The Gentlemen's Alliance †, Vol. 11

紳士同盟 クロス [Shinshi Doumei Cross] #11

by Arina Tanemura

In return for a business loan of 50 million yen, the prestigious Kamiya family gives their daughter Haine away to the Otomiya family. This is the final volume.

Genres: Manga, Romance, Shojo, Graphic Novels, Comics Manga, Drama, LGBT

192 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2012

About the author

Name in Japanese: 種村有菜 (Tanemura Arina)
Western Zodiac: Pisces

Arina Tanemura was born on March 12, 1978. She's the author of Full Moon O Sagashite, Time Stranger Kyoko, Kamikaze Kaito Jeanne, The Gentlemen's Alliance Cross, Sakura Hime Kaden, and more.

Her favorite hobby is Karaoke. One song that she sings is Smile, originally by Myco. She has two cats, named Riku and Kai. She has one elder and one younger sister and one brother. She's the type who hates to lose in anything. She also likes Ribon.

Reviews

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

You cannot change yourself. People only change after interacting with others.

*

My fingertips, now having learned what warmth is, are now weak against the cold...

My first manga series completion this year. In other reviews, I expressed some concern that this story would fall off the rails before the end, like Kamikaze Kaitou Jeanne did. Instead I was impressed at how well it all came together, and how affecting some of the endgame was.

From this point on, there will be major spoilers. If you're at all interested in reading this series and haven't done so yet, don't read beyond this point. Why would you be looking at reviews of the last volume of a series you wanted to read, anyhow? shoo!

*

I loved the striking imagery of white uniforms on a snowy day at the beginning of Ch. 45, another example of this series' "light and shadow" motif. Toya shoots Haine in the shoulder, staining her white uniform with red blood. My favorite part of this voume was where Haine finds the carved stones with Shizumasa and Takanari's names on them in the river, and clutches them to herself. I mean, sure, the symbolism is obvious and over-the-top, and the game that Haine was forced to play to track them down was just as stupid as the one that determined which of the brothers became the Togu heir, but it was fitting in a story that was over-the-top to begin with, and it brought on a genuine emotional response, so good on it. :)

Ch. 46 focused heavily on Toya, a rather odd decision for a secondary character at the endgame of a story. After that there was the expected tying up of ends, like getting Haine married, resolving the various relationships, etc. I chuckled to see that for a few panels, there was the possibility of Haine's marrying both brothers, one on the record and one off. The way the story ended--this is the cynical adult's take on it--left plenty of room for more messed-up love shenanigans between those three after the honeymoon is well over. One certainly has the impression that all of these young people have found a HFN rather than a HEA. I'm happy that Senri and Ushio got together, although that's another relationship where there's no guarantees.

Oh and I lost the bet I made after reading v. 9. I said I'd bet real money, not that I'd bet a lot of it. :P But I should have seen it coming, considering the whole thing with the children's book. That probably sealed the deal half a dozen volumes ago. Forgive me, I've been reading this for three years off and on...

At some point in her side notes, Tanemura said that she wasn't all that interested in m/m or f/f pairings but wanted to try some relationships along those lines in this manga where she was testing boundaries and trying some material she wasn't naturally attracted to writing. No offense, but it really shows when it comes to how Maora and Maguri are portrayed. Good try, all things considered.

Plenty of bonus material in this volume!

Bonus story: not much point to this. We didn't get much, if any, new insight into the Gentlemen's Alliance characters, and a couple of the characters' faces looked off-model.

"Globe of the Sea: Nocturne": a budding relationship between a 14-year-old girl and a 24-year-old teacher (again?!). Couldn't you maybe tell her to buzz off 'til she's done with high school or something? Eesh.

"The Water Bubble Princess": yeah, Senri's a wicked fellow. At least he knows what he wants, I guess.

A number of single-page profiles of the characters that Tanemura developed before starting the Gentlemen's Alliance serial: these were pretty interesting. Most of the characters didn't change all that much, though Ushio and Senri were reworked a fair amount (i.e. Ushio was going to be a lesbian), possibly as a concession to editorial guidance. Maguri was bow-legged, though? that's funny.

I ended up liking this series as a whole a lot more than I did in its first half or so. I rolled my eyes when it was trying to be serious maybe a few too many times, and the occasional weird non-sequitur humor (and that stupid sheep mascot) didn't do much for me. The humor and mascot were ditched well before the end, and good riddance. But the characters' motivations really did clear up in the long run, and I'm honestly impressed that Tanemura handled such a large cast well enough that I never lost track of who was who, and that she managed to have so much dark content in a Ribon magazine serial.

[Rach · Rating 4 out of 5]

It wasn't until I started reading this volume that I realized it was the last one! And that kind of makes me sad, because I feel like there's a lot of story left that could have been developed with all of these characters. Instead, we get a quick wrap up of how everyone ends up, as well as a few little glimpses into their future. So, what does happen?

