9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
NA, June 15, 2008
This review is from: Two Flowers for the Dragon, Vol. 1 (Paperback)
Two Flowers for the Dragon, volume 1: I thought the plot of the story sounded very unique so I decided to pick it up. I really enjoyed it. The art is simple, yet refreshing, and the characters are very likeable. It's not a very serious story, but it's not a silly comedy either. It's a light romance story, but it also has some action and mystery intertwined in it. The ending is kind of a cliff hanger, so I impatiently await the second volume. I definitely recommend it.
Also, check out the author's other work, The Recipe for Gertrude, if you like this.
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3.0 out of 5 stars
Which Flower Will She Choose?, June 4, 2010
This review is from: Two Flowers for the Dragon, Vol. 1 (Paperback)
In a vaguely defined fantasy world, Shakuya is the half human, half dragon heir to an oasis kingdom in the desert. She's in love with her fiance, Kuwan, but things become more complicated when a stranger appears in the kingdom. Lucien turns out not to be a stranger at all but Shakuya's first fiance who went missing in the desert five years ago. She never got to know him that well, and now he's lost his memory. But Shakuya's mother decides that he should have a chance, anyway, but says she'll let Shakuya's feelings decide. Shakuya has two tatoos representing her suitors- a bellflower for Kuwan on her left hand, and a rose for Lucien on her right. The tatoos react to her dragon blood and grow whenver her feelings deepen. Shakuya only wants Kuwan at first, but the rose tatoo starts to grow in spite of her. She's not happy about this and tries to avoid Lucien, but he's persistent. To make things more complicated, she turns into a dragon and goes on a rampage whenver she experiences strong feelings. Which fiance will Shakuya choose?
I thought the premise of this story was interesting, so I picked it up from the library when I saw it. The story is pretty good, but I thought it could have been better. It's pretty episodic and doesn't make a lot of use of the ideas behind it. Actually, it comes off feeling pretty tyical. That's not to say the plot elements were boring, but they did stick pretty close to conventions. I did like the idea of the tatoos, however. Although I kind of wonder why they're a tradition when marriages in the manga world are political and not love matches. Anyway, the story doesn't take itself too seriously. The tone is light and playful, and it makes the manga cute.
Shakuya is childish and stubborn, but not in a bad way. Kuwan is a cold fish who cares about rules and doesn't show much affection. Lucien is playful and likes to flirt with Shakuya despite her protests. He seems to be more serious than he lets on, though. The problem with the suitors is that they're so stereotypical. The serious guy/playful guy love triangle is a staple of shojo manga, and there's not really anything to set these two apart. The rivalry between the two isn't too serious. It's pretty obvious who Shakuya's going to choose, especially if you're familiar with shojo manga.
The art's good. The eyes of the characters are bigger than usual, even for shojo, but they're distinctive looking. The characters are pretty and distinguishable, and the backgrounds are nice, too. I thought Shakuya's dragon form left something to be desired, though.
I get the impression that this manga is aimed at a younger set, around ages 12-13. The romance is light and the story isn't too dramatic. It's sweet and innocent, a story about a young girl growing up and trying to figure out her feelings. It could've been better, but it was still pretty good. Younger girls should enjoy it more, especially if they're new to shojo manga.
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