Minoru Toyoda

This review was originally written for the website ListerX.com, which is now defunct. It can also be found on my blog, The Graphic Librarian.

Cover
Vibrantly colorful and swarming with a fun variety of funky characters, the cover for Love Roma V.02 is truly a feast for the eyes. The design is a little erratic, but there's so much going on that you can't help but be drawn in for a closer look. In addition, the title is also very nicely done; the bold colors and brush-stroked font lend themselves nicely to the manga's playful qualities. On the back you're met with the same ordered chaos that's found on the front. Loud colors of all sorts coat the page leaving little room for anything else. Unfortunately, even the blurb that one would normally find on the back is absent.

Artwork
The illustrations in the book were a total turn off for me. I enjoy graceful lines, pretty characters, detailed scenery, etc. - all of which are completely non-existent in this book. Granted, the story doesn't really make any of those things necessary - it's a comedy and Toyoda's artwork suits the story perfectly. Nevertheless, an adorable storyline with amusing side plots isn't enough to make reading this manga enjoyable for me. With that said, I still think the art does a good job of complementing the story. After all, just because I find the illustrations not to my tastes, doesn't mean that others won't enjoy and appreciate them.

Plot
This volume follows our two main characters Negishi and Hoshino as they explore their new relationship together. In Track #5 all of their friends seem to have advice on how each should act around the other, but in the end they discover that they don't need to act any different because they're the most comfortable when they're just being themselves. The couple's relationship takes another step forward in Track #6 when they decide to explore the rumors of a ghost at their school. Through their decidedly un-paranormal ordeal they continue to learn about each other as individuals. Track #7 puts Negishi and Hoshino as the lead roles in the class play. While their friends are scheming to forces them to get "close" the couple are perfectly content to take things at their own pace. However, despite their laid-back attitudes towards their relationship, in Track #8 the pair manage to attract the attentions of a school reporter who tries to do whatever she can to catch them off guard (and under questionable circumstances.)Nevertheless, her machinations don't seem to phase Hoshino, and Negishi, while obviously bothered, does her best to follow her boyfriend's example. Track #9 is a seemingly pointless "relationship-developing" story where Negishi helps Hoshino learn how to ride a bike; it doesn't get really amusing until the end when the story takes a very odd turn in an entirely unexpected direction. Track #10, like nearly every other teen romance manga, has Hoshino sick in bed on Christmas Eve and so Negishi goes to visit with him. Finally, in Track #11 Hoshino decides to get a job. However, things don't go exactly as planned and he winds up making some new discoveries about himself as a result. Overall, the story in volume 2 feels shallow and episodic; other than the advances made in the main characters' relationship, nothing much seems to happen to move the plot forward. With a cover price of nearly $11, I'd pass on this one, or at least flip through it in the store before making a purchase.

Content Warnings
Language = There wasn't any that I noticed - If so, it's very mild.

Violence = Only the playful kind - Negishi beats up on Hoshino a lot.

Nudity = None.

Sexual Situations = It's discussed by the characters briefly, but there's nothing even mildly graphic in content.

Ratings
Cover - 6/10 - Bright and eye-catching, but there's no blurb!

Artwork - 6/10 - Good for the storyline, but not at all to my tastes.

Plot - 6/10 - Very choppy and episodic; not much seems to be going on.

Overall - 6/10 - Amusing, but not worth the $11 cover price. Browse through this one in the store before buying.… (plus d'informations)