Ao Haru Ride (Manga): First Impression

Today, I've been itching to watch Cunning Single Lady's newest episode but I can't find subbed videos yet, and since I can't understand Korean, I had to venture out on other things that might be worthwhile to do. So at first I was very frustrated because I am originally an impatient person but as I was searching for something to watch, I came across a link that led me to find out about the upcoming live action movie of this particular manga. I wanted to watch it but since it's not yet available, I just decided to read the manga. Now I'm hooked!

I've only read Volume 1 but I can say that this story will keep me hooked! I love the characters, I love the artwork, how the characters are drawn and I just love how romantic this story is. Just to give you a jist, I will talk about the main plot of the manga.

Futaba is a pretty timid girl who's not fond of boys except for this one guy named Tanaka. Tanaka is a short, quiet guy Futaba has been crushing on. Series of events brought them together and just as when a good opportunity to actually get to know each other's feelings for one another, Tanaka had to move out of town and switch schools. Futaba was left in her old school with some friends. A school year later, guys eventually noticed that Futaba is quite the charmer and is indeed pretty. This sparked interest among the opposite sex but induced jealousy from her female classmates and friends. Eventually, Futaba was alienated and left alone. This led her to dramatically change how she acts once she stepped into high school. From the timid girl she used to be, she tried to be more outspoken and be unlady-like, just to change her image. She was then able to make friends and was living the life she thought she dreamed of until she met this boy, who looks extremely like Tanaka- only he's taller and with a different personality. He points out that her current friends are fake, which bothers her. To top things off, he's called "Mabuchi", not Tanaka, but she's sure he's the same guy. So far, the story revolves about her high school life, getting real friends and discovering love for the person she once liked.

I really really like the plot and I am definitely planning on reading some more after I type this post, which in translation is 'now'.