Teru Teru X Shonen: Volume 1 by Shigeru Takao (amazon)
Sometimes when I do my monthly DCBS manga order, I’ll throw in a first volume of a series randomly just to try out something new. Sometimes I luck out and find series that I really enjoy, and other times I end up with a dud. Teru Teru X Shonen is a dud. I thought this series about a girl in high school and her ninja protector might be cute, but it was just not very good.
This manga is a broad comedy, and while I understand that in comedies often the characters do not have a great subtly of characterization, every character here was so unsympathetic that I found the manga ore annoying than entertaining. Shinobu is just the type of girl I would have hated in high school She has long blond hair and an imperious manner that causes most of her classmates to find her incredibly annoying. She’s living under the cloud of a threat on her life, so isn’t it lucky that her childhood friend Saizou has shown up at her school after becoming a ninja? Shinobu’s idea of using Saizou’s ninja powers is to send him after a cat that stole her hair ribbon. Saizou is so besotted that he will do whatever Shinobu asks, while constantly calling her “Princess” and “My Lady.” Although he’s a ninja, he abhors violence; he takes off his glasses when fighting so he can’t see what he’s doing. I found him just as annoying as Shinobu due to his blind devotion to her, I would have hoped that a ninja might find something better to do.
The art for Teru Teru X Shonen is nice, with plenty of capably rendered fighting scenes. I just found the characters so annoying, I have no desire to read any more volumes of this series.
That’s a bummer to hear. I own v1, but haven’t read it yet. When it got licensed, I saw various people commenting on its awesomeness. Maybe it gets better?
It could just be that it isn’t to my taste. I’ll be interested to hear if you like it better!
[...] he liked the manga, and he posts an update on vol. 8 of ES: Eternal Sabbath. Tangognat picked up vol. 1 of Teru Teru x Shonen on a whim and she wishes she hadn’t. At Active Anime, Scott Campbell reviews vol. 4 of Pretty [...]
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I have the entire series in Japanese and totally loved it. My Japanese is very rough, but I still laughed and cried and totally fell in love with everyone in the story so that, by the end, I wished the best for everyone.
The story itself is relatively complicated, and Shinobu’s family and her own past, dark and nightmarish in ways that affect Shinobu and her temperament, causing her to purposefully create the “princess” character we see on the surface.
Another thing I found unique to this story was its many other stories within the main piece. For example, Shinobu’s and Saizo’s connection is one that is both deep and bittersweet, their past and present the focus throughout the series, but they alone are not the real story behind it all. The characters already established in volume one are characters whose lives are crucial to the overall “ending” and the future characters also play key roles in unearthing the truth behind Shinobu’s existence, let alone present life.
I’d say the biggest flaw with this piece, is Takao’s tendency to over-sympathize with ALL her characters so that you never really know who the “enemy” is, or if there is one at all.
From what I’ve read of Takao’s other works, however, I’m guessing this is just her style, and one she is unique for, so perhaps her works are an acquired taste, but I would recommend readers who enjoy delving into the deeper psyche of a story as well as following more than just the “main character’s” stories to stick with this one. I found it moving and satisfying overall.