“Ah, youth,” as the professors in Honey and Clover might say. From blushing adolescents in love to troubled art students experiencing self-doubt, it’s youth all over in this month’s column. Michelle starts things off with reviews of volume six of Honey and Clover and the debut of Kimi ni Todoke: From Me to You, Chloe looks at the fifth volume of Sand Chronicles, and Sam wraps things up with his take on volume three of St. Dragon Girl.

Honey and Clover, Vol. 6

By Chica Umino
Viz, 200 pp.
Rating: Older Teen

Yuta Takemoto, the nominal protagonist of Honey and Clover, has been battling feelings of insecurity and inferiority for some time. When he finally gets a job offer, only to receive news of the company’s sudden bankruptcy during his celebration party, it suddenly becomes too much and he takes off on a bicycle journey to find himself. Meanwhile, Yamada starts forming a bond with Nomiya, one of Mayama’s former coworkers, and Hagu faces pressure to “make a lasting impact” with her art, when all she wants to do is live a quiet country life financed by the occasional sale of a painting.

Like volume five before it, volume six mixes pivotal moments for several of its characters with moments of over-the-top zaniness. While the series has always blended humor and drama—and, indeed, a chapter in which the gang helps a bakery with its Father’s Day special is very funny—lately it seems that the comedy has become more outlandish, especially where Morita is concerned. It’s hard to completely dislike him, since he can be considerate and insightful when he tries, but his antics just don’t do it for me.

Those pivotal moments, however, are definitely worth the price of admission; Umino is adept at creating endearing characters with whom readers, whether in the midst of youth or thankfully beyond it, can identify and sympathize. Another thing at which she particularly excels is subtle comparison, be it equating Yamada’s unrequited love for Mayama with the broken stem of a plant that she just can’t bring herself to prune, or likening Takemoto’s genius-adjacent situation to that of Professor Hanamoto, who, in his own college days, also had fabulously talented friends whose world he could never fully enter. Even a hilariously unsubtle comparison between Nomiya, who has just shed the baggage of youth, and Mayama, who is wrapped in it like a cocoon, is excellent.

Because of the universality of the characters’ struggles, this is one of those series with the capacity to appeal to anyone—male or female, old or young, suave or awkward—and make them earnestly desire a happy outcome.

Volume six of Honey and Clover is available now.

–Reviewed by Michelle Smith

Kimi ni Todoke: From Me to You, Vol. 1

By Karuho Shiina
Viz, 216 pp.
Rating: Teen

Sawako Kuronuma doesn’t mean to terrify her classmates. In fact, she wants nothing more than to befriend them, but her resemblance to a character from a horror movie combined with her reserved demeanor keeps them at bay. Everyone, that is, except for a cheerful boy named Kazehaya, who is friendly to all and known to look out for those who don’t quite fit in. When Sawako accidentally says something about him that might be construed as insulting, Kazehaya gives her the opportunity to explain her true feelings. Learning from this experience, she henceforth attempts to clear up misunderstandings about her temperament and rumored psychic powers by revealing her true feelings all over the place, earning her a few additional friends who are moved by her earnest efforts. Kazehaya continues to encourage her to open up, though the attention he pays Sawako causes rumors to fly, including one that might put her new friendships in jeopardy.

I could tell before I even confirmed it that Kimi ni Todoke was serialized in Margaret or one of its offshoots. There’s a similar (but not identical) kind of warmth to series like High School Debut and Crimson Hero that really I really like, and Kimi ni Todoke possesses it as well. Part of the appeal is the importance of friendship as the basis for a relationship, as in each of the series mentioned, the romantic leads have many reasons to like and respect each other, with their feelings developing as a result of one another’s good qualities rather than reasons more shallow. Friendships between female characters are also important, something which is sometimes lacking in shojo manga.

Another point in Kimi ni Todoke’s favor is that the main cast is genuinely likable. True, Sawako is somewhat clueless at times, but her inability to realize that Kazehaya has feelings for her is not due to ditziness; she just’s so very happy and grateful to have him as a friend that it simply doesn’t occur to her that he could possibly want something more. I’m also quite fond of Sawako’s first new friends, Yano and Yoshida, who look kind of tough but end up rallying around her at crucial moments. Sawako, with her long dark hair and spooky vibe and Yoshida, who is brash and rumored to be an ex-gang member, also remind me of Hanajima and Uotani from Fruits Basket, which is definitely a compliment.

