ChocoMimi, Vol. 1 [Paperback]

Konami Sonoda (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Series: Choco Mimi

Reads R to L (Japanese Style) Choco and Mimi are best friends in eighth grade. Choco is serious and reliable, while Mimi is a bit spoiled and a lot silly, but they're both super-cute and ultra-stylish!A new boy transfers to the girls' class, and he

Choco Sakurai and Mimi Nekota are in junior high school and best friends. Choco is serious and reliable, while Mimi is a bit spoiled and silly, but they're both super-cute and ultra-fashionable!Includes fashion tips, recipes and how-to guides!

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

As a visual representation of ADHD, this is a masterpiece. Sonoda's fashion manga consists of more than 100 short gags and strips with the barest narrative thread tying them together. Choco and Mimi are eighth graders and true BFFs; they are also perfect story opposites, the former mature, the latter impetuous and silly. The only other character of any real import is Ando, the rakish boy who appears from time to time to Choco's delight. Most of the stories are no more than four panels long; occasionally they spill over into subsequent strips, only to be interrupted by half-page Fashion Notes, obsessive breakdowns of what the girls are wearing. It's all very whimsical and overly cute; it ends with several pages of clothing and hair tips, plus cut-out instructions on how to make a pirate bear. The book's razor-sharp focus will make it a dream come true for one very specific demographic—preteen girls, especially those with a love for J-culture—and make it of utterly no interest to anyone else. (July)
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Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: VIZ Media LLC; Original edition (July 7, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1421527588
• ISBN-13: 978-1421527581
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #650,492 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars ChocoMimi is kawaii!, October 7, 2011

By 

Sapphire - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: ChocoMimi, Vol. 1 (Paperback)

This is a cute, girly manga that is random and funny.
Its about two girls who are best friends and their funny lives.
ChocoMimi is a 4-koma (4 panel) manga that I would classify as slice-of-life/comedy.
Due to a few small jokes that are for a bit older audiences I would recommend this for ages 10 and up.

5.0 out of 5 stars ChocoMimi is about all things cute, sweet, and candy-like, November 7, 2011

By 

GraphicNovelReporter.com (New York, NY) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: ChocoMimi, Vol. 1 (Paperback)

ChocoMimi is about all things cute, sweet, and candy-like. With no central plot, it instead centers on short stories (sometimes very short ones in the shape of four descending panels) about two eighth-grade girls, Choco and Mimi. The way they act, like their innocence around boys, makes them feel younger than fourteen. In fact, if I didn't know better, I would guess they were in elementary school and just very fashion-conscious.

Yes, there's lots of fashion in ChocoMimi. This is the kind of series that sparkles, and not in a metaphorical way. It's about glitter, clothes, desserts, and fun. Every so many pages there are "fashion notes" for various situations, showing the girls in distinct outfits and giving tips.

Neither Choco nor Mimi would be described as geniuses, though Choco is definitely the smarter of the two. Choco usually knows what she's doing, whereas Mimi is an airhead. Time and again Mimi does something silly to get laughs, like when she dresses up like Mozart because she believes this will make her good at writing music.

They both have a crush on a semi-moody boy named Andrew, and their interest in him and other boys might be the closest thing to a plot, because he shows up repeatedly and the girls want to catch his attention. They don't seem to have any idea what they might do with him besides hang out, which is part of what gives it such a youngish feel.

ChocoMimi is rated All Ages. The girls act young, and the vocabulary is mostly pretty basic. The only thing that feels out of place for young readers are some of the outfits. Sonoda goes into great detail on giving her characters cute little outfits, but a few times the outfits are a little on the raunchy side. This mainly happens with pictures done as sorts of chapter headings, where the girls are just drawn this way to look interesting, and not as part of the story. Still, it's a little odd to see them a couple of times with tattoos and skimpy clothing.

As a bonus, stickers of the girls and varied desserts are available inside the first book. Despite a lack of plot and at least one really inane main character, ChocoMimi is pretty entertaining. Some of it is very funny. It's a light read for younger readers, especially those already interested in manga and fashion.

Reviewed by Danica Davidson

5.0 out of 5 stars Good for Grown-up Girls, too!, February 14, 2010

By 

Morwenna - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: ChocoMimi, Vol. 1 (Paperback)

I love this little tweeny manga. I'm over 21, but if you like cute things, or if you're into lolita, chibi, or still like your teddy bears, you'll love this. The little story's cute, but mostly I love how they throw in fashion ideas, etc. I'm planning to buy the next manga in the series.