Customer Reviews

Gentlemen's Alliance +, Vol. 1

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The main character in this shoujo, Haine, comes across as a bit airheaded, but also incredibly determined and strong. Although the first thing I noticed about the manga was the cuteness and the love story, Haine has a deeper side to her personality - a dark side that I hope will be explored in future volumes (I would love to see her cuteness and toughness co-exist...).

Haine harbors endless resentment for the business deal her father made, trading her for 50 million yen. Although her adoptive family is loving, she can not get over her anger, even after many years. But she hides it well...

Haine is bold, which is what makes her appealing to me. She understands Japanese societal conventions, and does her best to fight them. She is in love with the student council president, Shizumasa, aka "The Emperor". Unfortunately, he doesn't deign to notice her and comes across as a real jerk (hopefully his story will come out too in future volumes!).

Haine has a beautiful friend, Ushio, who loves her dearly and tries to look out for her interests. The assortment of characters also includes the "Postman", who I think is crushing on Haine; token gay guy Maguri, who is in love with "The Emperor"; and my favorite character - eccentric Maora, who walks around with her constantly-growling mini-sheep, Okorimakuri (meaning "always angry").

There is a pervy school doc to add some spice to the story, and I think I detected a bit of romantic tension with Haine's slightly younger adoptive brother.

The art is busy, which I personally find appealing. Backgrounds and effects are details. While this manga may come across as sweet at first, don't let it fool you. There are sad and dark pasts to be explored, sexual situations, and unexpectedly violent outbursts from cute Haine.

I am looking forward to volume 2.

My friend and I have purchased this book, and we absolutley love it! It has very nice looking art, the scenes are busy, and the story line is pretty good. I was unsure if I would like this or not, but all the strange aspects tie together in the end. I found it to be very unique and the characters are pretty lovable. Word of warning: Hiane and Ushio and a few other characters can be difficult to tell apart when you first start reading, so pay close attention to the character's details. I wish we didn't have to wait untill June 28th for volume 2!

The Gentlemen Alliance aka Shinshi Doumei Cross is a wonderful manga!! As always, the artwork is extraordinary and beautiful. The plot is very good and original. If you read CLAMP, this manga does not use the same thing that CLAMP does in CCS (you will understand what i mean when you get to the end of the first volume). The story gets better and better later on! So, try it and continue reading the volumes if this first one interests you! Arina Tanemura fans WONT be disappointed. ^^

I have read every book of this entire manga series and I am incredibly pleased! The main character is a complete contradiction and reminds me of myself. She has a dark inside, and is very lonely, but she smiles everyday and pretends as though nothing's wrong.
I felt as though this manga really developed a full story. Each character was introduced well and given enough "Stage Time", and each character is unique. We have straight people, random gay guys that I wish were straight (haha), and guys who are gals! It's never a boring story and anyone looking to start reading manga, should make this their first choice. It is a legend.
The artwork is beautiful, and I just love how the story turns out. I kept in suspense, never sure what was going to happen. And unexpected things DID happen, which kept me craving for more to read!

The Con:

It ends!!! Oh nooo!

Anyway, I would definately suggest this for any young person (at least age 13) or old person that wants to continue finding great manga, or wants to begin reading, that THIS is the one to choose. And since the story has 11 volumes there are plenty of volumes to stretch out, so the story isn't cramped.

Great story, great spinoffs, great cliffhangers! what's not to like!!! Plus the drawings are beautiful!

15 year old Haine Otomiya used to be a lot of things... for one thing she used to be a gang member (a yanki), for another her surname used to be Kamiya until she was sold into a forced adoption by her father to the Otomiya family for 50,000 yen. She reformed when she met Shizumasa Tôgû, an idol of her's as a child. Shizumasa is a son of a very wealthy family who wrote a children's book when he was younger, one of Haine's favorites, and she has since fallen in love with him.

Haine, determined and resourceful, has worked hard to get into the prestigious Imperial Academy, the school where Shizumasa is the student council president and Emperor of the school. Her friend, Ushio, is the secretary of the council and her new friend, Maora, convinces her to join the student council to become Shizumasa's personal bodyguard. But can a mere bronze student hope to win the attentions of the school's only gold student?

This is a fun shojo story about the perceptions, false hope, and communications that constitute unrequited love. There are many triangles going on in this book, and it all hinges on appearances. For example at the beginning of the story Shizumasa is seeing his male friend, Maguri, but it's only a front to ward off the girls. His best friend, Maora, is in love with him... while Haine's friend, Ushio, seems to have a thing for her as well. The whole storyline hinges on misplaced love and the things that go along with it, but it is still a very interesting series. I look forward to reading more in the future.

Arina Tanemura has been one of my favorite mangaka ever since Kamikaze Kaito Jeanne. So, if you have ever read her work before, or are a following fan of her work then getting into this series is a no brainer. However, if you aren't one of those people... then what are you waiting for! The art for this manga is top notch, and the story is full of surprises even in the first volume. After reading the first chapter I was already wanting to know what was going to happen next. I guess the only thing I could mention against this manga is sometimes the dialogue seems hard to follow; I would have to reread sections to make sure I understood them, but the translators are pretty good about keeping you from getting completely lost, go Viz!

Btw, I'm a 20 something dude, and I love this manga.

this book is a bit shaky at first. because when i start reading it i wasnt liking it at all. but i'm a persistent person. if i buy the first book, i buy the rest of them. whether i like them or not. but as the story gets deeper, it really caught my attention. in fact i became so addicted that i went online to read up till chapter 40. and really i must say, Tanemura-san really outdid herself this time. i've read everybook she's ever written, and this is the best so far. in fact if i could choose 3 of the best mangas i've ever read, this would be #2. its really is a wonderful book. and dont worry, Shisumasa isnt gay. i recomend it to anyone who loves a good drama and romance. so if you can get through the first volume, and up until the rest of them, i guarantee you'll fall in love with it. it's a wonderful book. and i read a lot of manga so i would know. so read if you can get through the 1st and you'll be addicted. trust me. this book is definitly worth the time.

Even though I haven't recieved my copy yet (it's in the mail, on it's way to me right now!), I understand the story very well. One of my Japanese friends, Sayuri, buys the mangabon it's serialized in, Ribon, every month. Even though I don't understand Japanese very well, I have a general idea of what was going on in the chapter. I hope that SHOJO BEAT includes some Cross themed Furoku with their magazine sometime!

I first started reading this manga because I saw some cosplayers that raved on and on about it. I figured I would try it out because I've taken suggestions from these cosplayers before and they all turned out to be really good suggestions like Naruto and the Host Club. I started reading this with an open mind and found this manga to be dull. The main character had no personality and the plot skipped around a bunch of times; it was really hard to follow. The only redeeming thing about this manga is the art. The art is amazing.