 | | ▪ | RELEASED BY: | | DEL REY | | | ▪ | AUTHOR / ART: | | HARUKA FUKUSHIMA | | | ▪ | FORMAT: | | JAPANESE / B&W | | | ▪ | PAGES: | | 104 | | | ▪ | RATING: | | T | | | ▪ | RELEASE DATE: | | 04/28/2009 | | | ▪ | REVIEW DATE: | | 04/21/2009 | | | ▪ | REVIEWED BY: | | HOLLY ELLINGWOOD |
Orange Planet is the all new shojo manga series from the creator of the heartwarming and fun Cherry Juice and Instant Teen. The story centers on a good hearted girl with a tragic past. Rui lost her parents when she was young and a gentle boy helped ease her sorrow by promising her that the brightest star was hers and hers alone. Rui grew up holding that wish and the gift of hope the boy left in her heart. He also left a strange teddy bear and a name – Haru. She never did see that boy again even though she always wrote to him. Now though, she has her hands entirely too full of boys everywhere and they all seem interested in one thing – her! Could one of them be the boy that gave her back the smile in her heart? The romantic dramedy has Rui behaving like your typical teenager if you put aside her living alone and taking care of herself. A lonely existence that she refuses to let get her down. She’s brave and strong while shy and kind. The boys in her life are varied and yet similar in the fact that they all seem intent on Rui. There’s the boy next door Taro that she takes blind advantage of by slipping into his bed for naps whenever she’s tired. She treats him like a brother instead of the boy who, unbeknownst to her, is crushing on her. Meanwhile Rui has her own crush on the popular boy of the school and Taro’s friend Kaoru. Things get muddled when she attempts to give Kaoru a love letter and Taro finds out. What makes it all more a windstorm of romantic confusion is the appearance of a pretty playboy named Eisuke who just happens to be Rui’s new teaching intern and worms his way right into her life! Before you know it, the intriguing Eisuke is living with Rui. Despite his teasing personality and laissez faire ways, he honestly appears to care for Rui. The question is why? What is Rui to him? There seems to be some parallels between things he says and things the boy from long ago said to Rui. Could they be one and the same? If so, what will that mean to the boys in Rui’s life, let alone Rui? What makes it more curious and deepens the mystery is that Eisuke is keeping a close eye on Rui’s situation and decides to meddle. He tells Taro flat out that if he doesn’t do something, he’ll lose any chance at all with Rui all together. Just what is Eisuke’s true agenda? Orange Planet is a promising new romantic series that has all the bells and whistles of a fine shojo piece. The characters all have stories to tell and the relationships are already complicated. The lovely artistry of the author continues to hold true in this manga as it has in her other works such as Cherry Juice. The people are always windswept and full of emotion. She has a lovely soulful quality to her characters’ expressions that makes the art as enchanting as the story is charming. Manga extras include comic panels, an afterword, and a preview of the next volume in Japanese.
IN SUMMARY:
Orange Planet is a new romantic series that is as endearing as it is delightful. |
