Manga Review: Suzuka

"Why did you have to say that...?"- Suzuka

Synopsis: Yamato Akitsuki moves into the city to go to high school. He stays at his aunt’s all-girls dorm, and cleans the bath houses for rent. Yamato spots a girl doing a high jump in the school yard and instantly falls in love with her. He later finds out that the girl’s name is Suzuka, and Suzuka lives next door to Yamato. Yamato has to win Suzuka’s heart, with his clumsiness, but Suzuka’s heart is filled with the past.

Story- 8/10

I liked the story of Suzuka. But what gives it a score of 8, is some of the unneeded dialogue and some plot holes. I felt after one point of the manga, it began to slow down, but it still kept me interested. Many people were “iffy” about the ending, but I thought it was very satisfying. There are some “tear-jerking “moments, and those moments were the highlight of the manga.

Characters- 9/10

At first, I felt that the characters were going to be generic. You have the clumsy main character that can’t be hated. His “cool” and “girl-chasing” best friend. A shy girl that will eventually learn how to be out going. A Tsundere-type girl that hates the main character. But, why the high score? Because the characters each have their own reasons for being what they are. I felt that the characters grew throughout the whole manga. Each character that was introduced played an important role in the plot, or the main characters’ development.

Artwork-9/10

Well… art can’t be judged, but I give the artwork a 9/10. Simply, because there were a lot of beautiful scenery with Yamato and Suzuka. Each character wore something new every day and to accommodate with the season. I think the artwork was a very strong point for the manga. But warning, there are a couple of “ecchi/fan service” scenes in the manga,… but who’s complaining.

Total Score-9/10

Final Thoughts- I really like this manga. The story was well thought out, and satisfying. The characters were interesting, despite the generic uses. The artwork is beautiful, and should receive more attention that it already has. Read the manga, then watch the anime. The manga gives out more “emotion” than the anime has to offer. Suzuka is a manga that I would read again in the future, just for the fun of it.