99% Cacao and Slice of Black Chocolate

99% Cacao by Yoshioka Ririko (based on a story by Satou Takako)

             Genre: School Shojo
             Length: One Volume - 3 Chapters

             The art style is unique but at the same time it often looks... strange. Body and clothes are good, a little pointy from time to time, even body movements were good. Still, the faces could get funky, especially in close ups, the eyes have excellent shape and expressions but mouths often looked like they were at a different angle than the rest of the face. The face itself was dumpy looking and when added to the fish mouth you get an odd combination. Like I said, it's the author's style but I simply could not get past it while reading. Backgrounds were more often there than not, this being a school love story, it was mostly class rooms but they looked well done, too. Strangely, the best thing art-wise was the wounds, they looked really realistic.

Art (c) Yoshioka Ririko Story (c) Satou Takako

            Yuka likes things sweet, and not just when it comes to foods, but friendships and loves, too. When her friend gets rejected by a boy when she confesses, Yuka vows to hate him like any friend would do. So Yuka thinks nothing of it when she gets close to the boy in question's classmate and things get so sweet just the way she likes them, until Yuka finds out the boy lied to her and he is not the classmate but the boy himself, the boy that her friend actually still likes despite rejection. Suddenly that sweet peace Yuka loves so much is shattered and she doesn't know how to fix it.
             This couple made me go 'awww' a few times, but it's more of the troubles than the good times in this story, the bitter chocolate it's named after is a clue to that actually. Character wise I don't really have any complaints. Yuka is so worried about everyone that she lets things get away from her, and that's something everyone can sympathize with. The art was distracting from time to time but the story was really enjoyable. It's just what you expect from a vanilla school story nothing more and nothing less.

             
3/5 If you can get past the art it's prolly closer to a four.






Slice of Black Chocolate by Mitsukazu Mihara

             Genre: Shojo
             Length: 8 Pages
 
             Gothic art with black lace and black feathers. The clothes are well detailed, the eyes are not but facial expressions are good. Body and hand motions are easy to see and absorb as well as being natural to look at.
              A silent (in manga form 'unworded') story about a man trying to impress a girl who clearly has no interest.
             A story with no word bubbles and such gothic art has no right to be this cute. Seriously, I read it through like three times in a row because its so good. And remember, its only eight pages long so if you don't like it, it'll waste very little of your time.



             5/5 Super recommended don't mind the length.