Monkey High by Shouko Akira
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| Art and story (c) Shouko Akira |
Genre: School Life Shojo
Length: 8 Volumes – 31 Chapters
The art of this manga looks quite good right off the bat, not perfect, but seasoned. There are a few times that the faces look a little smushy from the side, or the main girl's eyes look a little flat on her face in three-quarters view but its really a stretch to keep finding problems like that after the first volume. Clothes are plain and baggy, but they don't seem ill fitting, being a school manga they are typically uniforms, but they are cute and, besides one or two outfits, don't look dated. The backgrounds kind of come and go, but even on the blanker pages, the tones were sufficient enough to not seem so. The hair has good shape and definition; the eyes, not so much, they have depth and emotion, but everyone has the same set of eyes. The one other thing that bothered me was that often the heroine had a lower lip that was overly large, which was highlighted by a shine. Still, the art is wholly appealing. Haruna is the new transfer student, she hasn't even been to class yet but rumors are already being spread about why she came from her previous school. After her politician of a father got caught up in a corruption scandal, Haruna has decided she'd rather not play the game any more, all the other monkeys can play king of the mountain but she'll just stay the observer this time around, and so sets a cold attitude right from the start. There is one boy in her class, though, who seems to be able to reach her heart, just a little bit.
I've read this manga before but, somehow, I've completely forgotten anything but the name. The thought crossed my mind that maybe there was a good reason for my lapse, but it turns out it was what made the manga so good that also made it slip my mind. Monkey High isn't terribly remarkable, there are many tropes thrown in, but its the way the couple respond to the circumstances that
really make it appealing as the story progresses. In short, its totally normal, making it a really good read, but also completely forgettable. Strangely, that is why I liked it. Its pretty silly at times, but in an average way, friends being nosy and teasing each other relentlessly, and finding out that its easiest to hurt a person who's trying to get close to you. The couple fights quite a bit, but instead of the typical crying and dramatic reunions, the two of them work things out by getting to know one another better. To be fair there are still running to meet one another in the night scenes but the emotions are quite a bit different. They don't fall into bed with one another just to make the plot line go through, only when they have become close through hardship and heartache, do they take that last step. Their relationship relies on their commitment to each other to get by. That certainly is not a cliché often used in shojo manga, which typically uses more outward signs of love to prove the feelings are there. The love triangle sub-plot goes on a little too long, though. I suppose its necessary to have someone to be the catalyst for the couple grow on, but it just makes the third character be the bad guy over and over again even though its made to seem like he has learned his lesson after each attempt. Despite that, though, the background characters are given good characterization with out ever having any plot chapters on their own. Its been some time since I've been in high school, but I found this manga fairly accurate in some details of school life, amazingly. In a way, its a bit like Lovely Complex, but with a normal couple instead of the most idiotic pair. Monkey High is not outlandish or over the top, but completely normal. In a very compelling way. 4/5 A thoroughly realistic couple with deep hearts.
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| Its pretty adorable, whatever it is. |
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