Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The best boy-becomes-girl story ever., July 9, 2004
First of all, I haven't actually read the book yet; this review is based on the anime adaption of the same story. (Do NOT look for the anime, as it's not been released in America, at least not yet. I saw an imported fansubbed video tape.)
Those of you who've read amazon's description already know the story, but let me give you a little more complete version: Megumi is a nine-year-old boy who has quite a talent and love for fighting. One day while hanging out with his gal pal Miki he saves a strange man in robes from a gang of hoodlums. As thanks the man gives Megumi a magic book, then mysteriously disapears. Megumi opens the book and a tiny little genie appears and offers to grant him just one wish. Megumi wishes to become the manliest man on Earth, but the stupid genie somehow misunderstands and thinks Megumi wants to be the womanliest woman. So the genie transforms Megumi into a girl. Worse, after this has happened, the genie says that once a wish has been granted, it can't be reversed. (Never mind that it isn't what Megumi wished for at all.) Outraged, Megumi throws the book in the river, then returns to his home with Miki and tells his mother what happened. But it turns out that everyone he ever knew now all think he was always a girl, and all evidence to the contrary has been altered. The only person who remembers he was once a boy is Miki, because she was with him when it happened. Six years later, fifteen-year-old Megumi is still stuck as a girl, but still wants to become a boy again, and she and Miki are now entering high school. Unfortunatly for Megumi, she has become a natural beauty, the hottest-looking girl in school, which means every guy is now pinning for her, including Genzo, tough-as-a-brick (and just as dense,) school delinquent. Add to this the fact that Miki has decided she'd rather Megumi remain a girl, and Megumi's own new-found inner femininity, (such as a love for shopping for dresses,) and her life, it seems, may never be the same.
Better than RANMA 1/2 or FUTABA-KUN CHANGE, (largely because, aside from the one magical element, this story is much more down-to-Earth than those other two,) this is one manga series any anime fan should own.
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Silly Title, Great Manga, August 6, 2004
I never would have thought I'd be reading something called "Cheeky Angel!" Thankfully, I had some extra time at Borders the other day, and picked this up on a whim. I'm very glad I did.
The basic premise, as has already been described, involves a scrappy little boy named Megumi who gets transformed into a girl by a devious genie - but of course, even as a girl, he retains all of his martial arts moves and violent impulses. As the story opens, it is 6 years since the "curse" took effect, and Megumi has blossomed into a certified babe, now entering high school, where he/she instantly becomes the school obsession. Young Meg almost immediately has the misfortune of encountering the reigning tough guy Genzo; he's making his ex-girlfriend cry, Meg beats him up, and naturally, he is lovestruck.
While the plot sounds simple so far, I have a feeling there is more to the whole "curse" thing than meets the eye, so I'm anticipating plenty of plot twists and turns in the future. Most importantly, this manga is hilarious; I can't recall laughing out loud so much while reading a graphic novel, at least not of late. And, there's some action as well, since Meg still can't keep from getting into fights that showcase her martial arts prowess.
I understand there is also a 50 episode anime series based on this manga that ran in Japan; hopefully, if enough people show interest, it will be licensed and released here in the U.S. soon.
For those looking for a great blend of humor and action, this is very recommended.
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12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Genzo - The reason to read this, August 27, 2004
I've read the other reviews, and I just wanted to add mine. "Cheeky Angel" is an interesting "gender-bender" since, until about 3/4ths through it do you get an indication that things are not exactly as they seem. There IS a trick to the gender-bending question, but you have to be paying attention. Or, for some people, it doesn't matter.
Now, that said, enjoy the ride. Frankly, the things that make this worth reading are Genzo and his silly ways. I've enjoyed the anime and I have to say that it was a great ride. Miki, Kobayashi, Yasuda, and Fujiki all help make this a great cast, but it's the rarely seen characters like Megumi's father and mother, her maid, and Genzo's sister that make it fun. Plus, Megumi's rival who arrives around the middle adds to the fun.
This is NOT just a shoujou piece, since there is a LOT of fighting and bad words in it. I was a little disappointed with Viz's translation, since I don't think they give justice to Miki, but at least it was released in English.
Also, the anticipation of Megumi's first kiss is killer, possibly worse than Ranma 1/2 because that one just got silly after 30+ volumes. Besides... we all know she's gonna fall for Genzo. Afterall, I would. ^___^
There's a lot of questioning "what makes a man manly" and "what is feminine" since it is a gender-bender, but I like this discussion because Megumi is so adamant that she's NOT a girl. And Genzo tries SO hard, and he's SO cute, and I just love him to death. With Kobiyashi's strange crush on Soga, the faithful Fujiki, and the ever-peeping hentai Yasuda, this is just fun.
Really. Read it just for Genzo. He's really worth it. XD
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