Ultra Cute, Volume 1

I'm not sure many guys will be into Ultra Cute but I imagine this story will have definite appeal among teenage girls. It tells the story of two best friends, fifteen-year olds Ami and Noa, best friends and the fiercest competitors with each other when it comes to guys. No matter how hard they try, they always find themselves falling for the same guy and it just never works out. The two discuss their boy problems over steaming bowls of garlic Ramen noodles on a daily basis. Then one day two new fascinating young men come into their lives. Tamon and Tomohiro are handsome and dashing and the girls fall immediately head over heels for the pair. They soon start a bargain as to who can get the first kiss. Noa is the brassier of the two with a killer body and skimpy fashions while Ami is the cute, petite blonde, who is definitely more conservative. The game is afoot with the boys and Noa appears to take the lead when a near drowning episode leads to Tomohiro having to perform CPR on her, but even Noa admits she was unconscious and so the "kiss" isn't official. But Ami will soon discover that Tamon and his friends are not the sweet guys of their dreams. They are playing their own little game with the girls and don't care about hurting their feelings. Even after discovering their ulterior motive, Ami is still driven to make Tamon fall in love with her, even while trying to protect Noa. Ultra Cute is just that...cute. It explores the pitfalls of teenage relationships and all of the anxieties that go along with them. Ami and Noa could easily be any High school freshmen with their naiveté about men and Tamon and Tomohiro fit into the stereotype of the smug, hotshot upper classmen we all remember from high school days. Nami Akimoto has crafted a storyline which I think a lot of girls in the 12 - 15 year old range will be able to relate to, complimented by strong artwork. Reviwed by Tim Janson

I picked this title up at Borders on a whim since I did not recognize it and was very happily suprised. I've read it twice since I bought it and it's really good. If you like shoujo and comedy - you should definitely like this one! ^-^