Monkey High
Posted on | January 20, 2008 | 29 Comments
Monkey High by by Shouko Akira 
(amazon
Due to her father’s political corruption scandal Haruna has to transfer from her exclusive high school to an ordinary one. She’s decided that high school is like a monkey mountain, full of people squabbling senselessly and trying to climb to the top. Haruna is aloof, not wanting to reach out and make any new friends. The kids at Haruna’s new school are fun-loving and rowdy, accidentally breaking down the door of the principal’s office due to their enthusiastic eavesdropping when she’s conferring with him. They run away, leaving Masaru (aka Macharu) a boy who reminds Haruna of a baby monkey. Where Haruna is reserved, Macharu is open and enthusiastic. Atsu is the most popular guy in school, and his womanizing tendencies lead him to single out Haruna when she wants to avoid being noticed.
Haruna and Macharu keep being paired together – she’s forced to sew his dwarf costume for the class production of Snow White, he lends her his umbrella, and he helps her hide from her ex-boyfriend. Macharu’s emotional honesty begins to break through Haruna’s defenses and she finds herself thinking about dating a guy she never would have gone out with in her former life. The other students at the school function as a Greek chorus, commenting on Haruna’s strange taste in men, betting about the budding romance, and trying to set up Haruna and Macharu on the school trip.
Monkey High’s focus on the emotional moments and developing relationship between Haruna and Macharu reminded me a little bit of the early volumes of Kare Kano. The pairing of the cool girl and goofy guy is a refreshing change from many of the stock characters and situations usually found in shojo manga. The art is very cute, with plenty of significant glances and blushes shared between the protagonists as their relationship progresses.
A review copy was provided by the publisher.
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29 Responses to “Monkey High”
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January 20th, 2008 @ 9:15 am
I don’t think I need to tell you how this manga could be improved.
January 20th, 2008 @ 1:41 pm
Actual monkeys?
January 22nd, 2008 @ 8:50 am
Well, of course!
January 24th, 2008 @ 10:20 am
oi! I think this mangas alright. Well… i mean…i only read the first chapter out of shojo beat,so it’s not like I have read the whole thing but I personally think its really sweet! The whole monkey thing…no they aren’t monkeys…hah…that would be strange
( * – * )
xxx
This mangas good so nehnehnehnehnehneh!
January 27th, 2008 @ 8:54 pm
i read the fisct cahpter on shojobeat.com, and i thought it was pretty cute it can’t improved and i can’t wait to read it why is march so far away!!!!!!!!! and i hope if anyone read this they will want to read Monkey high too.!!!
March 22nd, 2008 @ 8:39 pm
I read it and it was really cute. Macharu is super lovable character.
March 23rd, 2008 @ 5:15 pm
Hah!
I read Monkey High! the manga just the other day. It’s so sweet, and absolutely adorable!
I love it, and can’t wait for #2!
You’ll love it
April 8th, 2008 @ 3:09 am
I read this shojo in just half an hour and i believe it is SUPER adorable! I love Macharu! He is such a cute character! ^^ I really want to read number 2 ^^. Can’t wait to get it. ^^
April 16th, 2008 @ 2:26 am
[...] Shojo Beat imprint, but it isn’t as strong as other recent series like High School Debut or Monkey High. Still, I was amused by Ryu’s facility at lying and Ryoko’s propensity for physical [...]
May 19th, 2008 @ 7:29 pm
I just read Monkey High! today and it was so cute. Macharu is so adorable. When does volume 2 come out?
May 27th, 2008 @ 4:35 pm
[...] visit: Baka-Updates Manga – Saruyama! Comics Village – Monkey High! Volume Shojo Beat and Monkey High The scans: Mangatraders – Monkey High Have a nice day! By the way, I’ll try to get the Law of [...]
June 10th, 2008 @ 3:08 am
HEY HEY GUYS! VOLUME 2 IS OUT NOW!!!!!!!!!!!! GO AND BUY IT NOW!!!!!!!
June 21st, 2008 @ 3:16 pm
I LOVE this manga!!!!
it’s so cute!!
can’t wait untill Volume 3!!!!
June 28th, 2008 @ 3:42 pm
i <3 this story!! when i looking around to buy some new books i came across this book and thought… hmmm monkey high? strange… but i still bought it. idk.its probably cuz i bought most of
the series from shojo beat that i would like to see how good this book is and well i read the first chapter and i was hooked on it, i couldnt wait till vol 2 was out!!this book was very ky-uuute!
July 18th, 2008 @ 9:56 pm
This manga is actually awesome! I just bought it today, and I’ve already read it 3 times! Anyone looking for a good shojo romance NEEDS to read this series!
August 22nd, 2008 @ 11:35 am
That Manga is awesome! :3
August 29th, 2008 @ 6:42 pm
this magna rocks i cant wait for more.i love anime!!!!!!!!
December 5th, 2008 @ 11:42 am
monkey high is soo awesome!! i can’t find anywhere 2 read it!!! help
February 1st, 2009 @ 12:27 pm
[...] Monkey High – Slightly more serious than the other two series I’ve mentioned so far, Monkey High is the story of a stereotypical cool girl who ends up going to a new school and finding a boyfriend who looks and acts like a monkey! I’ve only read the first two volumes of this series, but the commentary on high school life might be enjoyed by fifth graders who want to read about characters who are older than them. [...]
February 18th, 2009 @ 4:52 pm
I’ve read volumes 1-4 and It’s a really good
story, sometimes it seems a little awdkward…but
it’s good
February 21st, 2009 @ 9:31 pm
Monkey high is cute!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I’ve only read volume 1
where are the other volumes?????????????/
May 28th, 2009 @ 2:48 pm
i LOVE this manga i think atsu is to DIE FOR:)))))))
May 28th, 2009 @ 2:48 pm
a libery or a book store were else
June 21st, 2009 @ 4:19 pm
you can get volumes one through eight cheap-plus-shipping at amazon.com
June 21st, 2009 @ 4:24 pm
a friend lent me volume one and i read it last night and again this afternoon and then reread the kissing scene like 16 times!
July 12th, 2009 @ 11:18 pm
So COOL. like totally.
Macharu is absolutely adorable.
Cute, funny, sweet and can be very determined!
Love him, so-so.
January 4th, 2010 @ 11:46 am
my god i loved this manga!!!!!!!!!!!! its so cute i only read #1 but im looking for the other volumes^^ i love this manga..it was diffrent and awsome
January 4th, 2010 @ 11:46 am
i like macharus friemd
March 26th, 2010 @ 9:52 am
its super cute but they dont have the name of my fave monkey!!! ( superstar monkey)