Haine fights for the twins, because as much as she is in love with Taka, she truly loves them both. So she challenges their grandfather to see aside tradition, letting the twins both live their own lives, and she succeeds. Shizun has his bone marrow transplant and recovers. Taka and Haine are awkward around each other, make out, and then get married. And their life wouldn't be complete without Shizun showing up to live with them and tease Taka about stealing Haine away from him.

Everyone else lives happily ever after, too. Haine's parents are happy and having another baby. Maguri and Maora, Ushio and Senri, Kusame and Komaki, they all end up together. And I'm glad they're happy; I just wish that, for as many characters as there were, we had known more of their stories in depth.

Oh well! In the end, I enjoyed reading this series, and will miss these characters.

[Almos_Quest · Rating 3 out of 5]

I still love the series, but I must say.. I WAS 14 WHEN I WAS OPSESSED WITH IT. Now that I am 27 it is partially very cheesy, but it is still sweet. So all in all 3 stars for the whole series. I is also a bit problematic at son parts, but it also started at 2004. Soooo it is also an old series.

[⋆♱✮♱⋆☽ ａ ｆａｉｒｙ ☾⋆♱✮♱⋆ · Rating 5 out of 5]

RE-READ after 4-5 years.

5 MARVELLOUS STARS

I forgot how much I loved this series... Takanari sama (the Emperor) is just as gorgeous and heart shattering as I remember.

They keep me up till 5am and not felling the slightest bit guilty about it, I love Haine and all the friendships in the book, the tense moments between her, shizumasa and takanari sama (who owns my heart) and also the comedy that came along with it. Haine is just Haine, you won't find anyone like her anywhere else, she's childish and stupid a lot, but caring with a heart full of love to give. The mixture of personalities was great between the characters, homosexuality was normal (meaning in some books, some characters may not approve of it) but in this manga, all was normal and accepted, as it should be.
Shizumasa was a dick from the start, at first I didn't mind him being in the lil love triangle but after a while, he was showing his true colours, and acting like a complete a-hole, whereas Takanari sama was a douche to Haine too, but he definitely wasn't heartless like his brother. He was lost in his feelings trying to change and doubt them, but then realised he couldn't and just accepted her and tried to win her over, which of course payed off in the end.
And I'm happy for shizumasa finally getting his shit together...

I'd always known who she'd up with in the end- and I couldn't ask for a better ending, it was honestly a dream come true, after all the bullshit and lies, everything came out the closet and was mended. Which was what Haine deserved, after all her doubting and whining, going back and forth with both brothers, not having her mum and thinking her dad hated her; it was a beautiful happy ending.

I can't believe it's come to an end, yet again.

But what can I say? All good things come to and end, am I right?

Overall the story itself is well structured, the characters each have individual personalities, their different and loveable and I loved how the author dealt with the multiple issues such as family problems, love affairs, pretty much all types of love problems really, and shizumasa's illness, how Haine dealt with her demons. And I gotta say that girl may be an idiot 24/7, but she's a soldier who no matter what the damage may be, she still holds her head up high.

The art was great, i looooooove their uniforms, and obviously how hot takanari sama is, who knew I'd fall in love with a drawing? Is it even possible?
But that's what I meant about the characters being loveable, they all have different stories and backgrounds, different issues they deal with, and I love how the author incorporated it all, and turned it into this beautiful piece of manga.

It's a whole other world! One where not everyone's perfect, they all have their own secrets and insecurities, hide their feelings so they don't have to deal with them, but the truth is, everyone deserves a happy ending, one where your friends are happy and standing by your side, your parents are proud and loving you unconditionally, whilst you walk down the isle starring at the love of your life. It really is an amazing story!

If you like romance, comedy, cute characters, an edgy story, one with a bit of action which is enough to keep you turning the pages, then don't hesitate, it really is a time consumer but you won't regret it.

[Anne · Rating 2 out of 5]

“I’ll marry them both.” Huh?? I usually enjoy Tanemura’s work but this one was questionable with a lot of problematic themes! I stopped after vol. 6 in HS while waiting for the rest of the books to publish and it’s probably best I hadn’t revisited until now.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

That was a long journey that I could enjoy on every step and that I don't regret anything!
Arina Tanemura making my heart go weak as always and I absolutely adored all the relationships on this story. Takanari will be forever my cutie! And Maguri...And Ushio...and HAINE !!!! Ahhh All of them are so especial.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally read: Aug-Sept 2010
Reviewed: June 2015

I've now read this series a total of three times. The first was back in the days when I was barely exposed to the world of manga/anime (ah.... 18 years old...) and only read it because my manga-fanatic friend shoved the volumes at me, but still merely enjoyed it for fun. Second time, it was two years ago, shortly after I returned home from my Disney College Program, and I half-hated the series. Now.... A 23-year old woman, a somewhat-more-experienced-but-still-novice otaku... I can say with confidence that I love it.

