B.O.D.Y.

The summary of the story seemed promising, so I decided to give it a try. It's about a girl who falls for a boy who initially appears to be a good, shy guy, but in reality, he's working as a host after school.

However, that's all there is to it—an interesting concept used up in the first few volumes, leaving you with a very typical and boring story. It's filled with love rivals, exams, and other cliché elements. There's nothing really new or refreshing here. Even incorporating a host club into the usual shoujo settings doesn't make it any more innovative.

Perhaps the problem lies in how the story was told. It felt so unrealistic, and I couldn't relate to it at all. One of my biggest issues was the characters; they were flat, stupid, and childish. Reading it made me want to bang my head against the wall every five seconds. The main character would fall in love with a guy instantly, only to switch her affections to another one just moments later.

Then she goes around poking her nose into matters that don't concern her. Why? Is it due to her nosy nature, or because the mangaka couldn't come up with anything better?

The artwork isn't great, especially in the first two volumes. It's not terrible, just very simplistic, and all the characters look almost identical, with only slight differences in their hair.

I really tried to enjoy reading it, but I guess it's an age issue. Maybe if you're in fifth grade, you'll find it entertaining.

First of all, B.O.D.Y. was one of those manga series I never planned to read. But a friend insisted I give it a try, and once I started, I couldn't stop.

STORY: Initially, the story seemed typical—a girl falls for a boy, but their relationship faces challenges. However, it quickly became intriguing with new characters and unexpected twists. Cheating, lying, laughing, crying—the characters brought the narrative to life perfectly. Their personalities made the story fascinating. I don't want to spoil anything, so that's all I'll say. Host clubs are inherently interesting anyway. :)

ART: I must admit, I'm incredibly envious of the characters' outfits. They always look stunning! The only downside is that the smaller panels didn't showcase as impressive artwork. Full-page illustrations were amazing. Don't get me wrong; the art was good throughout, but some areas could have used more refinement. I also noticed that the main character, Ryoko, often had an odd expression on her face, even when it didn't fit the scene.

CHARACTER: This is where B.O.D.Y. truly shines in my opinion. The main character, Ryoko, is well-developed—naive yet unwilling to be taken advantage of. Her lover, Ryu, is my favorite. He starts as the shy loner but transforms into someone everyone at the host club falls for. He's HOT! Three other crucial characters are introduced later, each well-rounded. They embody the "I have a tortured past and am trying to overcome it" trope effectively.

ENJOYMENT: This manga made me laugh, though humor wasn't its primary goal. At certain points, I found myself chuckling. Towards the end, I cried. Yes, I actually shed tears—it was genuinely sad. This story resonates deeply with me.

Overall, I have to give this a perfect 10. They should definitely make it into an anime. :)

B.O.D.Y. was a manga I never intended to read, but after finishing Ouran High School Host Club's manga, I sought something similar and initially, B.O.D.Y did not disappoint. The artwork appealed to me, the story seemed promising, the characters were likable, and the writing was humorous. For the first half or so of the first volume, I was genuinely interested, and like any avid fan or aspiring one, I read the manga daily.
However, over time, it started to feel monotonous, and I found myself reading merely to avoid dropping it, which eventually happened anyway.
Ryoko's feelings towards Ryu fluctuate several times early on. Her attraction to him is immediately noticeable to the reader. She later shifts to a tsundere-like behavior before reverting to her initial feelings for Ryu, possibly because she is shocked by his role as Club B's top earner. Sadly, this dynamic only lasts in the beginning. Although the artwork remains excellent and the storyline engaging, the writing falters. After a while, the artist's talent alone may not be enough to keep readers hooked.

I stumbled upon this manga on MAL and it piqued my interest. I've been an avid manga reader for years, but only recently have I turned to MAL to discover new titles.

To be honest, I really wanted to enjoy this story, but I absolutely despise Fuji. His character is just unbearable to me. Although I usually appreciate the whole "scarred past" and "bad boy" trope, I simply cannot bring myself to like him.

He's immature, and both characters fall in love way too quickly to feel realistic. From the very beginning, it seems she's completely under his spell and will blindly follow him anywhere. (Think Naruto and Sakura – another reason I dislike her.) He doesn't do anything for her, nor does he try to understand her.

*Spoilers*

He puts her in situations knowing she'll feel insecure, and then gets angry and leaves her. Seriously! Screw him.

I didn't drop this manga solely because I can't stand Fuji; it's also because I want to root for Kura. I can't keep reading knowing that, as per typical manga fashion, she'll end up with Fuji. I refuse to accept that, so I won't support this manga. Kura is awesome, and Fuji is a disaster! I have no idea why the artist made Fuji so detestable and Kura so sweet and supportive, but I won't read until the end. Instead, I'll be content with the delusion of Kura getting the girl.

Thank you. That is all.

Oh boy, where do I even start...?

