 | | ▪ | RELEASED BY: | | VIZ MEDIA | | | ▪ | AUTHOR / ART: | | YUKI YOSHIHARA | | | ▪ | FORMAT: | | JAPANESE / B&W | | | ▪ | PAGES: | | 192 | | | ▪ | RATING: | | T | | | ▪ | RELEASE DATE: | | 12/01/2009 | | | ▪ | REVIEW DATE: | | 12/01/2009 | | | ▪ | REVIEWED BY: | | HOLLY ELLINGWOOD |
Choko Kuze comes from a once wealthy family now in disgrace. For the past thirteen years her family has struggled to make ends meet. Her father runs a soba noodle shop, her brother is not quite in touch with reality, and she must get a job, even if it means having to put up with Masayuki Domoto. He’s the director of the top real estate agency and she needs the job he’s giving out. He asks sexually harassing questions right at her first interview and is a complete tyrant at the office. However his real identity harkens back to her precious childhood over thirteen years ago. Will she put the pieces together? And if she does, what will that mean? Her dear Cha-chan, the boy who was the son of the chauffeur in her golden years, is now the same man running her into the ground at work. She can hardly believe it, but when she is in peril’s way, suddenly he becomes the sweet and tender person that always protected her and treated her so gently. When a malcontent comes to the office and holds her hostage via a knife, he comes to her rescue. When she’s stuck in an elevator thirty stories up, he keeps her warm and calms her down. When a client attempts to have his way with her, Domoto offers his own body in her stead! Okay, so Domoto goes to extremes when it comes to Choko, but which is the real Domoto and how does he feel about her? When Suou, a beautiful and aggressive woman, shows up and kisses Domoto, Choko is incensed and wants answers from this interloper. A little ‘girl talk’ and she challenges Choko to take Domoto away from her. Virtuous Choko does her best and in the end there is a kiss, but he doesn’t seem to act any differently after it. Also she discovers Suou’s true identity along with the real relationship with Domoto. It’s an eye opener and a barrel of laughs. After the kiss Choko realizes that Domoto doesn’t take her seriously. She’s torn because she likes how his Cha-chan side indulges her but at the same time she wants to be seen as a woman. She’s realized she’s fallen in love with him and has determinedly decided to stay by him until he realizes it too. It seems she is getting through to him maybe because when her family needs help on New Year’s Eve at the restaurant he comes riding in to give a hand. Could it be that he returns her feelings? Would the real Domoto please stand up? It’s an eccentric romantic comedy that offers a lot of fun with how it plays with role reversals. The servant who is now the boss and the aristocrat young lady who is now his underling clash, bond, and misunderstand, all on the road to romance. The art style has a fun flavor to the visuals, especially with the role reversal moments when the comedy is heightened. Plus the character designs have nice subtle details the make all the difference in how Choko appears adult yet innocent, Suou seems sophisticated and cunning, while Domoto has a wide range due to his ever revolving personality. The big question is can these two get past their class differences to see eye to eye?
IN SUMMARY:
A romantic comedy that offers a lot of laughs with its playful role reversals. |
