Customer Reviews

V.B. Rose, Vol. 1

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have never read anything by Banri Hidaka before but I think that is about to change.

Admittedly, I picked up this manga on the shallowest of reason: I thought the cover was pretty.

But pretty cover aside, the first volume of Ageha and her quest to help to make her older sister's wedding dress was pure delight.

Ageha loves her older sister who is pregnant and planning to get married. The catch is that Ageha doesn't like the idea of her adored sister, Hibari, getting married and she balks in a way that causes an accident at the V.B. Rose bridal shop. Hidaka does a great job in conveying Ageha's moments of brattiness without overdoing it so that when Ageha shows her remorse, it doesn't seem out of character.

The guys, Yukari and Mitsu, she meets at V. B. Rose are likable in their own way. Yukari is the prerequisite androgynous beauty but he's also a strict taskmaster and when he snaps at Ageha, it is in context. Mitsu is fun who keeps things lighthearted and witty.

There are other likable characters in this volume that give the story a nice sparkle and balance. This is not a drama shoujo full of melancholy and angst (at least not in this volume). It is like ambrosia, light and frothy but somehow satisfying in a surprising way, and it completely lived up to the potential of its pretty cover and I am already looking forward to volume 2!

Now I first picked up this series a long time ago. Maybe when it first came out but its definitely been a few years since i picked it up. Since i've already read a couple books since then. Honestly I really love this series. I'm a sucker for a light hearted story line that isn't repetitive or similar to a lot of other shoujo manga. I'm sure VB Rose is similar to a ton of manga but the way the manga-ka presented it was a bit refreshing. I can't explain why but maybe its the clean art and no fluff story line. If I start yelling at a manga like ARGGHHH! That mmeans i'm really frustrated with how the story line is going. That didn't happen with this one. I love simple clean storylines. I'm not much in dramatic stuff. Although the series does start to get dramatic in the middle.
Anyways, so the story starts off with Ageha. A crafty young girl who has a sister complex. Her sister is getting married and Ageha isn't keen on the idea that her sister is marrying. Then Yukari, the owner of a bridal gown shop teaches her a lesson. Both are rather hot headed at first. Then of course Ageha falls for him.
Of course i don't want to ruin the rest of the books but don't be discouraged by the 1st one or two books. It can be a little slow but i absolutely adore the pacing in my opinion. Funny thing is, this story could be a korean drama with the plotline and pacing. I find this book t be an enjoyable read and always refreshing when i pick it up. I put this on my favorites list. :D

I love this series! It has a great story line and even better art! It's a must have for any manga collector but more for girls. It's one of the few mangas out there today that can be appropriate for about 8 and older girls. Or guys if they like it too.

Just like the perfect dress sans the perfect accessories this series is missing something. At first I couldn't put my finger on it. I even bought two volumes to study the story more closely. It's true that there is no true love rival, but that wasn't it, because I detest triangles. It's true that the main male character is effeminate as well as cool, but I'm a sucker for bishonen, so that wasn't it either.

Then by volume 4 (which I read without purchasing) it finally hit me. The heroine sucks. Once I realize that, it's over. I don't care to turn the page because I don't really care what happens to her next. I'm moving on to another title, regretting that I spent hours of my life on V.B. Rose that I can never get back...

It's true she's a typical teenager in the first volume; selfish and whiny and unlikeable. But I thought her love for her sister was endearing and that brought out the better parts of her. But as I read on, I fell out of love with her. She's cute but she's still incredibly childish, charmless and and annoying even. The reader soon realizes that she hasn't matured one bit since volume one, though she overcame her sister complex. The author establishes that she is a tall, beautiful girl with a huge cup size but is that supposed to automatically make us like her? Even with her boss complex, she's still unlikeable.

It's like she floats superficially between dreams and reality and you really can't decide if she's overly innocent or overly coquettish. Her "can do" attitude is admirable, as is her passion to make accessories, but her overly optimistic personality and her tendency to apologize to the guy she likes even when the blame is entirely his makes her incredibly shallow. To put it plainly, her character lacks character.

Sadly, she's not the only one. The hero is awkwardly portrayed (and I'm not talking about the age difference) as a cold, callous and cruel taskmaster at first, only to be a wilting, self-wallowing disaster when he realizes he's in love with a 16 year old (he's in his twenties by the way and that just is a little...off). He lost hero credibility at the drop of a hat.

His business partner, the comedic relief, is thrown in there like a third wheel. You start to wonder what his character was originally intended to be since he seems completely useless to the plot or story line in some frames.

So in the end, you have a shallow, indecisive heroine whose frivolousness is indulged by every other supporting character. Every chapter becomes another vicious cycle of painful, repetitive motions (like having carpal tunnel syndrome, but for your eyes!). The worse thing that could have happened to the leading couple was that they fell in love. Suddenly, you feel as though you're watching an episode of His and Her Circumstances where awkward blushing is the norm. It's as if falling in love completely obliterates the strengths we saw when they were originally introduced to us.

I also think Tokyopop didn't do the art any justice. The printing is sloppy and you can't even see some of the detailing in the tones which is an insult to the artist.

Sadly, I stopped reading at volume 4. It was too painful to continue. Two stars for the story concept and the frilly dresses, which is always a plus in my book.

The main character is Ageha, a cheerful high school student, who loves making bags and accessories in her spare time. The series is basically about Ageha working part-time at a shop/boutique, called V.B. Rose, which makes wedding dresses.

In the first volume, Ageha's elder sister is getting married and Ageha first visits V.B. Rose. After a shaky start, Ageha ends up working part-time there. The series is about Ageha's time as she works there, as well as her slowly developing relationship with the beautiful but cross Yukari, who runs the shop.

The overall tone of the series is light-hearted. The story is well developed and although it isn't really plot-driven, moves at a good, steady pace. As the series goes on you find out about the characters' pasts etc, which is interesting. The main and supporting characters are well developed and likeable. Ageha is cute (without being annoying) and Yukari and Mitsu (who runs V.B. Rose with Yukari) have a lot of funny scenes together.

If you haven't come across Banri Hidaka's work before I really recommend it. Her stories and characters always have a lot of depth and have a way of drawing you in. With V.B. Rose I definitely found myself completely hooked- something about the series just works! If you're looking for a cute, entertaining shojo series with depth, I recommend picking this up!