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MAMOTTE! LOLLIPOP (VOL. 1) [ADVANCE REVIEW] |
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Saturday, 03 March 2007 |
 | | ▪ | PUBLISHED BY: | | DEL REY | | | ▪ | ART/AUTHOR: | | MICHIYO KIKUTA | | | | ▪ | FORMAT/COLOR: | | JAPANESE FORMAT/ BW | | | ▪ | PAGES: | | 212 | | | ▪ | RATED: | | T | | | ▪ | RELEASE DATE: | | 03/06/2007 | | | ▪ | REVIEW DATE: | | 03/04/2007 | | | ▪ | REVIEWED BY: | | HOLLY ELLINGWOOD |
Nina is an ordinary girl with a pretty average dream: to meet a wonderful boy who will protect and love her. The extraordinary happens when not one, but two cute boys drop from the sky – literally – into Nina’s life. Both Ichi and Zero are professional wizard candidates and to take the exam they have to fulfill a quest in the human world. This exam leads them right to Nina. Before she knows it, this ordinary girl is swept up on a magical adventure filled with rival wizards, enchanted traps, and two very enchanting boys – one of which may spell love in Nina’s heart!
This is a youthful and charming shojo romantic comedy filled with magic, lively characters and romantic entanglements. Nina is a sweet girl but she won’t let people walk all over her. When she meets the more reserved Ichi and the temperamental and reckless Zero, it’s clear that it could be either one who manages to steal Nina’s heart and her theirs. Things get humorously complicated when the two young wizards transfer to her school and so too do their exam rivals. The exams are done in pairs and they all have to fight for the prize, a prize that is closely connected to Nina. Not only are some of these wizards rivals for the grand prize but also as love interests. Rokka, another contender, has her sights set on Ichi and she doesn’t like all that protectiveness he’s throwing Nina’s way. Rokka isn’t above using a little magic to try to trip things up between Nina and Ichi to ensure she gets the boy she wants. Between that and sudden wizard quizzes that Nina gets thrown into, she’s in for a magical adventure of both excitement and romance.
The art style, like the story, is charming. It is done in the softer style of most shojo, but unlike most shojo, this manga shows a lot of exuberance in its pages. The liveliness is mirrored by the characters and their energetic and magical adventures.
This first volume has a lot of extras. Some are the usual kind such as translation notes, a preview of volume 2 in the original Japanese, and author’s notes. Other features include Q&A sessions, extra art work and even a Mamotte! Lollipop Quiz. There’s a sweet bonus manga story called “Medical Magical” set in the Magical World Zero and Ichi and all the other wizards come from. Curiously enough, the two main characters of this side story, Pure and Shisho, look a lot like Sun and Will from the main story.
IN SUMMARY:
Mamotte! Lollipop is a charming new comedic romance. It is filled with lively magical adventures and mishaps and more than one romantic entanglement to keep the energy and interest high. |
