Imadoki!, Vol. 2: Magnolia

Tanpopo Yamazaki is not your average Meio High School Freshman, as evidenced by her grand entry into her school... by flying over a guard rail on her bike the day before she starts class. This brazen act of individuality is witnessed by a young man planting a dandelion with a spade. He is concerned for the dandelion, or "Tanpopo"... yes, the heroine's name means dandelion... because her actions have harmed it, and life at the school is difficult enough for the plants that the young man considers to be his friends. The two part ways for the day before Tanpopo learns of the young man's name. The first day at school Tanpopo meets the young man in her class, but he is extremely cold to her. She finds out from a fellow student that his name Koki Kugyo and that he is an heir to a large fortune. When she persists to remind him that they have met the truth of her allowance into the academy is revealed...horror of horrors, she actually tested into the academy instead of having her parents pave the way with their exorbitant fortunes. This immediately causes a reaction from the bourgeoisie , who find her quite plebian, and refuse to have anything to do with her. The start calling her "Weed" to her face and making all sorts of nasty comments, but no amount of torment from them is as bad as the out and out ignoring she is getting from Koki, who had been so pleasant to her on their first chance meeting. At a class assembly the first day Tanpopo calls him out, pledging her allegiance that she and he will be friends with one another and she will not rest until she has achieved that end. This causes some problems with her reputation, as you can imagine, but Tanpopo manages to navigate things in such a way that she and he are on the planting committee. This entails strange actions, because none of the plants at the academy are actually real, for allergy preventions. But, she and he become a team, and everyone is surprised when Tsukiko Saionji, a pretty, popular, and (more importantly to the elite members of Meio) rich young woman volunteers to join their committee. Tanpopo's first duty as a planting committee member is to go against tradition surreptitiously and replant all of the plastic flowers with real flowers... which causes some problems for everyone, the members of the planting committee included. So, at the core, what is this charming series about? It's about values, strength, and resolve to do what is right despite all the adversity. It's about a bubbly young iconoclast just being herself in a situation where everyone else has developed a façade to survive. It's about changing other people's perceptions and helping them grow when they realize that everything they have ever been taught to believe doesn't necessarily translate as being the "right or wrong" way. Is this a diversion from Watase's usual fair? Oddly enough no it is not. Typically her stories are much more harsh, but the core elements are still there. Friendship, overcoming obstacles, love

The rich kids make fun Tampopo because of the fact that she actually TESTED into Meiô Academy instead of having enough money to enter it. One day before school started Tampopo wanted to check out her new school and flew over the fence on a bike. She saw a guy tending a lone dandelion and warms up to him and decides to make him her friend. The next day she finds out that the guy tending the dandelion is none other than the richest boy in school with the best connections, Koki. Tampopo runs up to him and starts saying "hi", but only gets the cold treatment. Later on as a last resort to desperately try to bridge the gap she points out the dandelion he was tending the other day. It is a school rule that there should be NO real plants inside the school due to the fact that many rich kids have allergies. Koki is expected to set an important example because his father owns the school, so he coldly pulls out the dandelion. Tampopo picks it up tenderly and accuses him of mistreating his friend, but he just replies "i have no friends". From then on she is more determined then ever to be Koki's friend and later on he actually starts to like her cheerfulness and enthusiasm in everything she does. Tampopo starts a gardening clup which Koki joins at first to protect her from the harsh remarks of the rich kids, but then gets into it himself. (the book cover on the right shows the whole gardening club) Little does she know that Koki already has a fiance.... Will Tampopo admit to herself her true feelings about Koki, or will his fiance win a little bet and kick her out of the gardening club?

I have read several manga,and this is by far my favorite. Imadoki features a great main character, Tanpopo, who is an example of strength and moral courage for young girls. She is somewhat similar to another one of Yuu Watase's characters- Miaka, from Fushigi Yuugi- a fearless young girl who sticks to what she believes in even if it costs her some humiliation. All the while she keeps a cheerful heart and never lets circumstances get her down. She has a great faith. A wonderful, wholesome manga- REALLY funny too- it shows what the power of real-unselfish love can do to change hearts. I only wish more manga were this well done! Yuu Watase draws her characters very beautifully too. If I ever have any children, this is a manga that I could share with them.

AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. Yu Watase has done it again. Another little masterpiece that captures your heart and soul. I love Yu Watase and envy her as well. This is a MUST HAVE story. The first time I saw it I didn't know what to expect and being the devilish person that I am decided to try it out so I bought it without reading any of the pages and lo and behold I found a story that made my day. The story is about a young country girl who goes to the city to attend high school. As she does though she finds out that the people there aren't as friendly or close as she was used to. The school she ends up in is a high class school for the rich and snobby individuals who have everything but real friends. She soon becomes friends with a guy there and teaches him that there is a thing called friendship and allows him to open his heart. I just love the story and recommend it to anyone and everyone. It lifts your spirits up because you know that friendship is a rare treasure that everyone should have.