Strawberry 100%, Volume 1 [Paperback]

Mizuki Kawashita (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 3, 2007

Against all odds, Junpei starts dating the most gorgeous girl in school, Tsukasa, believing that she is the mysterious beauty. But could his strawberry muse actually be a bookworm named Aya? Soon a tense love triangle forms between the beauty, the boy and the geek!

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Mizuki Kawashita's best-known series is the 19-volume Ichigo 100 o/o (Strawberry 100 o/o), which was serialized in Japan's Weekly Shonen Jump from 2002 to 2005. The huge success of the series inspired a 24-episode animated TV show and a game for the PS2 (Ichigo 100 o/o--Strawberry Diary), both of which were released in Japan in 2005. Kawashita's other works include the two-volume comedy Lilim Kiss, which ran in Weekly Shonen Jump from 2000-2001, and the one-shot stories Natsuiro Graffiti and Koorihime Kitan .

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: VIZ Media LLC; 1 edition (July 3, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1421513714
• ISBN-13: 978-1421513713
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 6.6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #554,880 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Strawberries, anyone?, June 13, 2007

By 

Simon (Brampton, ON) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Strawberry 100%, Volume 1 (Paperback)

Strawberry 100% (or Ichigo 100%, the Japanese word for Strawberry) is a Shonen Jump comic that falls into the 'harem manga' category. Junpei Manaka is a middle school student with ambitions of becoming a filmmaker. While exploring the school rooftop one day, a girl falls from the sky and lands on Manaka. He is stricken by her beauty and vows to confess his love to her (he also gets a perverted thrill from seeing her strawberry print panties, which is where the manga title comes from). Unfortunately Manaka confesses to the wrong girl, Tsukasa Nishino who is quite cute but has a bossy streak. Surprisingly, she agrees to date him. Manaka also meets Aya Toujou, a homely girl who shares his creative passion. And the fun begins...

Anyone familar with the 'harem manga' genre will already know its conventions: multiple pretty girls who end up attracted to the same incompetent guy; characters too shy to express their feelings; awkward misunderstandings; and panty shots fanservice. Strawberry 100% doesn't tread any new ground, but it's still a surprisingly enjoyable romp. The characters have a spark that make them relatable and interesting, and the art is solid with the girls looking very adorable and attractive. This being only the first of 19(!) volumes, it's basically about introducing the characters and getting group dynamics in motion. It ends on just the right note to leave you excited for volume 2.

Parents: There's no nudity or offensive material here, just panty shots and later in the series some sexy posing. In Japan its geared to the same age group that reads action comics like Naruto, One Piece, Bleach, etc. Strawberry 100% is a soap opera for middle schoolers who are beginning to develop feelings for the opposite sex. Things like holding hands, sitting together, and the first kiss. It's adorable.

Recommended. A nice guilty pleasure.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A more serious romantic comedy, August 8, 2008

By 

Barman Santosa "Blue Sphere" (Illinois) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Strawberry 100%, Volume 1 (Paperback)

There are three main things that I care about in a graphic novel: the story, the art, and the ending, with the last one being the most important of all. Here is my review without giving up any spoiler...

STORY
As the title suggests, this is a more serious story which revolves around boy-girl romance in high school and beyond. Although it has comedy situations placed in many spots in the story, the main topic itself is intense. It deals with how the main characters deal with the complicated 4-way love relationship while trying to balance their lives and achieve their different dreams that may very well break them apart.

ART
Although, I can't say that the art is the greatest out of what I have seen among my favorites, I still think that it is pretty good. The girls are mostly gorgeous, with the majority are quite busty (more than I care). There are a lot of panty shots, but there is no nudity and absolute nothing eechi or hentai. In my opinion, it is PG-13.

ENDING
Just like any other multiple-way love relationships, some characters are bound to end up broken hearted. There is no way one man can return the feelings of four different girls at the same time. He can only maintain a balance for some time, but eventually he'll have to choose one or none. If your favorite girl is the one chosen in the end, then it's a happy ending. If not, then it's a bitter sweet ending.

Overall, I really like this series.

Score:
Art: 7
Story: 9
Ending: 10
Overall: 8.5

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Be Careful... These Characters May Steal Your Heart!, December 30, 2008

By 

A. Kemp "Al Kemp" (Denver, Colorado USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Strawberry 100%, Volume 1 (Paperback)

At one level, this is a harem manga: multiple girls chasing after one boy. What an enjoyable fantasy - if you're a guy! Plus, there's fan service. But watch out, these characters may grow on you. As the plot of a simple harem manga unfolds, the eventual "winner" becomes clear, long before the end of the story. Not so in this manga. The girls are not one-dimensional characters; they have complicated emotions. They are a lot like the girls in our world. It's no surprise that the author is a woman.

One of the reviewers notes "if your favorite girl is chosen in the end, then it's a happy ending. If not, then it's a bitter sweet ending." I had trouble picking a favorite; they are all wonderful girls in their individual ways. If you're like me, the ending will be bittersweet regardless of which one Junpei Manaka (the male lead) chooses because at least one of those very likable girls is going to get her heart broken.

The author, of course, could sidestep broken hearts by having each of the other girls fall in love with a new boy when Junpei finally falls in love. But that would be untrue to the characters in Strawberry 100%. The girls each have their own compelling reasons for liking Junpei. Part of the fun is trying to figure out what is drawing all these girls to this awkward guy, so often unsure of himself, and then to realize that maybe they understand his strong points better than we do.

While humorous, exaggerated, and sometimes unreal situations crowd the surface of the story, underneath that surface are striking character motivations that give the story remarkable power. At the end of volume 2, for example, one of the girls makes a surprising announcement. She gives different reasons for her decision, depending on who she is talking to, but she never mentions the most important reason. She knows Junpei has a dream, and she wants to help him achieve it - even if that means she will lose contact with him.

Much later in the story one of the girls, briefly overcome by the challenges she faces, wishes she could go back in a time machine to middle school. It's a poignant moment. As Junpei realizes that she wants to go back to the time before she met him, we realize that meeting Junpei has changed her life. And suddenly we understand why she has been trying so hard to capture his heart.

This is much more than a harem manga!