Itoshi Kingyo by Ichigo Takano

Itoshi Kingyo by Ichigo Takano

Genre: Shojo
Length: One Volume - 5 Chapters and One extra

Art and story (c) Ichigo Takano

            Art style is modern cute with trendy hair and clothes, the type where the legs taper off to little feet like a doll' s. Reminds me quite a bit of Aya Nakahara' s work, the mangaka of Lovely Complex (who is one of my favorite manga authors and I will get around to reviewing Love Com one of these days). There is a bit of carelessness in the lines, usually shown in uneven mouth shapes, but that is a part of the style and doesn't bother too much. What does bother is that from time to time the profile shots are out of proportion, be it the forehead or hair being too tall or the neck-to-chin ratiois too small, it just looks awkward. There was also a bit of trouble figuring the ages of people. Still, that feels more like the artist needs more practise than the art is bad. In fact, it's very charming and funny, and the eyes are expressive. Clothes are of interest if you are looking but not distracting or highlighted. Backgrounds and tones are well placed and give a full feeling to the panels. The title pages are really neat, as are some in between art, where the black and white is fully utilized.

            A compilation of one-shots, sum ups as follows:
            A pair of ten-years-together as neighbors and friends has a dramatic change in their relationship when he tells her he is moving too far away for her to visit.
            She doesn't believe in UFOs and he does wholeheartedly. How will she react when he meets a cute girl who believes in them, too, and both seem interested in each other?
            He just wants to go out and play every night, so why does his friend keep trying to stop him?
            Today is the day, after 2 years of going out, that he is going to do it with his girlfriend and he won't let her leave until he gets it done.
            They are having trouble because all he thinks about is soccer, so when she meets a kinder man how can she stand his demeanor anymore?

            I didn't know this was a compilation manga when I picked it, not a new scenario of course I've been fooled before and will be again, not that I mind the format but more involved plot lines are easier to review. All the same, I enjoyed this manga, the humor is silly and cute with out being unrelated and its just all around enjoyable to read. A few chapters have a tragic element to them while others are just plain fluff so you get a mix. I don't think the first story is the best one, but it gives you a good feel of the author and compells you to read the rest. Story wise I don't have many complaints, it would be hard to with such short love stories, they weren't too cliche or over done even when the characters were tropes you've seen before.They honestly don't feel as short as they are either, you get a good dose of the relationships. I can complain, though, about the extra at the end. After reading the rest of the book between the two related chapters, I found the extra incomprehensible and unnecessary. It hardly ruins it though.

4.5/5  Really good collection that makes me want to check out the author more.