Okay, what's good about the series? THE ART. Whether or not you're a fan of overtly expressive shoujo eyes, the overall style of Arina Tanemura-san's work is GORGEOUS. Then, there are the characters: Haine Otomiya, the naive yet strong protagonist who's kickass and harbors dark emotions toward her father, who sold her to her adopted family at the tender age of ten years old. Then there's her beloved, "the Emperor," Shizumasa Togu, whose backstory is one of the most messed up ones I've come across in nearly any manga series, next to Fruits Basket (and a bit mind-fucking for poor Haine). Haine's best friend, Ushio Amamiya, sleeps around but is saving her first kiss (strange, I know) and shares her smiles only for our heroine. "Maora" is the cross-dressing comic relief, whose entire act revolves around lingering feelings for his childhood friend, Maguri, who meanwhile has the hots for the Emperor (both of them are men, just to be clear). And of course, there's the perverted school doctor, the childish teacher, the school council's ultimate power (seriously, do Japanese teachers have NO authority??), and a whole slew of additional characters.

What I like most about this series is that though romance is the focal point (it's shoujo manga, for gods' sake), we get to see EVERYONE'S romances, both successful and not, in detail. We see how Haine's parents (both real and adopted) met, we watch Ushio grow to accept herself and find real love outside of using men, we fall for Maora and Maguri's relationship, and even minor characters have moments to shine. It's refreshing to have a story be solely romantic, but not just focus on two (or three) idiots.

What's bad about it? Well.... The first two times I read it, I hated Haine's indecision when her perception of Shizumasa changes forever (won't say how, because, you know, spoilers....), but now I begin to sympathize with her because she's FIFTEEN YEARS OLD. Do I still find it annoying? Yes, but I also appreciate her choices in the end --- except for the marriage. That was.... bullshit.

But everything else is just lovely. The drama is intense and over-dramatic, but within reason. The characters are wonderfully complex, and love is the reigning power over all. Cliche, maybe, but no less universal in its message. Plus, Haine, for all her stupidity and indecision, is an incredibly relatable girl, who uses her fighting skills to hide her pain and will forever defend those in need. I can't help but love her for that.

[Kaya Hayes · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't know what the author's deal is, but not only did she have a character who was supposed to be a lesbian fall in love with a male teacher, but she included a bonus story that had nothing at all to do with anything Gentlemen's Alliance Cross that was trying to justify a 14 year old and her 24 year old teacher falling in love with each other. Actually gross and leaves an entire bad taste in my mouth.
The only reason this isn't a 1 star is because at least Maguri and Maora's relationship was respected, and Haine finding both stones to free Shizumasa and Takanari was cute.
Overall, I'm glad I reread this series. Some of it was fun and goofy, however, I'm glad I reread it with adult eyes so that I no longer have a fondness for this series. Younger me did not fully register all the problems with the story, and though I liked some of it and think it had heart in some parts, overall, this was not a reading experience I'll ever do again or truly recommend. In fact, I would only recommend the first five books, which i enjoyed almost without issue. I wish that this series had turned out differently, but it is what it is.

[Starbubbles · Rating 3 out of 5]

2021: I chuckled a bit when Haine told Toya that she was going to "show him a happy ending." Pfft! It's funny and you know it.

I do not like how the Ushio problem relationships are not addressed. Even if the uncle was an "uncle" and he wasn't that much older, it doesn't sit well with me. I need clarification, there is a flag on this play for questionable appropriateness.

What about Senri? He basically got jealous of a past relationship and called Ushio a slut. What a child. No wonder he went after a high school student even though he was old enough to know better, and the school doctor. Whhaaat?! Yes! I am grumpy and went petty. I am pretty sure this takes place after her graduation, but is unclear as the bonus stories bounce around in time.

Anyway- I did enjoy my re-read, so this series can stay. For now. Mwahaha!

2009: when i gave my review, it was apparently for both 10 and 11. so, if you want my entire review, go to vol. 10. but i will say this, i loved this book! happy endings are always good.

[Jody Mena]

Very cute and sweet school life romance! I loved the characters, they were all so unique, and the plot twists were so original that they bordered on unbelievable, yet they all fit together seamlessly within the story. The artwork is nice also, very full and engaging, with very little blank space, which is nice because then when there are blanks spaces, it works as an emphasis in the plot, so that the story and the artwork support each other as a whole. Very nicely done, this was a really enjoyable series, I'm sad it's over!

[Sabrina "Look At My Books" · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really an amazing series.

Altough the final chapter was a bit rushed in my opinion. We only really got how they got there from the extras. That was sad. So I couldn't enjoy the Haine Takanari greatness as much.

But I liked the story overall, loved that Ushio got her happy end. Basically everyone got their happy end. But it was kinda sad that we didn't see Kusame as much anymore. I really liked him.

[Suzume · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved the ending! It was so cute and so funny! I love this series and I love Arina Tanemura's work! It's so amazing and there is so much detail in the drawings! I highly suggest this series.

