The Sleeping Devil

Funny, light, and cute romance.

Ahh yes, the typical Chinese writing style where a single action can be dragged out for hundreds of chapters. Thanks for the warning man. Not that I was enthusiastic to read this sh*t since it has a shitstem to begin with.

It was actually good, It's one of those stories where the first 100 chapters is a build up for the later chapters, even things you found absurd or just dumb, plot holes etc... were all understood later on... just keep reading... it's actually good, at least in my opinion.

This was an incredibly challenging manga for me to review. Initially, I absolutely loved it and believed nothing could change that. However, the second volume left me a bit lost and disappointed. I even contemplated stopping my reading journey here. Yet, since I already had the next volume, I decided to persevere. And I'm truly glad I did. By volumes 3 and 4, I was completely won back.  

The narrative itself is one that has been explored numerous times: a teacher and student get married and keep it hidden from the world. But in "Faster than a Kiss," there's a unique freshness and sweetness to the story. To "rescue" Fumino and her brother Teppei, Sensei marries her. The rest of the tale revolves around their evolving relationship—their growing feelings for each other and their personal development. It's a beautifully gentle story, laced with humor as well.  

I genuinely adore the characters. Fumino is young—only 16—and she behaves accordingly. Much of the story centers on her grappling with the reality of being a married woman and understanding her connection with Sensei. On the other hand, Sensei has a delinquent past but is already a loving family member from the start. Teppei is simply charming! His cuteness, his adorable cosplay, and the delightful conversations between him and Ryu (the neighbor) are highlights of the series. The supporting characters are fantastic too! This is the kind of series where you genuinely care about everyone involved.  

I highly recommend this manga. While it does have a slower pace initially (which almost made me quit), it eventually picked up steam. More importantly, enough character depth was revealed that I found myself eager to discover what happens next. So, for those seeking a gentle romance with a non-bastardly male lead, this one is definitely worth checking out! :-)  

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This manga boasts stunning artwork, impeccable comedic timing, and a cast of appealing love interests, ranging from the main characters to minor side characters. These elements alone are sufficient to grant it a 7 in the shoujo category, but when it comes to realism, it deserves no more than a 5.

Get ready for an endless stream of cringe-worthy moments as Kazuma, the "ordinary" young English teacher, ties the knot with Fumino, a beautiful yet violent orphan. Attempt to find humor in the frequent cosplay scenarios orchestrated by this twisted adult, who harbors an inexplicable and inappropriate fascination with a conflicted, seemingly pure yet unmistakably lust-driven 16-year-old girl. Writing this review itself makes me cringe, but such is the reality of the plot.

If a girl is as inexperienced as Fumino, her thoughts should revolve around things like "wow, I'd love to hold hands" rather than aggressively pursuing romantic encounters. Kazuma oscillates between "she's so young; I must cherish her innocence" and "I've reached my limit; I'm going to take everything from you, child" within mere seconds. Seriously, these contrasting sentiments appear just a few panels apart.

Initially, you might find yourself rooting for those trying to break them up because, let's face it, their marriage is deeply inappropriate and entirely avoidable. However, you eventually grow weary of the ridiculous complications, such as Kazuma's estranged family suddenly inserting themselves into the narrative. What gives? Isn't estrangement supposed to mean staying out of each other's lives?

The most exasperating aspect of the series is its conclusion, unless we consider Kazuma's charming younger brother, Shouma, who kept me engaged with his honesty and striking good looks. Let Kazuma continue being impractical, and let Fumino keep shedding tears at every opportunity (despite her strength and fighting skills, all the talk of "she smiles more with Kazuma" seems baseless since she appears to cry more than anything). As long as Shouma provides a refreshing breeze to the story, I can rate it a 7.

But only because it's shoujo.

{{Minor spoilers}}  
Well, this was my first shoujo manga, and I picked it up blindly since the synopsis intrigued me.  

The story revolves around a student who marries her teacher to help support herself and her little brother, Teppei (who is undoubtedly the most adorable character in this manga). Over time, she develops feelings for her teacher, and he reciprocates, which forms the core of the narrative as their relationship evolves.  

At first, I genuinely enjoyed this manga and found it delightful. However, it started to get repetitive after each chapter because the plot became predictable. Despite that, the relationship between the two main characters was endearing and kept me invested. For the story, I would rate it 6.5/10.  

I appreciated the characters and how the author introduced them initially, but with every new addition, they often faded into the background and were rarely mentioned again unless necessary. Shouma's character, in particular, annoyed me, especially in the later chapters, making him difficult to like. For the characters, I give it 8/10.  

The art style was strange at first and took some getting used to, but it never reached greatness. For the art, I give it 5/10.  

Overall enjoyment? 5/10.

This tale revolves around the evolving relationship between a teacher and his student. At home, they are married, while at school, they maintain a student-teacher dynamic. The teacher is male, significantly older, and had a delinquent past. The student is female, harboring a belief that she is akin to Joan of Arc due to her strong sense of righteous justice. Consequently, she can come off as violent, as she physically confronts wrongdoers. The main female character has a younger brother, and both are orphans who fled from a troubled home with relatives. While staying on a park bench, they were discovered by her sensei, who was searching for her due to numerous missed school days. As a challenge and partly motivated by financial gain, the girl tells the sensei to marry her, which surprisingly happens. Thus, she and her little brother move into his house, maintaining their marriage as a secret from everyone else. In the story, the sensei has a neighbor who is also his best friend of ten years and coincidentally teaches kindergarten to the lead girl's younger brother, Teppei.

The summary above doesn't fully capture the intricacies of this well-thought-out student-teacher narrative. Often, such stories involve awkwardness or exploitation in the relationship, but this one avoids those pitfalls. I appreciated the story for its good continuity, smooth flow without excessive conflict, and excellent artwork. The characters develop well through various trials and tribulations, making the story genuinely likable. Despite initial impressions of mediocrity, it offers a balanced and light-hearted narrative.

A particularly humorous aspect is the cosplay displays whenever the sensei comes home. He has a cosplay fetish and insists that the lead girl and her little brother (Teppei) dress up in matching cosplay outfits to have dinner. Interestingly, Teppei isn't forced; he enjoys dressing up because it earns him hugs and affection. It's endearing. The four-year-old is charming in his cosplay attire.

If this were adapted into a live-action show, I wouldn't object. The manga hasn't been updated yet, but so far, it's well-developed, and I believe most people would enjoy it.

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The quintessential teacher/student relationship manga. ^^ If you're into this kind of shoujo story, then this is the perfect manga for you.

The plot takes an interesting turn as they are already married from the beginning, a marriage born out of necessity that gradually blossoms into love. Despite being a chaste romance—when will they finally kiss?—their connection remains charming and captivating. Fumino isn't your average shoujo heroine; she has plenty of spirit and can hold her own. Her little brother Teppei is absolutely delightful! And Sensei himself serves as both the romantic lead and the comic relief. I adore it.

The story balances drama and romance with comedic, lighthearted moments quite evenly, and both aspects are equally fantastic. The artwork is pleasant, not the most stunning I've encountered, but clear and practical for this manga.

In essence, it's an enjoyable series to dive into. You'll become attached to the characters, you'll laugh, and you'll eagerly look forward to the next chapter. The ideal shoujo manga.