Asuka Masamune is a guy who loves girly things - sewing, knitting, making cute stuffed animals and reading shojo comics. But in a world where boys ...
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Feb 27, 2011
Lexi
rated it: 
Otomen is a refreshing take on romance manga, being from the point of view of a secretly girly high school jock, Asuka, who falls for tomboy, Ryo, both of whom are models for secret shojo manga writer, Juta, who helps push their relationship to further his manga's story. It's not quite as gushy as romance mangas tend to get and more focuses on the conflicted feelings of Asuka to hide his dominating feminine mentality for the sake of social acceptance and the approval of both his mother and Ryo's
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May 05, 2010
Susan
rated it: 
A three-star review from me for a shojo series is about as high a mark of approval as I can give, really. I'm notoriously grumpy when it comes to a lot of shojo series, but this one kind of charmed me.
Manga series often seem refreshing for their openness when it comes to playing around with gender roles and this series is especially notable for that. Asuka, who is a martial arts maven, is seen as this cool guy/jock at school, but he remains an aloof, enigmatic man of mystery for th More...
Manga series often seem refreshing for their openness when it comes to playing around with gender roles and this series is especially notable for that. Asuka, who is a martial arts maven, is seen as this cool guy/jock at school, but he remains an aloof, enigmatic man of mystery for th More...
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Dec 15, 2011
Seone
rated it:
Having recently finished reading Ouran High Host Club, I was in the mood for something else shamelessly silly and fun - Otomen was the perfect find! Asuka is seemingly the epitome of Japanese masculinity - captain of the kendo club and a judo champion as well as having a stellar academic record - however, he hides his true "otomen" nature from the world. In reality, Asuka loves romantic and cute things, home-making duties and shoujo manga! Asuka is forced to hide his true nature as his
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Mar 28, 2011
Melon
rated it: 
Cooking, sewing, cute accessories, cakes, and girls' comics.
Asuka Masamune is a guy who loves all of that. No, he actually is still a guy like most of guys --well, generally.
But he is an 'otomen'. Otomen --an acronym of 'otome' (=girl) and 'men'-- is a male who enjoys doing things that are stereotyped as girl's things as their hobbies.
Due to a shocking memory his mother had when his dad said "I want to be a woman" and left the house, Asuka's mother hates otomen More...
Asuka Masamune is a guy who loves all of that. No, he actually is still a guy like most of guys --well, generally.
But he is an 'otomen'. Otomen --an acronym of 'otome' (=girl) and 'men'-- is a male who enjoys doing things that are stereotyped as girl's things as their hobbies.
Due to a shocking memory his mother had when his dad said "I want to be a woman" and left the house, Asuka's mother hates otomen More...
Aug 30, 2010
Jacki
rated it:
While it's not going to replace Fruits Basket as my favorite shojo, I loved this light comedy about a straight high school boy struggling to hide his love of cooking, sewing, shojo, and all things kawaii by putting on a kendo-practicing mask of machoness. Asuka kicks butt and makes bento lunches with equal ease, but events in his past cause him to fear his "girly" side will be discovered and result in social ostracism. This fear only worsens when he finds out that his new love interest
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Jun 22, 2011
Destiny
rated it:
I really this manga. It has beautiful art. I know it may seem a bit shallow, but when factoring how much I like a series, the art is a pretty high factor. But I like that's from the point of view of the male character. Out of the shojos that I've read, I haven't seen one from the POV of the male.
I really liked Asuka. <spoiler>I'm glad he decided not to hide his "girly" tendencies anymore. I thought one of the messages that the mangaka was trying to tell the viewer, wa More...
I really liked Asuka. <spoiler>I'm glad he decided not to hide his "girly" tendencies anymore. I thought one of the messages that the mangaka was trying to tell the viewer, wa More...
Jan 16, 2010
Treasure
rated it:
Why do I always seem to most enjoy the books where the girls are rather inept at being girls?