[Bibliothecat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Students attending the Imperial Academy are placed in a hierarchical order based on their parents' income and social standing. Haine is in the bronze class and is not even allowed to interact with the highest gold class - yet the gold class is reserved for the head of the school council, also known as the Emperor, who happens to be the one Haine has set her heart on. When chance allows for her to join the school council, she finds that now that she can finally speak to the Emperor, he does not seem very willing to do so.

I wish I could cover The Gentlemen's Alliance Cross with praise - yet if I try to describe it in a few words I'd come up with chaotic, illogical and terrible humour. From the time of its release, it has been my least favourite series (one-shots not included) by Arina Tanemura and has yet held that position. It's a bit of a modern take on Cinderella with a school for a backdrop that could have taken many routes - but it seems to have gone all over the place.

Let's start with my biggest peeve - where does this all take place? Judging by the names and clothing, it can only be Japan - or a pseudo-Japan? Because although it reflects our contemporary time in many ways, many of the social norms make no sense. Haine is given up for adoption in exchange for 50 million yen, the school's hierarchy seems absolute - you can't talk with people in higher classes and you can rise up in class if your parents pay enough money. Teachers barely seem present, it's like the students run the school in which gang fights are a thing. There's a lot of family abuse going on and people can be proclaimed dead without any investigation, there are forced marriages and just so many extremes. If this were a fantasy setting I wouldn't have minded - fictional worlds can have any rules. But in the setting in which it's presented, it just caused too much disbelief in me.

With that off my chest, let's go back to the beginning. Although the school's concept could have proven an interesting story, it's barely relevant. The plot consists of the characters' dilemmas - and boy are there many. There is not a single character with a normal life that isn't frightfully melodramatic. Let's look at Haine; she's cute but also an ex-yankee/gangster who can easily beat someone silly (why are there knife and snake fights at school again?). She became a yankee because she wanted to prove that she's not worth anything - because, you know, her dad sold her and all. In her mind, her new adoptive family doesn't really want or need her, she's just a burden - so what better solution than to roam the streets at night looking for trouble.

Of course, her whole adoption thing proves to have much more to it, her father's just another tortured soul trying to do the right thing. Her mum goes half insane over it which, once again, didn't make any sense! She's had her teeth knocked out during her yankee-time and whenever her now fake-teeth come out, she goes all strangely berserk - hello humour, you almost made me smile.

Anyway, Haine goes into depression-phase multiple times throughout the story. There are many would-be-climaxes that are either resolved too fast or just interrupted so it could be resolved in a later volume. And because Haine's problems aren't enough, the author made sure that every.single.character. has at least as many to whine over.

If this story would have been much shorter, less wanna-be-depressing and either in a fictional setting or one that makes sense in our world, this could have been a decent story. The council was quite a nice set of characters. I like how they were all pretty different and became great friends.

Shizumasa, the Emperor, starts off as your standard stand-offish main guy but he turns out to be pretty interesting. I feel as though he actually had a legitimate reason to be a jerk to everyone and you know, he's the first to get over himself. His backstory is by far the most interesting and it led to interesting conflicts - it was pretty easy to root for him and hope for a happy ending.

So, while I could try to look past the many, many flaws and read on for the good aspects and hope for a happy end - I can say the ending was a happy one for the characters, if not for me. It was utterly unsatisfactory and pretty much cheats its way past the main obstacle that stands between Haine and Shizumasa. Why resolve the story's main conflict if you can simply ignore it and they all lived happily ever after!

Despite all, I still find myself reading this from time to time. Although most of it is spent shaking my head, there must be enough good in it to make me reread it.

[Jesús Soler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Siempre me ha parecido que Arina Tanemura tiene un estilo muy suyo, muy shojo y muy reconocible por cualquier lector que lea manga. Se trata de una autora que ya tiene una extensa carrera. A pesar de que ya ha pasado tiempo de su publicación, The Gentlemen's Alliance (紳士同盟†) sigue siendo su obra más larga hasta la fecha, con un total de 11 tomos y 47 capítulos largos.

Esta obra se publicó desde septiembre de 2004 a junio de 2008 en la revista japonesa Ribbon y, en España, la trajó la desaparacida editorial Glenat entre los años 2008 y 2009. Desde entones, ninguna editorial española la ha recuperado, pero creo que, ahora, a punto de terminar el 2023 que escribo estas líneas, esta obra tendría una mejor acogida que la que tuvo, puesto que el número de lectores de manga, y especialmente de manga shojo, ha subido mucho. Es de esperar que alguna editorial la recupere pronto, pues hace poco Planeta editó una versión integral de Time Stranger Kyoko.

Lei The Gentlemen's Alliance cuando salió hace ya años y ahora la he vuelto a releer del tirón, para ver cómo la ha tratado el paso del tiempo. No soy un lector de shojo manga, pero creo que si sé valorar obras buenas frente a otras que tiran más de clichés y chorradas típicas de este género.

