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Reviews
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Friday, 14 August 2009 |
 | | ▪ | RELEASED BY: | | DIGITAL MANGA PUBLISHING | | | ▪ | AUTHOR / ART: | | MOMOKO TENZEN | | | ▪ | FORMAT: | | JAPANESE / B&W | | | ▪ | PAGES: | | 150 | | | ▪ | RATING: | | M | | | ▪ | RELEASE DATE: | | 04/14/2009 | | | ▪ | REVIEW DATE: | | 08/14/2009 | | | ▪ | REVIEWED BY: | | HOLLY ELLINGWOOD |
Suggestive Eyes is a series of stories primarily around the couple Kina and Megumu. The manga begins by showing the two of them in turmoil as Megumu decides to call off their “friends with benefits” arrangement. He feels like he’s using Kina and also, he’s afraid of feeling for someone again after the heartbreak that led him to Kina’s arms. Through a series of misunderstandings and melodrama, the two end up back in each other’s arms, but that is far from the end of their story. The chapters go on and reveal how they first met and later how jealousy comes into play, dividing more clearly for the two confused lovers the difference between lust and love. Unfortunately though, their stories come across disjointed. Perhaps it is because of the chapters time jumping back and forth in the lives of the people, or maybe there wasn’t enough background information offered in the first chapter to get a solid grasp on the individuals and their relationship. Either way, it was difficult to feel connected to them. Part of the result is that the secondary couple presented in some stories of their own, outshine the main couple in this manga. Shibata and Kiku are two professors at the college Kina and Megumu attend. There is a tender and bittersweet quality to their sentimental romance. A story about a puppy needing a home reveals just how dearly Shibata loves his gentle and fragile lover. Another story tells about how they first became a couple, again showing a romantic story with an involving quality. The art style is unfortunately not as refined as it could be. Some of the angles seem odd to the eye. It is the seventh manga by the artist. It could be that it was one of the more rushed stories but that is mere speculation. I’ve seen better art from Tenzen in previous works and look forward and hope to see a return to a more polished illustrative style in the future. Oddly enough, the art suffers the most with Kina and Megumu while Shibata’s stories are quite competent and hold some endearing scenes.
IN SUMMARY:
Suggestive Eyes is two romances in one. The first is between two college mates and the other is with tow teachers. |
