being the secretary of a perverted CEO

The two of them twitched but neither gave any indication that they would follow his commands. He could only sigh in disappointment. What was he supposed to do then? Mable was still completely out of it, he couldn't leave her here by herself. Would he have to wait for her to regain her reason before he could call for help?

At first glance, "Matsuri Special" might not seem like anything extraordinary. The synopsis suggests a melodramatic romance intertwined with wrestling competitions, the artwork is unremarkable, and the series spans only four volumes. So, why did I rate it as "very good"? Because "Matsuri Special" tells the seldom-seen story of a girl's journey to embrace her strength, using it not just to protect those she loves but also to discover her true self. Let me elaborate further.

Story: 7/10 - Good

The plot isn't groundbreaking, yet it's far from bad. Our protagonist, Matsuri Hanyuu, has grown up in the world of low-level professional wrestling, pressured by her father to become a professional wrestler. However, Matsuri yearns to be a "normal girl," working tirelessly to hide her family background and physical prowess from her classmates while hopelessly pursuing her crush, Wataru. Things change when she meets a new transfer student, Shigematsu, and must use her wrestling skills to defend Wataru. From this point, she oscillates between aspirations to improve as a wrestler and desires to appear more delicate and cute (her perception of a "normal girl"). She finds herself entangled in wild situations while grappling with her identity and striving to save her father's gym. Sounds like a typical chaotic shoujo plot, right? Not quite. It's skillfully handled, honestly, without the excessive crying and forced drama common in shoujo romance manga. Some parts feel rushed, but overall, the pacing is decent, and it's certainly not bad.

Art: 5/10 - Mediocre

Of all aspects I could rate about this manga, the art received the lowest score for valid reasons. Matsuri and Mimi Maru, the two main female wrestlers, are frequently described as "muscular" and "built" by their peers, yet their bodies resemble those of other girls. Their supposedly strong arms look like typical Shoujo Sticks™ (my term for unnaturally slender arms prevalent in shoujo manga), and their allegedly "built" thighs appear just as slim as others'. It seems the artist hesitated to depict these girls as diverging from the "cute" beauty standards imposed on Japanese girls, which feels contradictory given the manga's themes. Additionally, the fight scenes are rather stiff, which is regrettable since they're otherwise thrilling. There's also inconsistency in character coloring, particularly Matsuri's hair, which alternates between brown and jet-black in different color illustrations. The artist couldn't seem to decide.

Character: 8/10 - Very Good

I was thoroughly pleased with the characters in "Matsuri Special." The protagonist, Matsuri, grapples with conflicting expectations: society expects her to be a "normal girl" — weak, submissive, cute, and in need of protection — while her father and the community she grew up in expect her to be tough, strong, and fierce. Matsuri seeks appreciation and validation from others, initially from her crush Wataru, later from Shigematsu, Mimi Maru, and even her father. Her journey involves embracing her strength and integrating it into her identity instead of suppressing and concealing it, showcasing commendable character development. Matsuri truly is a strong and cool heroine! Other characters, such as Shigematsu, Wataru, and Mimi, also possess distinct personalities and undergo their own development, each discovering their form of strength throughout the story. While the main male characters (Wataru and Shigematsu) felt slightly less dynamic than I hoped, the female characters (Matsuri and Mimi) undoubtedly stole the spotlight with compelling personas. Even the males contributed something meaningful to the narrative and had personal growth arcs.

Enjoyment: 8/10 - Very Good

I genuinely enjoyed "Matsuri Special." It perfectly matched my desire for an empowering, girl-power sports manga, and despite its brevity, I found myself silently cheering for Matsuri and becoming deeply invested in her journey toward self-acceptance. It was refreshing to see that Shigematsu, Mimi (and eventually Wataru) recognized her for who she truly was — a girl inspiring because of her strength — and encouraged her, each in their unique way, to aim higher and delve deeper into how she perceived and presented herself. The wrestling matches, aside from the subpar art, were exhilarating and surprisingly dynamic for a relatively old shoujo manga, making them enjoyable reads.

Overall: 8/10 - Very Good

If you're seeking a great female-led sports manga featuring an awesome heroine, supportive female friendships/rivalries, wholesome romance, and a positive, empowering message about embracing your strength, loving yourself, and being the kind of girl YOU want to be rather than conforming to others' expectations, look no further than Yoko Kamio's "Matsuri Special!" Despite its flaws (like Matsuri's somewhat toxic father and the average art), every manga has imperfections. The positives outweigh the negatives here, and I had a fantastic time reading it, feeling positive and empowered after each chapter. Highly recommend picking up the special series "Matsuri Special" — you won't be disappointed!

Edit: Apparently, this is listed as shounen??? Hard to believe, but okay. It really does seem 100% like a shoujo series.

Rewrite:  
Ever thought, "Damn, why the hell are all the MC girls so bad in manga that aren't the mainstream ones? Why can't I find a good MC who actually chooses the right guy instead of being so vain and shallow!?" Well, well, well... look no further because the girl in this manga is absolutely adorable.  

Story - 7/10  
I actually enjoyed the story. This is a pretty short manga, so not much happens, but I was quite satisfied with how it ended, especially with the wrestling and romance elements mixed together.  

Art - 6/10  
This is just my personal taste, but I don’t like it when people call others ugly (MC) when she’s drawn as cute... The popular guy is unattractive and weird, yet everyone thinks he's hot? A lot of the facial expressions the characters make are downright unappealing to look at. However, the fighting/action poses are fantastic and really stand out.  

Characters - 8/10  
I absolutely adore scary guys who aren’t jerks, and both the MC and the mysterious dude fit everything I love. The MC is this strong, sports-obsessed teenager who gets ostracized for being too dominant, but despite her tough exterior, she isn’t confident about her abilities. Characters with relatable emotions are the best. As for the other two characters, they’re meh. Screw you, popular guy.  

Enjoyment - 8/10  
Yes.  

Overall - 7/10  
Uh, I’ve pretty much said everything I wanted to say already.

If we were to look at how the ability worked, would it be that he has an infinite storage, he has instant mana regen or is it that his mana supply is connected to the world?

Retard author = retard mc