The Gentlemen's Alliance es la primera obra que hizo Arina Tanemura en la que no había magia o elementos fantásticos. En este sentido, tal y como narra la autora en las columnas de los 11 tomos de la obra, se propuso hacer un manga muy diferente a todo lo anterior, quería enfrentarse a hacer cosas nuevas y salirse un poco del tipo de historias que la caracterizaban. Se trató pues de un desafío para ella y me parece que salió airosa de la batalla.

Este manga narra la historia de una chica de 15 años llamada Haine, que acude a una escuela llamada la Academia Imperial. Aquí, los alumnos se dividen en 3 clases dependiendo de su nivel económico y, como no podía ser de otro modo, la protagonista pertenece a la nivel más bajo. Haine está enamorada del que llaman el emperador, Shizumasa Togu, que es el presidente del consejo de estudiantes y, por supuesto, pertence al nivel más alto. A ambos personajes los une una historia que tuvo lugar en su infancia. Y así, a medida que pasa la serie, se irán descubriendo los orígenes de cada uno de ellos y sus secretos familiares, que a su vez están relacionados con amigos que les rodean.

En cuanto al dibujo de Arina Tanemura, es sin duda el clásico del shojo: ojos enormes, personajes muy delgados y estilizados con el pelo normalmente muy largo y decorados adornados de flores o elementos preciosistas. Esta autora recrea realmente bien las escenas de amor y de climax entre personajes, por eso es una buena autora de shojo. Pero creo que se le resisten un poco las escenas de acción y en The Gentlemen's Alliance hay algunas. Creo que el dibujo de Arina Tanemura es mejor cuando es fijo, es decir, portadas de capítulos o dibujos en los que los personajes están quietos, como si posaran para una fotografía. Solo hay que mirar cualquier portada de uno de sus tomos o capítulos, son casi como un a fotografía.

En cuanto a la temática de The Gentlemen's Alliance, aparecen muy explotados los dos temas universales de cualquier manga y por supuesto del shojo: la amistad y el amor. Arina Tanemura tiene la habilidad de crear personajes femeninos que evolucionan a lo largo de la obra y consiguen sus objetivos una vez que han madurado, algo que se cumple a la perfección con Haine, la protagonista de esta historia. En el lado negativo, me parece que en ese tipo de mangas, siempre suceden situaciones que no son naturales que no sucederían en la vida real, como por ejemplo que la chica salga corriendo cuando el chico la besa o por cualquier otro motivo. Además, como suele suceder con estas historias, todo termina siendo muy cursi y aniñado, con montones de situaciones tontas que buscan ser el alivio cómico y no llevan a ningún lado.

Así, habiendo leído The Gentlemen's Alliance en 2023, creo que es un manga que no está mal, pero tampoco es una gran obra. Todo ello teniendo en cuenta que no soy un lector de manga shojo ni que tampoco es mi género preferido. No obstante, siempre es divertido rescatar una de estas antiguas obras que están en la estanteria desde hace años.

[Yoyomaus Die Büchereule · Rating 2 out of 5]

Zum Inhalt:
Haine ist wild entschlossen, das System der Schattengänger abzuschaffen. Gemeinsam mit ihren Freunden dringt sie in die Villa Togu ein und stellt das Familienoberhaupt zur Rede. Wie Shizumasa und Takanari einst als Kinder muss sich Haine nun derselben Prüfung unterziehen. Doch plötzlich stellt sich ihr Toya in den Weg und droht, sie und sich selbst umzubringen!

Haine und ihre Freunde wollen Takanari befreien, dabei bekommen sie unerwartet Hilfe und für Haine steht fest, dass das System, welches die Familie Togu fest im Griff hat abgeschafft werden muss. Takanari soll kein Schatten mehr sein, denn er ist es, den sie liebt. Doch als Haine endlich bei ihm ist, schickt Takanari sie weg, denn er will seinem Bruder das Leben retten, indem er ihn bei dessen Leukämie durch eine Bluttransfusion unterstützt. Haine versteht die Welt nicht mehr, macht sich aber trotzdem auf den Weg zum Oberhaupt der Familie Togu, um die beiden Jungen aus ihren Zwängen zu retten. Bei einer Prüfung soll Haine eine Kugel mit dem Namen von Shizumasa oder dessen Bruder Takanari finden. Dieser soll von da an der Kaiser sein und der andere der Schatten. Doch das Oberhaupt schummelt und Toya, der Diener Takanaris, klärt Haine darüber auf, dass nur eine Kugel - und zwar die von Shizumasa - versteckt worden ist, während er Haine mit einer Waffe bedroht. Als sich ein Schuss löst, wird Haine verletzt, was sie aber trotzdem nicht davon abhält weiter nach den Kugeln zu suchen und plötzlich hat sie nicht nur Shizumasas Kugel, sondern auch jene, die Takanari einst bei seiner Suche verlor. Mit beiden Kugeln macht sie sich auf den Weg zu den Brüdern, wo sie schließlich zusammen bricht.

