Hardcore Gamer Trapped in a Dead Game

For such a brief tale, this story was genuinely entertaining—both in terms of its plot, which featured billiards and a touch of romance, and its character development. Within just a few chapters, the author succeeded in making me care about the main couple and the shop owner. I savored every moment of their interactions, even though they were typical shoujo characters: a scatterbrained girl lacking romantic experience and a mysterious boy burdened with family or social problems.

The romance element was rather lackluster, but it provided just enough satisfaction by the conclusion. The real focus, however, was on billiards, a subject that, as a fan of the game, I found immensely enjoyable.

As other reviewers have pointed out, the ending was quite rushed and disappointing. In fact, I wasn't even aware the story had concluded until I noticed that subsequent chapters were unrelated one-shots. I truly believe the story could have benefited from being extended into a few more volumes, leaving me to create my own theories about what happened after the finale.

Returning to those unrelated one-shots, there were three of them, and although they had no bearing on the main storyline—I'm still unsure why they were bundled with the manga instead of released as standalone stories—they were enjoyable reads. Each was around 50 pages long, so they couldn't delve too deeply, yet they still enhanced my overall reading experience.

In summary, I appreciated the manga and will retain it in my memory. Nevertheless, due to its short length and conventional shoujo narrative structure, I don't think it's universally appealing, which is why I opted for "mixed feelings" rather than "recommended." That said, for fans of shoujo, this is certainly a pleasant, quick read.

<p>Recently, I unexpectedly found myself in the mood for reading shoujo romance mangas, and a few weeks ago, I went on a bit of a spree, devouring quite a few short ones. While they were all fairly enjoyable, it's understandable that some stories stood out more than others. However, I couldn't shake the feeling that many of the overarching plot lines in the shoujo romance mangas I read were strikingly similar. "Nine Puzzle" is a prime example of this. Though it was relatively enjoyable and a quick read, it didn't bring anything new to the genre.</p>

<p>As I've already mentioned, the story in "Nine Puzzle" follows the typical shoujo formula: the main protagonist, Mika Sawamura, is your average high school girl who has never had a boyfriend. Enter Kaede Minakami, the stereotypical mysterious classmate who appears cold and distant at school but reveals a completely different side when seen outside of school in a setting he's comfortable with — in this case, billiards. The narrative revolves around how Mika gradually gets involved in the world of billiards and slowly befriends, and eventually falls in love with, Kaede.</p>

<p>One thing about the majority of shoujo manga art that I absolutely adore is its distinct style, which is evident here as well — reminiscent of other popular series like "Vampire Knight" and "Lovely Complex." It's highly detailed, realistic, and clean, blending seamlessly with the story presented. This is likely why I rated the art so highly. However, aside from that, there wasn't much else that particularly caught my attention.</p>

<p>With many short shoujo romances, you can't expect much in terms of character development, and "Nine Puzzle" is no exception. Mika, Kaede, and another key character, Youhei Ueda (the owner of the billiards shop Mika and Kaede will frequent), don't have anything extraordinary about them. Essentially, what you're introduced to in the first chapter is what you'll see throughout the remaining seven chapters. They even resemble other female and male leads from other shoujo manga. That said, all three characters are quite likable, and within such a brief story, you won't have any trouble connecting with them.</p>

<p>Ultimately, it all boils down to how much you'll enjoy this story, and personally, I thoroughly loved it. Yes, it didn't offer anything innovative. Yes, it's your standard shoujo romance. Yes, the characters are rather straightforward and lack complexity. However, the manga-ka employs a tried-and-true formula of shoujo romance in "Nine Puzzle," and without a doubt, this formula works exceptionally well in this manga. I highly recommend this story to anyone seeking a quick, simple, and easy-to-read fix, featuring a plot that's cute and enjoyable without requiring deep thought or engagement with complex situations.</p>

The Nine Puzzle. Review. By NnelL.

The plot was fantastic, leaving you in suspense about what's coming next, especially if your imagination runs wild. However, it fell short on the romance front. I was left thinking, 'What?! That's it?'. Nevertheless, it was adorable. It even inspired me to try billiards, maybe to meet someone like him—just joking! But seriously, it made me realize that billiards aren't just for troublemakers. Plus, the artwork was incredible since the characters are sooo cute and COOL! The cover is particularly stunning—the girl looks amazing. I had a great time reading it, but I did feel it was somewhat brief. Though, I don't usually enjoy overly long stories. Overall, I'd rate it a 9 because of the 'romance' aspect.

I highly recommend this to everyone—it truly appeals to all... hehehe....  

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I read this manga before I even knew about this site. However, it's a manga I have never forgotten. I read it years ago when I was still a bit of a novice, but I really enjoyed it at the time; I was fascinated. I don't think this manga suits everyone, but I would recommend it.  

It is short and easy to read. The humor in the story was great. Most of the humor came from the two main characters, who I would describe as best friends who have known each other all their lives but continuously fight.  

My overall rating for this manga is 8, though it was very nearly a 10. This is simply because of the ending. The ending, unlike the rest of the manga, was terrible. It just seemed to finish in the middle. There wasn't a conclusion, nor was there anything to even indicate the end in the story. The ending is very disappointing, and my friend, whom I got to read it as well, also agreed.  

I remember saying, "That can't be the end!" This was what ruined the manga and decreased its score.  

Overall, I would recommend it to beginners and anyone who is bored and looking for something to do.

Well, to be honest, I didn't really like the story. The genre is supposed to be Romance, but frankly, there was barely any romance in it.  

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What happened I only really got to like 200 before I couldn’t go on

In actual fact, your translation this time is bad making the novel difficult to read and understand. You might up people’s names and pronouns, etc. Please do better. Thank you.

ohh