The Must-Read Manga List: Love is in the Air

I was trying to decide what to write for this week. It was difficult thinking of something Valentine’s Day or love related that we have not already covered in this issue or the previous issue.
We have covered date and gift ideas, movies, music, and even food places.
I was almost desperate enough to write about the most romantic videogames (The Sims is such a romantic game—you can make people fall in love whether they like it or not).
After almost pulling my hair out, I decided to take a break and catch up on some Rockin’ Heaven, a manga I have almost finished reading.
That’s when it hit me. I should just write about manga. I have comiled a list of some good reads for Valentine’s Day.
Some are shorter than others. Some are completed, and some are still ongoing. They all have one thing in common: romance.

Tohru, Yuki and Kyo are main characters of Fruits Basket.
Tohru, Yuki and Kyo are main characters of Fruits Basket.

Fruits Basket.
Fruits Basket is the story of Tohru and the Sohma family.
When she was young, Tohru Honda has been enamored by the Chinese zodiac, especially the cat, who was tricked out of his place in the zodiac.
The Sohma family has been cursed, and every time a member of the opposite gender hugs them, they turn into one of the twelve members of the Chinese zodiac…and the cat.
Tohru grows closer to the family, especially the mysterious Yuki, the hotheaded Kyo and the eccentric Shigure.
As time goes by, Tohru finds herself realizing which sign of the zodiac (and the Sohma family) she truly wishes to be with.
With 136 chapters in total, this is a bit of a longer read, but the series has been completed, so you will not have to worry about more chapters being released.

Negima! Magister Negi Magi.
Negi is a ten-year-old wizard-in-training who has been sent to Mahora Academy in Japan to teach English to a class of teenage girls.
Of course, almost all of the girls end up falling for their adorable teacher, and most of Negi’s students form a pactio with Negi.
Pactios are very important to wizards because they allow the wizard to take on a companion who is given some of the magic in exchange for being a sort of bodyguard.
The students stay by Negi’s side as he faces many foes and searches for his father, who was presumed to be dead.
This manga is completed, which is probably a good thing because it has 355 chapters. This should not be considered a quick read, and if you do decide to read this, I suggest you have a character guide handy.

Reina and Tanaka from Yandere Kanojo.
Reina and Tanaka from Yandere Kanojo.

Alice in the Country of Hearts.
This adaptation of Lewis Carrol’s Alice in Wonderland series takes the story to a whole other level.
Alice is kidnapped by Peter White, an obsessed rabbit. She soon discovers that there is a feud going on between the world’s inhabitants.
The Queen of Hearts keeps many secrets in her garden, as well as Ace, a forgetful swordsman.
Blood Dupre, a mob boss with a tophat, and the Elliot March, his long eared friend, lead the Hatters, a dangerous gang.
Borris Airay is a troublemaker who spends all nine of his lives creating chaos.
It is a wonder that Alice has gotten caught in the crossfire. Luckily for her, it seems that every male character falls hopelessly in love with her at some point.
The series has seven volumes, which transition into Alice in the Country of Clovers.

Yandere Kanojo.
For Reina and Tanaka, it was love at first sight. After that, things get more complicated. Reina is a yankee, a Japanese term for a delinquent.
She does not want to ruin her reputation by being associated with such a “boring” (or at least normal) boy.
The two begin seeing each other in secret, but they both seem to have a positive impact on the other.
Reina is becoming a bit more subdued and friendly. Tanaka is becoming more outspoken and has finally even gotten a cell phone.
The two love struck teenagers discover that keeping their love hidden is going to be more difficult than they thought.
This series is currently 48 chapters long but is still going strong.

Becki Brown

Senior Features Editor

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