In any case, not only is Asuka bad at cooking and sewing, but her love interest Ryo is boy who is very, very good at those things. Ryo is trying so hard to cover up his girly tendencies to impress Asuka's dad and protect his mother who is still hurting from his dad's separation to pursue being a woman. It is funny, sweet, and deals with issues of gender and embracing who you really are. Ryo's love More...
In any case, not only is Asuka bad at cooking and sewing, but her love interest Ryo is boy who is very, very good at those things. Ryo is trying so hard to cover up his girly tendencies to impress Asuka's dad and protect his mother who is still hurting from his dad's separation to pursue being a woman. It is funny, sweet, and deals with issues of gender and embracing who you really are. Ryo's love More...
Mar 16, 2009
Crystal
rated it: 
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
Sep 22, 2011
Jeannette
rated it:
I'll give this 3-1/2 stars. I really like the artwork, lots of facial expression, clean pages, pretty boys. lol And, the story is an interesting twist on the typical gender-bender trope. Asuka, the guy with the feminine side, is quite masculine, too. He doesn't act "girly" in a stupid way. The "tough" girl, looks and acts like any other teen girl. She has moments where she appears clueless, combined with having real insight into the human heart.
My only concer More...
My only concer More...
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Nov 27, 2011
Minna
rated it:
Genderbending and queerness is never far away in manga, but to show a boy who enjoys things typically considered soft and female in a non-derogative way is rare. I really like this series, I bought the five first volumes over less than a week from my local manga dealer because I really wanted to know what happened next. I got instantly hooked on this one.
Myself, I enjoy knitting, crocheting and lots of other creative hobbies, but as a feminist I've denied myself the pleasures of them More...
Myself, I enjoy knitting, crocheting and lots of other creative hobbies, but as a feminist I've denied myself the pleasures of them More...
Jun 15, 2010
Rachael
rated it:
"Otomen: A male who has feminine hobbies and skills and a feminine way of thinking. A girlish guy."
This is a pretty interesting shojo manga. The main character is Asuka, a 2nd year high school guy...usually it's a girl or a "couple." He's a straight guy w/really "feminine" interests...sewing, cooking, reading shojo manga, etc. He has had to hide these interests from the world because of trauma in his past. His father left his mother to become a woma More...
This is a pretty interesting shojo manga. The main character is Asuka, a 2nd year high school guy...usually it's a girl or a "couple." He's a straight guy w/really "feminine" interests...sewing, cooking, reading shojo manga, etc. He has had to hide these interests from the world because of trauma in his past. His father left his mother to become a woma More...
Feb 03, 2011
Vicki
rated it:
Shojo fluff about a manly martial arts master high school boy who has to hide the fact that he loves super girly hobbies the best, like sewing plushies, doing horoscopes and cooking XD
Luckily, altho the premise of the series is one of role reversal so it assumes that things like cooking are 'girly' rather than just hobbies in general, all of the actual girls in the book are presented as pretty normal girls: they can't necessarily cook or sew, and don't necessarily like shojo manga. More...
Luckily, altho the premise of the series is one of role reversal so it assumes that things like cooking are 'girly' rather than just hobbies in general, all of the actual girls in the book are presented as pretty normal girls: they can't necessarily cook or sew, and don't necessarily like shojo manga. More...
Mar 02, 2011
Raven
rated it:
Suka banget >_<
cari istri memang harus kayak si Asuka ini *grin*
Perkenalkan, Asuka Masamune, juara nasional kendo yang cool dan diakui sebagai ’pria sejati’. Tipikal tokoh pangeran di komik cewek biasa? Pastinya nggak.
Ada yang disembunyikan Asuka. Ia memiliki sisi feminim dan lembut. Kesukaannya benda-benda manis dan berkilauan. Ia juga piawai dalam menjahit serta memasak. Yang tahu hal itu cuma Yuta Tachibana. Tanpa disadari olehnya, Tachibana menjadikan Asuk More...
cari istri memang harus kayak si Asuka ini *grin*
Perkenalkan, Asuka Masamune, juara nasional kendo yang cool dan diakui sebagai ’pria sejati’. Tipikal tokoh pangeran di komik cewek biasa? Pastinya nggak.
