiler, lets just say it has to do with Yuki’s past.
Let’s just say that when you do find out you’ll slap yourself for not figuring it out on your own.
On the subject of Shinshi Doumei Cross’s ending.
I