Was für ein schwachsinniges Finale. Da hätte ich schon mehr von der Autorin erwartet, vor allem wurde die Storyline aber wieder einmal durch die verworrenen Szenensprünge einfach kaputt gemacht. Haine versucht den beiden Brüdern zu helfen, sucht die Kugeln und aus dem nichts taucht Toya auf, bedroht sie mit einer Waffe und will sie und sich erschießen, warum, das bekommt man gar nicht so schnell heraus. Schließlich wird sie durch einen Streifschuss an der Schulter getroffen, findet beide Kugeln, rennt ins Krankenhaus und bricht dort schließlich zusammen - wohl gemerkt in einer Blutlache - soso. Das ist schon mehr als übertrieben und hat die Geschichte für mich noch unglaubwürdiger gemacht. Schön ist zu lesen, dass die Brüder sich schließlich doch verstehen und Shizumasa Haine frei gibt, damit sie und Takanari glücklich werden können. Doch sind wir mal ehrlich. nach dem ganzen Schrott der zwischen den Brüdern gelaufen ist, können sie sich noch verzeihen? Never! Shizumasa hat Takanari wissentlich zum Schatten werden lassen, er hat ihn als Kind fast umgebracht, er hat ihn immer wie den letzten Dreck behandelt, er hat ihn geschlagen, sein Leben quasi mehrmals so richtig versaut und jetzt auf einmal ist Friede, Freude, Eierkuchen? Unglaubwürdig.

Als Fazit der Reihe kann ich nur eins sagen: enttäuschend. Besonders, wenn man weiß, dass die Autorin mehr leisten kann. In diesem Manga sind weder neue Charakterdesigns aufgetreten, noch sind Emotionen wirklich gut herüber gebracht worden. Die Storyline war wirr und der Leser ist oft aus dem Nichts mit Fakten erschlagen worden. Und dann dieses hin und her zwischen den Charakteren. Der liebt den, sie liebt sie, alle lieben sich. Grausam. Diese Mangareihe hätte sich Arina Tanemura einfach mal sparen können.

ISBN:9783842028739
Sprache:Deutsch
Ausgabe:eBook (Download)
Umfang:196 Seiten
Verlag:TOKYOPOP
Erscheinungsdatum:18.02.2016

[Oberhuu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jetzt, nachdem ich die Bände nacheinander gelesen habe und nicht immer wieder die drei Monate abwarten musste, bis der Nächste erscheint, habe ich die Geschichte grundlegend erstmal kapiert. So mittendrin weiterlesen, das hat nie richtig funktioniert und ich kam einfach nur unglaublich mit den Zusammenhängen durcheinander. Um dafür Beispiele zu nennen: Haines Familie und deren Zusammenhänge sowie die Zwillingsbrüder der Togufamilie. Doch jetzt, jetzt bin ich von der Reihe einfach nur begeistert.

Erstmals spielen Fantasyelemente hierbei überhaupt keine Rolle und es wurden Charaktere in der realen Welt erschaffen. Grundlegend geht es um Haine, welche als kleines Mädchen wegen der Geldnot der Familie an eine andere verkauft wurde. Ziemlich hart, wenn man das liest. Doch natürlich steckt dahinter ein großes Happy End. Wobei ich es interessant gefunden hätte, hätte man hier die herzlose Linie des Vaters durchgezogen. Letztendlich kommt heraus, dass ihre Mutter mit dem Mann, an welchen Haine verkauft wurde, in der Schulzeit zusammen gewesen war und dieser ihr leiblicher Vater ist. Sie hat immer versucht es ihrem Vater recht zu machen und dessen Anerkennung zu finden. Als dieses Geheimnis gelüftet wird, denkt sie natürlich, dass ihr Vater sie wegen dieser Fakten nie geliebt hat und niemals lieben kann. Sie wird ‚rückfällig’ und kehrt zu ihrer früheren Jugendgang zurück, welcher sie beigetreten ist, um mit dem Schmerz, dem Verkauf ihres Vaters, klar zu kommen und gleichzeitig gegen diesen zu rebellieren. Eine sehr verworrene Geschichte, welche man von Anfang an verfolgen muss. Neben den Eltern gibt es auch noch drei (Halb)geschwister. Anfangs habe ich nie verstanden, weswegen sich Maika, Haines Mutter, welche ihre Tochter augenscheinlich sehr geliebt und in allem unterstützt hat, nie gegen den Verkauf gewehrt hat und empfand es als dumm und herzlos. Doch gegen Ende der Reihe kommt heraus, dass ihr Vater Maika einsperrte und ihre Handlungen hat stets überwachen lassen und somit auch den persönlichen Kontakt zu Haine untersagte. Es blieben lediglich Telefonate und Briefe, welche irgendwann aufgrund des Gedächtnisverlusts Maikas abebbten. Haines Mutter kann sich am Ende wieder an alles erinnern, sobald ihre Jugendliebe und Haine wieder in ihr Leben treten, man zueinander Kontakt pflegt. Ich kenne mich mit der Psyche eines Menschen nicht tiefgründig genug aus, doch mir fällt es schwer zu glauben, dass so eine tiefgründig und jahrelange Krankheit mit einem Mal wieder komplett verschwinden kann.

