LMFAO!!! Words cannot convey how much this series rocks! I own the whole sh-bang, but decided to right a review on just the first volume. Lemme tell ya ladies out there, even those who do not read manga or are into anime at all will enjoy this. I have proof. I lent these to my friends who do not touch the stuff and they freaking loved it. In fact, one of them kept my books for a month and read them over and over again. She claimed it to be like SanS but was able to relate to it more then rich nyc socialites! Woohoo! Moyoco kicks [...]!
you cant go wrong with moyoco anno! moyoco anno's manga is known for its great plots, laughs and great characters. this happy mania volume is no difference! you will laugh out loud, you'll love it!!
Funny & Lighthearted read... I describe this manga as a funny and lighthearted read, because in my opinion that's exactly what it is. I personally enjoy seeing Shigeta's completely misplaced affections for each "jerk" she comes across, and somehow I can really relate to her desperate search for love in a modern world of one night stands and total players. (Sad isn't it? LOL)
Mayoko Anno's artwork is a refreshing change from the seemingly standard anime and manga norm of "sparkles and flowers" ^^, it's simple and uncluttered giving it a nice modern edge, and the cover artworks for each volume are bright and funky. (It would be neat if Tokyopop were in the habit of doing color splash pages too - but oh well :P.)
I can see how people draw a similarity between the storyline here and Sex and the City (mainly based on the idea of a twenty-something looking for love) however Happy Mania really does stand alone as a great example of manga aimed toward an older -and mainly female - audience.
I think that this manga gets better with each volume (I've only read up to VOL 3 thus far), and recommend it to older manga fans looking for a bit of a change from the standard shoujo fare.
great manga to read Personally i dont see the refernce to sex in the city and happy mania. I think Happy Mania holds its own. You follow the character shigeta through her search of a soul mate and end up laughing along with her. This is a great Manga and I would recommend it to everyone who loves or likes japanese anime or comics in general. If you have a sense of humor you will like Happy Mania.
I liked it well, I'm a bit surprised how many people found this manga unenjoyable. I personally liked it a lot, and so did two friends that I let borrow it. For one thing, this manga is pretty darn funny! I loved the main character because she was hilarious! I could also sympathise with her not being able to find the right guy. I mean, it can be pretty hard to find a good guy when it seems like all the good ones are taken and all the single males are just the leftovers. Hehe, so this is the real life irony we see in the manga and personally I found it interesting.
Another thing, the art was cute and the main character makes the most hilarious anime faces I've ever seen. And even though I dont approve of casual sex, it happens! Okay, I'm sorry but this is the real world. In an idealistic world, everyone would wait till marriage (as I plan to do) but it just doesn't always work that way and the main character shows all the problems that result from casual sex in the first place.
It also shows the whole point of looking beyond a person's outter appearance and liking them for who they are. The main character tends to go for guys that are good looking, but who she can't really relate to, and doesnt' really like. All the while, there's her slighty dorky co-worker who's in love with her and she overlooks him, simply because he's not attractive enough for her. However, she begins to find that he is the nicest person she's going to meet and he's always there for her.
Next, many have commented on how dumb the character is. You're right! She's moron and she makes mistakes, but you know what? I like her a lot. She's pretty much like any other person. I swear, girls in love can be scary and crazy and sometimes pathetic but its happened to everyone at one time or another (okay, well I suppose a guy wouldn't act like a girl in love), but otherwise, this is just the kind of crazy stuff people do without even realizing it. You can't really hate them for it because human beings make mistakes and they just have to learn from them.
So anyway, I liked it a lot. I suppose if you're offended by reading sex in manga, you should avoid this. However, if you're ready to read about a real life kind of character then this is the manga for you.
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