11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Vol. 1 -- School & Romance Comedy, March 12, 2006
This review is from: School Rumble, Volume 1 (Comic)
On the surface, "School Rumble" may seem like just another manga title dealing with high school life, or in this case, high school crushes. However, for me, manga-ka Jin Kobayashi-sensei has taken a different approach which results in some really good humor.
The manga has two main characters because it has two related stories it follows. The first deals with Tsukamoto Tenma (name displayed Japanese style with the family-name first). She's a 2nd-year high school student who's in love with fellow 2nd-year student Karasuma Ouji (name displayed Japanese style). So her story deals with her attempts to confess her love to Karasuma-kun and her attempts to get closer to him. Of course, things are never that simple, as I'm sure most of us rescall from our own high school days. ^_^;
The second story deals with Harima Kenji (name Japanese style), who's a serious punk and delinquent. However, this tough, mean-looking guy has a weakness -- he's fallen in love with fellow 2nd-year student Tsukamoto Tenma-chan. He too has great difficulty in expressing his feelings for Tenma-chan, but is a lot like her includinge doing different things to attempt to get closer to her.
There are a couple of special chapters at the end of volume 1 where Tenma's younger sister Yakumo is the star. Those are a fun side-track to the main story.
So, what sets this apart? For me, having the story follow Tenma and Kenji starts it. With Kenji in love with Tenma and she in love with Ouji-kun, we have an odd, but realistic unrequited love-triangle. Tenma is unaware that Kenji loves her and Ouji is unaware that Tenma loves him. Plus, it is just funny watching a Japanese hood having this really good heart inside as he tries to find a way to get Tenma-chan's attention and thus her heart.
Further, what made this more than just humorous were the unexpected things that would happen during the course of a chapter. I was reading this in the waiting room of a Doctor's office and at times had to really contain myself from just laughing my self silly. Kobayashi-sensei has Tenma-chan and Kenji-kun go to the extreme at times, but because those extremes weren't expected, it made it funnier for me.
I have to give some props to translator & English adaptor William Flanagan. There were a lot of Japanese puns in this, and I know that's difficult to deal with. However, he makes good use of Del Rey's "Translator Notes" section at the end of the manga to explain those cultural puns and how he worked the translations. So I appreaciate that a lot. Plus there are a lot of notes in this volume (a great thing) and some of William's notes are written from a 1st-person perspective which is a nice touch.
Being a Del Rey title, full use of honorifics are used in the title, which for this fan is always a great thing.
Bottom line: Very funny, nicely drawn, and just a lot of fun to read. I'm not sure why it was rated age 16+ because there is almost no fanservice and not much violence, but don't let that rating stop you from purchasing this.
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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
not a must-read, but..., April 6, 2006
This review is from: School Rumble, Volume 1 (Comic)
I just finished reading this one. I've read a lot of the scanlations before, though, and had thought that the series is good enough that I ought to at least buy the first volume of it, so that the author does get some well-deserved cash, sort-of... But after reading the del Rey translation, I feel all fired-up and enthusiastic about School Rumble again, and I certainly do intend to order the next one as soon as it's available. School Rumble has it's own unique sort of "zany"-ness, and it's just plain fun! Of course the plot is not unique, but the way the story is told, and takes a number of unexpected turns, well... Any one who's truly interested in manga will be denying themselves a good thing if they don't at least take a good look-thru of School Rumble...
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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Welcome to High School... where Love is a Battle!, March 10, 2006
This review is from: School Rumble, Volume 1 (Comic)
It is here, in the tradition of countless romantic comedies before them, that Tsukamoto Tenma and Harima Kenji wage a series of flamboyant and way over the top Special Operations to secure the affections of their secret crushes. Unfortunately, and typically, their crushes have no idea they are loved from not-so-far away (say, a just a seat over).
Tenma, is head over heels for the quiet cool of Karasuma-san, while Kenji moons over Tenma who is, of course, oblivious. All this leads to massive hijinks, mislaid/unsigned love letters, bullet-time arrow slinging, a rousing game of Old Maid, and a delinquent standing on a plank wearing peacock feathers.
Confused? Just go with it, my friends...
Also included are a few stories concerning Tenma's younger sister Yakumo, her various suitors (plus one Thunder Child), and a black cat.
The cheese is so thick, you'd think you were in Wisconsin... but don't let that bother you. School Rumble is a fun little comedic romance with crisp art and pacing. Sure it's a little stale situation/plot-wise, but it's still an enjoyable read.
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