Sweet Bite: The Vampire Killer

m craze for this book!...the romance,love,hate,twists, everything is lit Do read this !!!!

10 dollars for a smaal part. a normal book cost about 15 and this is more. sorry but no it cost to much.

Finally finished reading Hoshi wa Utau, by the notorious Takaya Natsuki, known for Fruits Basket. If you've read that manga (not just watched the anime), you'll know what I mean.  

For 9 volumes, it was pretty fantastic. Straightforward shoujo. Then came the inevitable Natsuki Twist, which made me absolutely furious until the very last chapter, where it was resolved.  

I'm not sure I'm fully "over it" yet because it essentially negates the rage-inducing twist, but at least it concluded well.  

I'd recommend it if you enjoy some heavier romance. It's slow-paced, almost like Toume Kei's style, but she's the opposite in that she floods you with inner thoughts (Toume Kei has a distinct style with minimal "inner thoughts," making it hard to grasp what characters are thinking). If you're tired of typical romances with overly cheerful protagonists, you might like this. However, be prepared for a lot of emotional intensity, as is expected from her works.

Hoshi wa Utau is a shoujo manga penned by Natsuki Takaya, the creator of Fruits Basket. While Hoshi wa Utau may not reach the heights of Fruits Basket, it still stands as a commendable shoujo manga worth reading. Spoilers follow.

Story: 7  
The plot isn't particularly groundbreaking or novel, but it functions well and remains enjoyable and engaging. The narrative strikes a balance between sadness and uplifting moments effectively. A notable twist occurs when Chihiro returns to Tokyo to assist Sakura. Although it was predictable that Chihiro and Sakuya would end up together, I felt the story's message might have resonated more if they hadn't waited for each other and walked off into the sunset hand in hand.

The theme focuses heavily on moving forward, and it would have aligned better with this message if Sakuya had accepted that while Chihiro holds a special place in her heart, she can't wait for him indefinitely and must move on with her life. This could have been a realistic and touching portrayal of first love. Instead, after briefly contemplating moving on, Sakuya finds Chihiro waiting for her and continues to wait for years until he finally returns. This development somewhat contradicts the manga's overall message, though I'm unsurprisingly unsurprised by how it turned out. (Had it ended differently, the manga might have received more negative reviews!)

Art: 8  
Natsuki Takaya's art style is clean and solid, showcasing her talent with lighting and shadows. Initially, characters in the earlier volumes were sometimes difficult to distinguish, but they become more distinct and unique as the series progresses.

Characters: 7  
My primary issue lies with the heroine, Sakuya. She embodies the stereotypical shoujo protagonist and, in the early volumes, borders on insufferably bland. She does develop somewhat as the story unfolds but remains far less interesting than the supporting characters. Fortunately, these supporting characters are intriguing and multi-dimensional enough to compensate for Sakuya's shortcomings. Her friends, Hijiri and Yuuri, are delightful to watch and I grew to love them both. The romance between Hijiri and Saki was charming and, truthfully, I enjoyed it slightly more than Sakuya and Chihiro's. Chihiro, despite occasionally being overly angsty to the point of absurdity, makes for an interesting love interest. You genuinely care about him and wish to see his growth.

Overall: 8  
While not flawless, Hoshi wa Utau is a very good shoujo manga with an uplifting message and likable characters. If you're a fan of shoujo/romance manga, this is certainly worth your time.

Looking at what other reviewers had to say about this manga, I approached it with modest expectations, hoping for a solid story and a decent conclusion. To my surprise, Twinkle Stars exceeded all my anticipations. It truly stands shoulder to shoulder with Fruits Basket among Natsuki Takaya's works, and I'm genuinely puzzled as to why it doesn't receive more attention.  
  
As others have mentioned, the narrative begins at a leisurely pace. We're gradually introduced to the characters and some groundwork is laid for future plot developments, but the payoff is absolutely worth the wait. Takaya excels at weaving intricate story threads and connecting specific character traits to events that are yet to unfold. The surprises in the story are not mere shocks; they are seamlessly integrated into the larger tapestry of the plot.  
  
The artwork is quintessentially Takaya's style, just as I remember it. I must admit, I've always appreciated her earlier artistic approach, yet her ability to convey emotions remains extraordinary. Through simple facial expressions, she can tug at your heartstrings or bring you to tears.  
  
The final chapter, while somewhat underwhelming, felt a tad rushed. Typically, I don't hold this against the author, as such issues often stem from publication deadlines being hastened or insufficient popularity during serialization leading to premature endings. Nevertheless, the story concluded satisfactorily overall.

Twinkle Stars Review. From the Author of Fruits Basket.

If Fruits Basket is half as good as this, I'll probably hate it because this manga isn't that great either.

Twinkle Stars revolves around the theme of stars, as the title clearly suggests. Our female main character (FMC) is currently living with a family friend since her parents dislike her—because, you know, this is a manga where loving parents are practically unheard of in Japanese stories. She meets the male lead (MMC), and she instantly falls in love with him because he's the male lead and he says something no one has ever said to her in her entire life, given that everyone around her is an absolute jerk.

Seriously, the manga has a significant issue with making most of its characters complete morons... or whatever the plural form might be. They're just the worst people imaginable. God forbid you're a parent in this series because you're useless, a pushover, a terrible person, or someone who could easily drive someone to the brink of suicide.