Natürlich gibt es in Tanemuras Mangas immer eine Liebesgeschichte. Als kleines Mädchen verliebte sich Haine in den Autoren ihres Lieblingskinderbuches, welcher so alt war wie sie selbst. Bei einer Veranstaltung traf sie auf Shizumasa und gestand ihm direkt ihre Liebe. Shizumasa stammt aus einer sehr wohlhabenden Familie, den Togus. Später ist er in einer Privatschule, der Kaiser und hat sozusagen den höchsten Schülerstatus inne. Der Stand der Klassen und Schüler ist in drei verschiedene Ränge unterteilt und richtet sich natürlich nach dem Einkommen der Eltern. Haine gehört zur Unterschicht und musste sich schon ziemlich anstrengen, um überhaupt auf dieser Akademie angenommen zu werden. Mit Nebenjobs versucht sie ihre Familie, bei der sie lebt, finanziell zu unterstützen. Wegen ihrer seit der Kindheit anhaltenden Liebe zu Shizumasa hat sie versucht auf diese Schule zu kommen und macht ihre Gefühle ihm gegenüber direkt von Anfang an klar. Haine erhält sogar den Status der Platine, der Geliebten des Kaisers, nachdem sie aufgrund ihrer Kämpfer- und Verteidigungserfahrungen als ehemalige Yankee zu dessen Bodyguard ernannt wurde. Im Laufe der Geschichte kommt heraus, dass es sich bei dem Kaiser um Shizumasas Zwillingsbruder Takanari handelt, welcher den geschwächten und kranken Shizumasa schon seit Jahren unbemerkt vertritt. Als Kind und Yankeemitglied ist sie beiden Brüdern begegnet und deswegen ist sich Haine ihrer Gefühle schließlich unsicher, was man auch sehr gut nachempfinden kann. Die Zwillingsbrüder duellieren natürlich um Haines Gunst. Auch deren Familiengeschichte ist ziemlich verwirren und geht sogar bis in den Inzest hinein, was ich dann schon wieder relativ grenzwertig finde. Ihre leibliche Mutter ist tot und deren Zwillingsschwester ist praktisch ihre Ziehmutter. Es kann in einer Familie nur einen Nachfolger geben und so wurden die Brüder im Kindesalter einem, sehr fragwürdigen, Test unterzogen. Aus Angst im Kerker und im Schatten seines Zwillings zu leben, da Shizumasa schon damals wusste, dass er körperlich angeschlagen und schwach war, betrug er seinen Zwillingsbruder und gewann so die Prüfung. Bis zum Schluss gewinnt man auch hier den Eindruck, dass es sich um einen hinterhältigen Komplott handelt. Doch letztendlich hat sich Shizumasa diese Tat nie vergeben. Er leidet an Leukämie und hatte von Anfang an vor zu sterben. Er wollte das Mitleid seines Zwillings aufgrund seiner Schuldgefühle nicht erwecken, konnte sich selbst nie vergeben und wollte von Takanari keine Knochenmarkspende annehmen.

Wir haben schließlich noch einen Haufen anderer Charaktere. Ushio, Haines beste Freundin, welche geglaubt hat in sie verliebt zu sein. Maora, welcher ein Junge ist, sich aber wegen eines Ereignisses aus der Kindheit und seiner Liebe zu Maguri wie ein Mädchen benimmt und anzieht. Gerade Maora und Maguri mag ich sehr gerne, aber ich muss hier Maoras Aussehen kritisieren. Er wechselt im Lauf der Serie sein Äußeres, so dass man deutlich erkennt, dass er ein Junge ist. Und dann ist sein Gesicht auch plötzlich kantiger und die Augen nicht mehr so rund wie bei der weiblichen Ausgabe.

Das Ende ist vorhersehbar, schön, alle sind glücklich und zufrieden. Nur ich nicht. Nicht richtig. Ich bin nicht immer der Fand von Happy Ends und ich denke eine gewisse Härte der Mangaka und Charakter hätten dem Manga den richtigen Schliff verliehen. Damit meine ich, wie schon gesagt, den Ziehvater, welcher seine Tochter weggegeben und sich lt. Haines Beschreibungen auch nie um sie gekümmert hat. Und im Bezug auf Shizumasa, ich denke dabei an Zen aus Jeanne. Diesen hat sie sterben lassen. Seine Krankheit wurde nicht so behandelt, wie sie sollte, doch er schafft es und überlebt. Ich finde es gut, dass sich die Brüder vertragen, doch sein Tod wäre gerade für die Familie eine Lehre gewissen den Ehrenscheiß zu lassen. Ich habe die Reihe, trotz des Endes, sehr genossen, auch wenn der Stand über die Bände hinweg sehr abgenommen hat. Fazit: Jeanne und TSS bleiben ungeschlagen und ich würde jetzt insgesamt 4/5 Sternen vergeben.

