High School Debut, Vol. 1 [Paperback]

Kazune Kawahara (Author, Illustrator), Beth Kawasaki (Editor)

Book Description

Series: High School Debut | Publication Date: January 1, 2008

When Haruna Nagashima was in junior high her life consisted of playing softball and reading comics. But now that she's going to high school, Haruna decides to put all of her energy towards getting a boyfriend and having the high school romance of a lifetime. To help in her quest, she enlists cute upperclassman Yo Komiyama to coach her as she eschews her jock tendencies and turns herself into the kind of girl who can catch a guy. Yo agrees, with one catch: Haruna had better not fall for him!

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 7 Up–Haruno, a star softball player in middle school, decides to put the same determination and effort she once put into athletics into finding a boyfriend in high school. In order to do this, she pesters Yoh, an attractive older boy, until he agrees to act as her love coach. Haruno eagerly takes in his advice but she persists in reading teen magazines in the hopes of charting a faster path to love. Yoh grows frustrated with her faith in the magic of fashion magazines and her refusal to give up her athletic clothing. Kawahara uses a pen-and-ink style similar to that in Yoko Kamio's Boys over Flowers (VIZ Media). Lightly peppered with the message that girls shouldn't have to change themselves in order to please a man, High School Debut is standard fare for younger manga readers. With a clean plot and only the stereotypical female temper tantrum for added drama, it's a good purchase for schools and libraries.–Sarah Krygier, Solano County Library, Fairfield, CA
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About the Author

Kazune Kawahara was born in Hokkaido. She made her manga debut at the age of 18 with Kareno Ichban Sukinahito (The Person He Likes the Most). Since then, Kawahara has been creating comics for Shueisha's Bessatsu Margaret magazine.

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: VIZ Media LLC; 1 edition (January 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1421514818
• ISBN-13: 978-1421514819
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #563,274 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Koukou Debut, January 6, 2008

By 

Hakajin "Ecclectic Student" (GA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: High School Debut, Vol. 1 (Paperback)

I first read this manga through online scanslations as "Koukou Debut" (a far better title, if you ask me), and instantly fell in love with it. Of course, I was very excited when I heard that Viz had licenced it under its Shojo Beat line.

The story is about a high school freshman named Haruna Nagashima. She devoted herself to playing softball in middle school, but in high school, she decides that she wants to get a boyfriend like the characters in the shojo manga she's so fond of. It may sound shallow of her, but Haruna's wish comes from a purehearted desire to really connect with someone. Unfortunately, Haruna has a hard time attracting a guy despite, or more likely, because of, her determination. So she decides that, like in softball, she needs a coach to point out her weak spots and help her along. Enter Yoh Komiyama, an attractive upperclassman who seems to know what guys like in a girl. Haruna decides that he's the one she needs to help her become attractive...

The romance here is pretty predictable. However, even though you know where you're going to arrive, the ride is a lot of fun. "High School Debut" kept me laughing throughout, especially Haruna. She's a simple, strait-forward girl, and her enthusiasm for finding a boyfriend is often hilarious. She excites easily and says a lot of unintentionally funny things. Yoh is a more stereotypical character, but he's interesting too. He dislikes being attractive because it's given him trouble in the past and he hates the attention, but he seems to admire Haruna's effort and the willingness she has to take both the tears and the laughs that come with a relationship. The romance between them is sweet and innocent, and it moves along at a good pace. The other characters have personality too and add to the story a lot.

The art is not as sparkly as in most shojo manga, but it fits the tone. It's nice to look at and brings out the characters' personalities extremely well. This manga is also well translated, a relief after being a little disappointed with "Love Com."

All in all, I'd say that "High School Debut" is one of the best shojo titles Viz has picked up. I've read through volume four, and it deals with some interesting themes, such as akwardness and differences in maturity between couples. I especially recommend it to fans of "Love Com" since it has a similar tone and sense of humor (and if you haven't read "Love Com," I highly suggest it). "High School Debut" is definitely a title to look out for.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars New Manga: High School Debut, December 31, 2007

By 

Kuro_Neko003 "Kuro_Neko003" (San Marcos, CA United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: High School Debut, Vol. 1 (Paperback)

This manga is new to the US (came out in 2003 in Japan) and is brought to you by Viz. This is the story of Haruna a high school freshman who after being a softball "jock" in Junior High, wants to find love in High School. Her obsession is driven by delusions created after reading too many shoujo mangas (let this be a lesson to us all). After miserable failure at "self study," Haruna's friend suggests that she find a love coach. Haruna does just that, seeking the services of the popular but wary, Yoh, a boy that has lived on the disadvantageous side of being a bishonen. Yoh's only condition for his help is that they must not complicate the relationship with love -- although you can tell he doesn't really mean it. And so this version of "Pygmalion" begins ... will Yoh expose Haruna's true beauty to herself and others? (Of course he will). Has Yoh already fallen in love with Haruna? (Of course he has). Oh, but here's the rub: Haruna is already in love with somebody else. How will this story continue? Will Yoh end up with the girl in the end? Well, a quick check of YesAsia, says at 10-volumes, and still going, "not any time soon." I guess we'll have to see if the mangaka can keep up the momentum, but overall it's a good start.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars High School Debut a refreshing read!!, January 14, 2008

By 

Tami Mirza (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: High School Debut, Vol. 1 (Paperback)

High School Debut by Kazune Kawahara is a great manga to read. What I like about it is that it is refreshing in comparison to other romance manga. For one thing, the main heroine is actually likable. She is honest and not your typical (girly, shy, emotional, etc.) character that you see a lot in girls manga. The hero too is likable and so they make a good pair or couple. Usually for me, I am left wishing that the guy or girl was with someone else, but this couple is pretty good together. The other thing I like is that while most other romance manga's spend volumes about how the girl or guy try to hook up with one or more individuals they like, this manga actually is about what happens after a guy and girl are bf/gf. And how they get there is so interesting!
Usually manga even ones for girls concern stories, scenarios or situations that are not realistic at all. However, High School Debut does have a realistic story. The characters seem real, they act real, and realistic things happen to them. It's great how the author puts the time and effort to set up these scenarios that make sense (unlike let's say in 'For you in Full Blossom', where the things that happen just are ridiculous at times)! What I am trying to say is that the author does not use the typical cliche' gimmicks to make the story flow (if you have read a lot of shojo manga you know what I am talking about). If such common scenarios are used by the author such as when Haruna is confronted by bullies, or rumors, etc, the way she deals with it is interesting (that's why I like her so much as a character!). The story is a really good read and I can't wait for more volumes to come out. If the initial idea in the story where Haruna gets tips from a guy to get a bf sounds interesting it gets even more interesting and complicated but, with good results! Enjoy!