The series features over-the-top comedic villains, which are almost every parent in the story. I think one couple is the only decent set of parents in the series. Even then, their child is incredibly annoying.

The reason I'm emphasizing these problems so much is that the author attempts to justify the MMC's behavior. As I mentioned, this is a shoujo manga, and no shoujo manga is complete without a jerky male lead who slowly opens up throughout the series. While I understand his behavior, considering the kind of parents he has, it's still extremely frustrating. There are other series that do the exact same thing but execute it with far greater success. This isn't one of them.

The series is at its best when it isn't dealing with parental drama. The parental drama significantly weakens the story. Even the dramatic crying moments from running away from home because your parents don't love you didn't tug at any heartstrings.

The series fails in this aspect because I simply don't have the emotional connection the author tries to establish between the characters and the audience. So, I can't cry with him because, frankly, I don't care.

The series later evolves into a decent love triangle. By this point, either it's Stockholm syndrome or the sunk cost fallacy, but I've become somewhat attached to the characters. Even the male lead transforms into someone I actually enjoy reading about by the halfway point. However, the love triangle is a bit odd. The FMC compares the male lead to a star and the other guy to the sun. But here's the thing: the sun is a star. So what the hell? I get that she means one brightens up her world while the other represents a dream (shooting star concept), but I found it hilariously contradictory.

In the end, I'm somewhat disappointed with this series. It's made by the author of Fruits Basket. I haven't personally read Fruits Basket, but that was the main reason I picked up this series.

I think the fact that the author didn't try to redeem the parent characters was a positive choice because, after everything they've done, I would've thrown my device if they suddenly turned good for no reason.

The main cast is solid (though shaky) enough for me to continue reading this series. It's probably going to be enough for you too. Some of the characters are downright monstrous, while others are fun to hang out with. The art is great; the main story kinda sucks. The ending is uneven.

Overall, mediocre with some fun moments. But mostly mediocre. 5/10

I might be biased since I'm a fan of Natsuki Takaya's previous work, which is Fruits Basket...  
Even so, Hoshi Wa Utau does not cater to a mainstream audience because the plot progresses quite slowly. The intricacy and drama are strong, but the comedy is minimal. Don't expect the same humor as in Fruits Basket...  
I recommend this manga to those who enjoy a slow yet meaningful story; that is Hoshi Wa Utau.  
Perhaps at first, you might find the characters typical, after all, the heroine is a typical cute but foolish girl... But as I continued reading, she grew on me. She has many flaws, but her strong will to live and her love for the stars truly touched me.  
And for the hero of the story, Aoi Chihiro, aside from being very good-looking and intelligent, he carries the pain from his past love, which naturally leads to the unrequited nature of the story...  
However, for me, the character Kanade interests me more than the main male lead. Kanade, or better known as Kana-chan, acts as Saku's guardian. He's quite a grumpy character, and I can't wait to learn more about him in the future chapters.  
Overall, it is a good read for me. Be patient when reading because the drama starts around chapter 17 or 18... but you might be intrigued by it from chapter four if I'm not mistaken. Hope you'll enjoy this manga as I did!  
^^

To begin, I must say that the English title really bothers me. It seems like such an obvious mistranslation; it should have been "Twinkling Stars" or something similar, right? How did no one catch that?! Anyway...  

I’ll be honest. I picked this series up because I’m a huge Fruits Basket fan. If I wasn’t already in love with Takaya’s work, the summary alone wouldn’t have caught my attention enough to even try the first volume. But I had faith that there would be more depth, and I think that faith was rewarded. The romance wasn’t what resonated most with me in this story, and I’ll admit upfront that I’m not typically one for romance anyway. And to get that out of the way...  

This isn’t the best love story I’ve ever read. There were some touching moments, but overall, something felt missing. To name a few things that stood out to me, Sakuya and Chihiro got off on the wrong foot from the start. The mystery surrounding Chihiro was intriguing, and it certainly sparked enough curiosity in Sakuya to make her want to track him down and get to know him better. Especially after he leaves her that night with some heartfelt words (even if he couldn’t have known how deeply those words would affect her at the time). However, I think Sakuya jumps to the conclusion that she’s in love too quickly. Additionally, Chihiro’s intense angst—especially when we’re just getting to know him—was a bit off-putting. That overused romance trope where a love interest is perfectly normal one day and then suddenly declares “I hate you” the next? Not a fan, and it wasn’t necessary here. That said, their love story does wrap up nicely by the end, and the night they spend together before Chihiro returns to Tokyo genuinely moved me.  

On the other hand, I did enjoy all the characters (with the exception of the parents, who were written as one-dimensional villains). This was the aspect I was most excited about—Natsuki Takaya’s ability to craft characters with emotional, dark backstories. All the characters felt well-developed, and more importantly, we see them grow and evolve as people throughout the story. I loved the family dynamic between Sakuya and Kanade. While the "twist" involving Sakura was predictable, I still enjoyed her character. And Chihiro played his role well, even though he occasionally came across as a bit bland. In this regard, all my expectations were met.  

In conclusion, I did enjoy this series. The intended romance didn’t quite land for me, but I wasn’t really invested in the love story anyway. If you’re a fan of Fruits Basket and its focus on dark narratives and character development, I think you’ll appreciate this series as well.