[Buchstabenschloss · Rating 4 out of 5]

Meinung

Den Abschlussband habe ich mir auch als Special Edition gekauft. In dem Schuber ist zusätzlich zum Manga ein Kartenspiel enthalten. Bei dem Kartenspiel gibt es leider einen Fehler. Die Kreuzdame gibt es zweimal. Dafür fehlt die Pik-Dame.



Haine ist fest entschlossen das System der Schattengänger abzuschaffen und somit die Brüder von ihrem Schicksal zu befreien. Daher muss sie wie die beiden Brüder auch die Prüfung ablegen. Doch Toya versucht ihr einen Strich durch die Rechnung zu machen, was ihm zum Glück nicht gelingt.



Ich fand den Abschlussband wirklich enttäuschend. Nur die Hälfte des Mangas ist der tatsächliche Abschlussband. Der Rest sind Kurzgeschichten und Zeichnungen. Daher war das Ende auch ziemlich schnell zu Ende erzählt. Ich bin zwar froh, wie die Geschichte zu Ende gegangen ist. Aber ich fand die Nummer mit den Brüdern und den Schattengängern schon echt komisch.



Aber die Kurzgeschichten fand ich wiederum echt super. Die haben mir richtig Spaß gemacht. Auch die Zeichnungen fand ich sehr gelungen und habe mir ein paar Einblicke gegeben. Mein absolutes Highlight sind einfach die Karten, bei dem jedes Blatt ein anderes Motiv hat.

[EyrisReadsTheWorld · Rating 5 out of 5]

Olala, déjà le dernier tome. Je suis en tout cas super contente d’avoir craqué et d’avoir acheter les tomes. Je trouve que c’est vraiment un super shojo. La fin aurait pu être mieux, plus longue et plus développée, mais je ne suis pas déçue. Tous ces personnages resteront à jamais dans mon cœur. De manière générale, c’était une super série, plutôt bien construite avec des personnages magnifiques et attachants. Il y a énormément de moment drôle et choupi. De plus, le style de dessins (de très grands yeux) est parfait. Je recommande définitivement cette série.

[-moonprismpower- · Rating 2 out of 5]

Yes there’s a happy ending but my god, there was so much drama just to get to a wedding right after high school?!? They didn’t even get to date much!!! Jeez. And at the very end, the other twin is going to move in with the newlyweds??? Even after making up, who would want to live with their brother who also likes their woman??! Oh and I don’t even want to talk about Ushio and the teacher. Lol

Basically, I think Arina Tanemura’s series are best when they’re shorter. Like Full Moon. I love that one. This one though? Not as much.

[Federica Malpasso · Rating 3 out of 5]

Serie conclusa; non male, tuttavia continuo ad avere poco chiare molte parti della trama. Spesso e volentieri non avevo idea di dove volesse andare a parare l’autrice.
Le tavole hanno continuato ad essere molto confusionarie per tutta la serie; è una fortuna che poi mi ci sono più o meno abituata.

Credo lo rileggerò presto non tanto perché mi è piaciuto molto, ma per cercare di comprendere meglio l’andazzo della storia che al momento mi lascia confusa.

[Kristin ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

"I'll mary them both" , Haine no.

Overall a satisfying conclusion to this story, it definitely got better over time when uou reallt got to know and care for tue characters. Some werid subplots but which manga do not contain that?

Series rating: 7

[Di · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed my re-read of this series! There are still a couple of questions in regards to the family things, but overall this still remains a favorite series of mine. That's surprising in itself since I don't usually enjoy contemporary type stories. This is just a story about a group of highschoolers and their relationships with one another, which couldn't be farther from the types of things I normally read. This story works for me though and it's one I've read through twice now so that's saying something.

It's so nice to come back to a series after not visiting it for several years, and still enjoy it as much as I did when I read it the first time. Arina Tanemura's art styles is one of my favorites, and I can't wait to read through other series of hers.

[Em Mirra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pending.

[Liselotte · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish there was MOOOOOOOORE

[Dee Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this series so much

[cat · Rating 4 out of 5]

fin correcte, série de mangas doudou, je suis trop heureuse de les avoir relu ♡

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5-- rating is for the whole series! This had the most soap-opera-esque drama I've ever read, and I had the time of my life

[Kelley Angelica (bookswithbuns) · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Actual: 3.75⭐, rounded up) // Full review to come.

[ana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Had a great time throughout the story, but sometimes felt very fast-paced

[Cristina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I lieti fine sono sempre ben accetti soprattutto quando sono fatti carinamente.

Ecco perché giudico questa serie come un cavallo non adeguatamente addestrato, zoppicante per ogni volumetto con un unico filo conduttore ma con passi avanti ed in dietro rischiosi ma che alla fin fine si lascia apprezzare per la sua carineria!