First off, this is not a bad manga. If you compare it to your average shoujo romance where the two main characters have a misunderstanding that leads to a breakup which drags on for millions of chapters while you try not to yell at these silly teenagers for being ridiculous, then B.O.D.Y. stands out as one of the nicest shoujo I've read so far.

STORY 7/10

Again, it's a shoujo manga, so the most I could hope for was to be pleasantly surprised by the story. While many people enjoy lots of drama, too often that leads to ridiculous misunderstandings that could easily be solved if the two main characters just talked to each other and stopped making assumptions based on their insecurities. B.O.D.Y. was a refreshing change. Initially, I thought I wouldn't like where it was heading—I was fully prepared for a ditzy girl who falls in love with a seemingly boring guy who turns out to be a flirty, non-committal host. More on the characters later though, as this is mostly a character-driven story.

ART 8/10

Gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous~!

CHARACTER 9/10

Now time for some real talk.

The two leads, Fuji and Sakura (and believe me, this might be hard to believe since this is shoujo) actually communicate and avoid frustrating misunderstandings. Take that, Bokura gaita!!! >.

They both are still insecure and innocent—though less so for Fuji—but it wasn't overwhelming enough to make me want to stop reading due to convoluted and boring temporary breakups. Having a misunderstanding created out of nothing, followed by the main guy coldly telling the girl they should break up without discussing anything beforehand is a trope that makes me drop a manga immediately. Thankfully, the characters in B.O.D.Y. were its saving grace.

Sakura is straightforward, easy to read, and for the most part very honest. She also isn't so insecure that she has zero trust in her beau. When she's conflicted about something, Fuji can figure her out pretty easily, and before you know it, they've discussed and resolved an issue that a lesser manga would have dragged out for another ten chapters. It was very satisfying to read about a couple with a genuinely good relationship where they TRUST EACH OTHER and that trust isn't conveniently thrown away for plot purposes.

They still have arguments, and there are even misunderstandings, but nothing was ever overused to the point it became frustrating to read. Plus, the side characters, AKA the friend group, were very well done. There was a small conflict between Sakura and Asuka, but aside from that, Sakura's friends are very supportive.

Enjoyment 9/10

By chapter 12, I realized that rather than just procrastinating, I was genuinely enjoying reading it. I enjoyed the light humor, the same old romance story we've read so many times but with different characters, and especially the main leads who I never once felt the urge to yell at during my reading. I enjoyed the ending—it was cute, and I'm always a big fan of time skips. I like seeing everyone's 'happy ending' or whatever. I really want more characters like Fuji and Sakura >.

OVERALL 9/10

I'm just going to keep gushing about how much I liked Fuji and Sakura's relationship, so I'll stop here. Definitely a manga you shouldn't overlook ^^

B.O.D.Y. wasn't what I had anticipated from the synopsis. Not at all. The story was crafted exceptionally well. Everything melded together seamlessly, with no disjointed moments where one might wonder, "Hmm, what did I miss here?" This is truly wonderful. It features growth, complications, laughter, tears, a few twists, and a well-executed ending, which can make or break a manga for me.

The characters were excellent, with a good depth to them. They weren't overly complex to the point of requiring notes, nor were they shallow. They were kids navigating life, love, and heartbreak. The female lead is intelligent and holds her ground admirably. The male lead has a somewhat dark and reserved nature, just waiting to be opened up, while the supporting characters are quite enjoyable too. While reading this, you felt like you were growing up alongside the characters, empathizing with them and rooting for their success.

This manga was exceptional to me. It felt real and portrayed true romance. I experienced the happiness, unease, pain, and confidence of all the characters. It didn't disappoint me in any way. I strongly recommend this manga to anyone who enjoys a bit of romance, some laughs, and a well-written story.

I really wanted to read this manga about four years ago, and I can definitely say that my 16-year-old self would have enjoyed it much more than my 20-year-old self. I understand it's shoujo, so I'm probably outside the target audience. Still, I felt disappointed with it.

The story started out promising. I liked how the protagonist guy, Fuji, was a nerd by day and a host by night. Deception is always fun in manga. Even the lead female was enjoyable at first. She would literally punch Fuji when he was being a jerk, and she only cried when he seriously hurt her feelings.

After the first volume, everything went downhill. Sakura, the lead, became a crybaby who constantly stuck her nose into other people's business. She also felt the need to keep things from Fuji, which served no purpose other than creating unnecessary drama.

Then Fuji completely changed. He was a cute, somewhat jerky host boy, but it was fun to read. About eight chapters in, he loses all his personality. He has no identifiable traits besides loving Sakura and somehow always being around when she's in trouble.

The art is the only redeeming quality of this manga, and even that wasn't particularly noteworthy.

If you're looking for a typical shoujo with nothing new or insightful, pick this up. Otherwise, I'd recommend passing on it.