Otomen, Vol. 1 (v. 1) [Paperback]

Aya Kanno (Author)

Book Description

Series: Otomen | Publication Date: February 3, 2009

R to L (Japanese Style)

Asuka Masamune is a guy who loves girly things--sewing, knitting, making cute stuffed animals and reading shojo comics. But in a world where boys are expected to act manly, Asuka must hide his beloved hobbies and play the part of a masculine jock instead. Ryo Miyakozuka, on the other hand, is a girl who can't sew or bake a cake to save her life. Asuka finds himself drawn to Ryo, but she likes only the manliest of men! Can Asuka ever show his true self to anyone, much less to the girl that he's falling for?

Asuka Masamune is a guy who loves girly things--sewing, knitting, making cute stuffed animals and reading shojo comics. But in a world where boys are expected to act manly, Asuka must hide his beloved hobbies and play the part of a masculine jock instead. Ryo Miyakozuka, on the other hand, is a girl who can't sew or bake a cake to save her life. Asuka finds himself drawn to Ryo, but she likes only the manliest of men! Can Asuka ever show his true self to anyone, much less to the girl he's falling for?

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

An otomen as defined by this book is [a] male who has feminine hobbies, skills, or way of thinking. Asuka, the title otomen of this well-drawn comedy, secretly reads shojo manga, makes stuffed animals and prefers caramel macchiatos to coffee. Forbidden by his mother from girlish behavior after his transvestite father abandoned the family, Asuka takes on a very masculine public character. He is nationally ranked at judo, karate and kendo. Asukas tragedy is somehow hilarious. He falls for Ryo, the nongirly daughter of a manly martial arts instructor who finds Asuka unacceptable as a friend, let alone a potential suitor: Men dont go in the kitchen! he bellows. The strange deus ex machina character Junta acts as a catalyst to bring Asuka and Ryo together while enjoying Asukas elaborate bento lunches. The over-the-top gender stereotyping is ham-handed at times, but reveals interesting insight into what the Japanese consider the most manly and most girly extremes. The strong artwork carries the comedy premise further than the script could alone, and the manga-within-a-manga, Love Chick, is a hilariously accurate parody of typical shojo. Kannos other manga in translation include the sci-fi series Blank Slate and angel comedy Soul Rescue. (Feb.)
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About the Author

Aya Kanno was born in Tokyo, Japan. She is the creator of Soul Rescue, which has been published in the United States, and her latest work, Otomen, is currently being serialized in Japan's BetsuHana magazine. Blank Slate was originally published as Akusaga in Japan in Hana to Yume magazine.

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: VIZ Media LLC; Original edition (February 3, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1421521865
• ISBN-13: 978-1421521862
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #388,402 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I want one of Asuka's bento lunches, March 3, 2009

By 

F. Caldwell "mixedpaint" - See all my reviews

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

Otomen is the story of Asuka, manliest of manly high school students on the outside, but on the inside he's a romantic, shojo manga reading, cooking, sewing dynamo. He would like nothing more than to sew cute stuffed animals and make delicious bento lunches. Unfortunately because of past events he feels that he has to keep his "girly side" locked away and put on a front of extreme masculinity. So begins our story. Asuka is hard at work being his manliest when he meets Ryo, the new girl in school. He likes her and it awakens his inner romantic. Suddenly he's buying shojo manga and making pot holders. He just can't help himself. If Asuka is the romantic then Ryo is the clueless one. She has absolutely no idea that Asuka likes her as more than "just a friend." Then we add Juta, the school flirt, to the mix to make things more interesting. Juta has decided to pursue Ryo too. He comes right out and tells Asuka even.
This could be pretty cliche and to some extent it is. However, there are some interesting insights into what is and is not "manly" in Japanese culture (apparently real men don't like sweets) and there are some legitimately entertaining and funny parts. A lot of the best parts are in the latter half of the book. Namely Asuka's attempt to win over Ryo's father and the bit about fortune telling. Asuka is just adorable when Juta catches him being "girly". It's very endearing when he blushes. In fact, Asuka and Juta are my favorite parts of the manga. Ryo just seems a little TOO clueless. She has two gorgeous boys around her all of the time and she doesn't feel ANYTHING? Seriously. Poor Asuka. So I give volume 1 of Otomen 4.5 stars, rounded up to 5. I would knock off a half of a star for what's lacking in Ryo's character.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars top 5 manga I've ever read, December 12, 2009

By 

Tamera Thomas "littleclaws" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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

I read a ton of manga, but I recently stumbled across this one & picked it up because of the cutsey artwork. The characters are very well made, it is very funny, and the relationship aspect is very sweet. I wouldn't be into it if the main character acted 'girly' but he just has girly hobbies.. he is actually quite manly in the way he speaks and treats others.

I HIGHLY reccommend this manga to anyone looking for something funny with great characters. The artwork is just great too :)

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Dude Acts Like a Lady, May 23, 2009

By 

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

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

Everyone knows that Asuka Masamune is the manliest man around. He's cool, good-looking, and expert at martial arts. Girls want him, guys want to be him. But what they don't know is that Asuka has a secret- underneath his masculine exterior, Asuka is a girly man who likes cooking, sewing, and shojo manga. He keeps his true self hidden to please his mother and to avoid criticism from his peers. But things get more complicated when Asuka falls for a tomboyish girl named Ryo who brings out his girlish side...

The plot is a little stereotypical, but somehow, these shojo cliches take on new life when the protagonist is a guy. There's something very funny and endearing about seeing Asuka comparing his own life to his favorite shojo manga.

The characters in this manga are good. Asuka is funny, awkward, and sweet. You almost can't help but like him. Juta, a boy who befriends Asuka, is a light-hearted playboy, but he's more serious than he seems. He gives Asuka helpful advice along the way. The least developed character was Ryo. She's has more masculine interests than Asuka, and she's oblivious to his feelings. She's a funny, sweet character, but she's not given enough scenes to really get any development. It gives me the feeling that Asuka may end up with someone else...

Despite some cliches, "Otomen" is a funny, cute manga about a guy who just wants to be himself. It's very entertaining, especially to those familiar with shojo manga who will pick up on the twisted cliches. Great for a light read.