Karuho Shiina’s panel layouts and sparse backgrounds pretty much adhere to the shojo standard, but she does possess a unique style where faces are concerned. They’re drawn simply yet expressively, perfectly suited to all of the sincere feeling on display. Sawako is depicted in a variety of ways—creepy-looking, super-deformed—and only manages an unselfconscious smile once, eliciting surprise from all around and prompting Yano to remark later that it actually made her seem “pretty normal.” It does take a little while to tell Sawako’s new friends apart, but they’re distinct enough that it’s not a major problem.

The bottom line: Kimi ni Todoke is feel-good shojo at its best.

Volume one of Kimi ni Todoke: From Me to You will be available on August 4, 2009.

–Reviewed by Michelle Smith

Sand Chronicles, Vol. 5

By Hinako Ashihara
Viz, 192 pp.
Rating: 16+

Despite being nearly five volumes in, Hinako Ashihara’s Sand Chronicles continues to chug along nicely as a beacon of everything that’s enjoyable and refreshing about shojo. Granted, the usual romantic ups and downs provide plenty of tears and jeers, but the thoughtful slice-of-life framing and an eye for humanistic details floats this series to the top of the shojo tank. No one feels overly like a character trope, and Ashihara’s sense for the minute highs and lows of adolescence is a blessing in a series that could have been destined for average shelf status. Sand Chronicles feels less like a dramatic episode and more like a record of lives as they intertwine, living proof that drama and quality are not mutually exclusive properties in shojo.

Granted, the background art is a little on the lacking side (swaths of muzzy screentone do not a locale make) but sharp character renderings and a good pairing of emotion and paneling keep the flow natural and in line with the series’ vibe. This isn’t rocket science, but it is an unusually gifted rehash of the ever-popular romantic bildungsroman. Perhaps the greatest praise that can be bestowed upon Sand Chronicles is that is comes armed with touches of authenticity where too many others prove wanting: from the inane chatter of teenagers to the myriad of personalities with which Ashihara surrounds her leads, the effect is one of portraiture rather than spotlighting. Sand Chronicles is an oasis of quality in an increasingly parched shojo landscape—drink deep, because gems like these are few and far between.

Volume five of Sand Chronicles is available now.

–Reviewed by Chloe Ferguson

St. Dragon Girl, Vol. 3

By Natsumi Matsumoto
VIZ, 200 pp.
Rating: Teen (13+)

Rather lighthearted and cheery is the best way to describe this series. St. Dragon Girl spins the story of Momoka Sendou, a girl who is possessed by a dragon by way of her sorcerer childhood friend/lover, Ryuga. The stories remain silly and soft for the most part, centering around the magic the two share as well as their hidden affection for one another.

This creates an obvious, dull pattern as the tales drag along, with the characters not really learning much after each encounter with mystical spirits and the same hijinks ensuing time and time again. They rescue an incarnation of Suzaku, the phoenix, and Momoka jumps on Ryuga and they fall down, blushing. Then they defeat a snake demon after it possesses Momoka and Ryuga ends up on top of her, again blushing the whole way. Speaking of bad patterns—Natsumi Matsumoto reintroduces the fact that Momoka is a dragon girl and Ryuga is a magic master at the beginning of every chapter! Let’s just say it makes it harder to finish the book.

In terms of artwork, St. Dragon Girl is nothing to write home about whatsoever. The fight scenes are sub-par. The panels provide enough space that it doesn’t feel crowded, which can be a huge problem, but the action isn’t enticing enough for me. The characters, regardless of gender, are all wide-eyed, sparkly, and unrealistic. There is no real difference between anyone except for the changes in hair color and clothing. For example, Ryuga’s rival in magic and love is just Ryuga with white hair instead of black. Oh, if it were only that simple to make a great series…

Volume three of St. Dragon Girl is available now.

–Reviewed by Sam Kusek