Ada yang disembunyikan Asuka. Ia memiliki sisi feminim dan lembut. Kesukaannya benda-benda manis dan berkilauan. Ia juga piawai dalam menjahit serta memasak. Yang tahu hal itu cuma Yuta Tachibana. Tanpa disadari olehnya, Tachibana menjadikan Asuk More...
Nov 06, 2008
Tyas
rated it:
The original full review was published in Animonster. This review has been edited and abridged.
Kanno Aya, yang karyanya Kokoro ni Hana o!! telah diterbitkan di sini dengan judul Heart Blossoms, kembali dengan sebuah serial baru, Otomen. Dalam serial ini, Kanno kembali menggarap genre drama-komedi yang sempat ditinggalkannya untuk menggarap sejumlah manga mengenai Shinsengumi dan Akusaga (Blank Slate) yang kelam dan keras. Hasilnya adalah serial yang kocak dan segar.
Judul More...
Kanno Aya, yang karyanya Kokoro ni Hana o!! telah diterbitkan di sini dengan judul Heart Blossoms, kembali dengan sebuah serial baru, Otomen. Dalam serial ini, Kanno kembali menggarap genre drama-komedi yang sempat ditinggalkannya untuk menggarap sejumlah manga mengenai Shinsengumi dan Akusaga (Blank Slate) yang kelam dan keras. Hasilnya adalah serial yang kocak dan segar.
Judul More...
Dec 03, 2011
Jada
rated it:
A friend gave me a brief description on the story and strongly recommended this to me. Her description: a boy who likes sweets and cute stuff but has hide his interests and learn martial arts to put up the show of a manly strong guy <- it reminded me of Hani-kun from Ouran High School Host Club... However Hani-kun is just cute like a little kid or like a furry little animal. The guy in Otomen is cute but also makes you sympathize/connect with him because of his maiden like heart. A very fun r
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Feb 23, 2011
Shirley
rated it:
Asuka is a guy who likes "girly" things, like sewing, baking, and cute stuffed animals. He also really likes Ryo, a girl who likes "manly" things, like mountain training, hiking, and karate. Asuka tries to hide his true self from everyone since his mom doesn't like "girly" guys. But when he finds some friends who accept him as an "Otomen" (a girly guy), including Ryo, Asuka finds happiness and acceptance...but of course, there a continuous bumps along the
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Jun 08, 2011
Andrew
rated it:
This romance manga looks at notion of an otomen (a man you loves feminine things like cooking, sewing, etc.)who falls for a tomboy. Asuka goes to great lengths to hide his otomen tendencies, especially his mother because (get this!), his father left the family to have a sex change operation. Only Asuka's best friend Junta knows his true personality. A slightly less-than-clever examination of gender roles in Japanese society that promises to be a solid young love tale.
Feb 07, 2010
Zen
rated it:
This is so much fun! It could be really dreadful and yes, it is kind of gender essentialist, but I think it's just over the line of -- it's okay to like "feminine" things and "masculine" things whether you are a boy or a girl.
Also I like that Miyakozuka has Rukia's hair-cut. One of my favourite parts of this book is where she is like, "I admire manly people! Because I want to BE one! :D"
Also I like that Miyakozuka has Rukia's hair-cut. One of my favourite parts of this book is where she is like, "I admire manly people! Because I want to BE one! :D"
May 02, 2010
Izzy
rated it:
I found this in the library while looking for Death Note volumes (oh the irony) and picked it up. I am SO glad I did. This was hilarious and straight-forward, but retained the typical shojo-style artwork. I just love the main character (Asuka) who has grown on me faster than most characters. Can't wait to read the next volume.
Mar 05, 2009
Reader17
rated it:
Enjoyed this book. If you want a manga that makes you smile this is on of them. At least I think so. This series is about a guy that likes girly things and can cook, sew and likes to read shojo manga. But in school he is the cool guy and is number one in Judo and Kendo, and can fight pretty well. He tries to keep his girly side a secret until he meets a girl that for some reason brings out his girly side more.
What I liked about this book is it makes me smile when he is trying to More...
