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Reviewed by Lisa Anderson When trying to show her true feelings to the guy that’s stolen her heart, Akari seems to embrace unorthodox methods. From changing her hairstyle to seeking advice from a robot, at times it seems impossible for her to ever show her true emotions. It doesn’t help that several other girls, all friends of Akari, also have their eye on Hiroyuki. What’s a girl to do? When in doubt, hide behind a bit of shyness and rely on a strong skill in cooking! Like many romantic comedies, To Heart starts with a trio of childhood friends. Akari, Hiroyuki, and Masashi have known each other since kindergarten. As a teenager Akari and Hiroyuki’s friendship is on the verge of moving to another level, though everything seems to be working against them. A lineup of beautiful and talented girls also have their eyes on Hiroyuki, each forming a close friendship with him in a matter of hours. Instead of stepping forward and expressing her emotions, Akari forms friendships of her own with the girls, happily supporting both them and their dreams. While the other girls could make a move, it’s obvious that everyone realizes how well Akari and Hiroyuki fit together - except for them. The cast of To Heart swings from run of the mill to out of the ordinary. Akari is a sweet-hearted school girl, always willing to support both friends and strangers. Hiroyuki is a strong-willed boy, happy to stand up for others and lend a hand. At the other end of the spectrum you have Multi, a maid robot undergoing her final production test. You also have Serika, and upperclassman that delights in witchcraft and speaks without uttering a word. While the majority of To Heart runs as smoothly as any title in the genre, there were a few odd bits here and there. The series starts on the idea of three childhood friends, but aside from the odd line or two, Masashi rarely makes an appearance in the story. On the other hand, characters that are hardly mentioned make repeated appearances, greatly affecting the overall story. In the end, To Heart is still a classic romantic story. Girl likes boy, other girl likes boy, boy is oblivious. After a long tangle of comical moments and emotional scenes, one can only hope for a happy ending. In this story though, I found myself rooting for several characters, for several different reasons. Everyone seems to have some dream, and it’s easy to get caught up in their journey, and to hope they reach their goal. Comment on this review of To Heart v1 on the Manga Life Forums. |
6 October 2009
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