Honey So Sweet: Volume 1 manga review

Manga
Honey So Sweet: Volume 1 manga review
By Leroy Douresseaux
December 28, 2015 - 22:52

Viz Media
Writer(s): Amu Meguro, Katherine Schilling
Penciller(s): Amu Meguro
Letterer(s): Inori Fukuda Trant
ISBN: 978-1-4215-8325-9
$9.99 U.S., $12.99 CAN, £6.99 U.K., 200pp B&W, paperback
Rating: T (Teen)

Honey So Sweet Volume 1 cover image

Rated “T” for “Teen”

One day in middle school, Nao Kogure left her umbrella and a box of bandages in the rain for a fellow student who was injured. Little did she know that she would meet that student again in high school. His name is Taiga Onise, a delinquent, and Nao wants nothing to do with the gruff and frightening teen boy. However, Taiga suddenly presents her with a huge bouquet of flowers and asks her to date him – with marriage in mind! Is Taiga really so scary, or is he a sweetheart in disguise?

Early in Honey So Sweet, Vol. 1 (Chapters 1 to 5), Nao discovers that Taiga actually smiles, is kind to animals, and is a good cook. Is he really the same Taiga who is a notorious delinquent? Before long, Nao discovers that everyone in school thinks that she and Taiga are a couple – a couple of outcasts.

THE LOWDOWN: I don't quite understand why the Honey So Sweet manga is entitled Honey So Sweet. It is indeed a sweet romance, but it also has a decidedly tart side.

Honey So Sweet Volume 1 introduces three other characters besides Nao and Taiga. All five of these characters seem to speak their minds, for the most part. They are tart rather than sweet. I think that is what I like about Honey So Sweet. It is a typical high school shojo romance, but creator Amu Meguro is always adding that something extra, whether that is dialogue or action, that makes the narrative skip a beat. There are just enough minor twists to the shojo status quo to make this series an intriguing read. I recommend that fans of high school shojo try the first volume at least.

POSSIBLE AUDIENCE: Fans of “Shojo Beat” high school romances will want try a taste or two of Honey So Sweet.

Rating: A-/10