Very entertaining! ( )

At first, I was skeptical about this Americanized "manga" series, but overall I very much enjoyed reading through this short series. The protagonist, Miki Yoshida, is a lovable and relatable heroine; her love story starts out a little Twilighty/Romeo & Juliet ish but ultimately turns out a little different. Which is lovely. As I get tired of that same plot in love stories. The fantasy element was also very fun, and would make the story appealing for boys as well. I chose to read this series because I noticed how popular they were with the students at the elementary school where I volunteer. Definitely understand the appeal and think that this series would be great for reluctant readers or those interested in manga. ( )

Miki Falls: Spring is a love story about a senior in high school that becomes interested in a newcomer to the town- Hiro Sakurai. She meets him while shooting arrows into a rice paddy and must find a stray arrow. He seems mysterious and very cut off from the student body- as though he is hiding some sort of secret. While trying to become closer to him and gain enough trust for a friendship, she unexpectedly makes him pull away. While snooping into what kind of hobbies and activities he participates in, she learns his supernatural secret and becomes determined to stay a part of his life.

Miki Falls: Spring is a rather predictable love story filled with clichés. This graphic novel would appeal to a target audience of teenage girls or reluctant readers, with the main focus in the storyline being crushes on reluctant boys. Excluding the end, there are no suprises in the storyline or dialogue, and the illustrations could be somewhat more developed. The use of scenery is excellent, but characters seem unchanging and inexpressive aside from grimaces. I found the illustrations to be surprisingly soft and subdued, which left a dream like quality to the work. Emotions were portrayed best in neither writing or illustrations- it seemed as though the changes in borders around both really portrayed the climax of the story best. Overall it felt as though the storyline was too straightforward and predictable. Where there were plenty of opportunities for weaving a beautiful story, there seemed to be a lack of imagination that went straight for simplicity, and overall predictability in this tale. ( )

I read this to complete a reading challenge. I thought this was a cute series. I read then all within a couple days. Being graphic novels, they only took about an hour to read. I've never read manga, so it was definitely a different experience for me. ( )

I am going to review the entire series at once. This is a great four book arc that is classic teen love but with a supernatural twist. Girl meets boy, boy has secret, both must fight to stay together…and of course a happy ending. The great thing about these is that they are so accessible and easy to read. They will be a hit with female reluctant readers, but probably not so much for the boys. I am ordering a set to put in my ESL classroom because they are full novel (176 pages) size but only have a few words on each page that are supported by the drawings, which are excellent. A fast reading adult can finish all four books in about two hours. ( )