What I liked about this book is it makes me smile when he is trying to More...
May 10, 2011
The Holy Terror
rated it:
This first volume was definitely cute and actually made me chuckle out loud a few times.
This series tells the story of Asuka, a boy who loves girly stuff but since he was little his mother told him he had to be masculine and couldn't like those things because he's a boy. He's constantly warring with his desire to sew plushies, bake tasty desserts, and read shoujo manga. It isn't until he becomes friends with Ryo and Juta that he realizes he needs to be true to himself to be happy.
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This series tells the story of Asuka, a boy who loves girly stuff but since he was little his mother told him he had to be masculine and couldn't like those things because he's a boy. He's constantly warring with his desire to sew plushies, bake tasty desserts, and read shoujo manga. It isn't until he becomes friends with Ryo and Juta that he realizes he needs to be true to himself to be happy.
More...
Dec 22, 2008
Olivia
rated it:
well, so far so good... lumayan buat ngisi waktu... ga' brasa rugi lah ngluarin duit nya...
critanya tentang cowo' jago kendo dan judo yang kesannya macho banget, tapi ternyata suka segala hal manis yang kecewe'2an...
ide crita yang cukup unik... tapi too early to tell, baru nomer satu...
critanya tentang cowo' jago kendo dan judo yang kesannya macho banget, tapi ternyata suka segala hal manis yang kecewe'2an...
ide crita yang cukup unik... tapi too early to tell, baru nomer satu...
Nov 11, 2008
Valeriane
rated it:
Premier tome d'une nouvelle série Shojo. Otomen, c'est Asuka. Un otomen est un garçon qui a la sensibilité d'une fille, aime les trucs, hobbies (si on peut dire que la cuisine et la couture en sont) de filles, sans pour autant manquer de virilité.
Alors qu'il fait des efforts pour refouler sa nature profonde, celle-ci va rejaillir avec l'arrivée d'une jeune fille, Ryô, dont il tombe amoureux.
Les 3 héros de cette série ont chacun leur petit secret... quelque chose qu'ils tentent de cac More...
Alors qu'il fait des efforts pour refouler sa nature profonde, celle-ci va rejaillir avec l'arrivée d'une jeune fille, Ryô, dont il tombe amoureux.
Les 3 héros de cette série ont chacun leur petit secret... quelque chose qu'ils tentent de cac More...
Jan 09, 2012
Kendra
rated it:
Eh, I wasn't as impressed by this particular storyline. It sounded kind of funny from the description, but it just didn't capture my interest and I couldn't really bring myself to like the characters. Guess there's still going to be some shojo that's just a little too much for me.
Sep 10, 2010
Laurie
rated it:
When I first started the manga, I was impressed with Asuka's skill and ability with cooking, sewing, and love for cute things. He's just a loveable guy. He tries to act manly but his girly self always gets the best of him. This was an amazing manga.
Apr 02, 2010
Emily
rated it:
A cute manga series that examines gender roles. It's the kind of manga I like--not too many characters, a plot I can follow, characters that don't look too much alike. Some neat twists I wasn't expecting, too. I will keep reading the series.
Feb 12, 2009
Carrie
rated it:
Asuka Masamune is my ideal boyfriend! He'd be cooking my meals, cleaning our house, and sewing outfits for me while we discussed shojo comics! The fact that he's all buff and a martial arts expert is icing on the cake.
Apr 11, 2009
An
rated it:
Was cute. Liked the art, suitably girly - a surprise since Kanno-sensei's last works were more shounen. Missing something that prevents me from totally loving it, hopefully will get better with later volumes.
Mar 04, 2009
Becky
rated it:
I LOVED THIS BOOK! It left me with a goofy grin. The author is not truly a Shojo author & that may be why I liked this so much. I am definetly interested in her other series & I can't wait till the other Otomen come out.
Dec 14, 2010
Mog
rated it:
With lovable characters, a refreshingly new spin on the classic 'boy meets girl and falls in love' scenario of shojo manga and a sprinkling of cute humor I can't possibly not like this series!
