Manga Mondays: Boys Over Flowers Vol 17

 Manga Mondays is a meme hosted by Alison at Alison Can Read where bloggers can share their passion for reading mangas. It's a great place to get new manga titles to try and to meet new bloggers. In Volume 17 of Boys Over Flowers, romance is clearly in the air albeit with some obstacles and awkward moments.

Description: Tsukushi and Tsukasa get some quiet time together after they escape the mess of his birthday party, but this quiet can't last for long. Tsukasa's feelings for Tsukushi have at long last been made clear, but Tsukushi is more confused than ever about her feelings about him. Meanwhile, Tsukasa's domineering mother, Kaede, is brewing up plans to keep them apart forever, and she might have found just the thing to do it when she introduces him to his new fiancee!

Review: Love triangles in mangas can be a strange thing. Some love triangles are like novels that take the entire series to figure out which pair will win and others featured in Boys Over Flowers are thankfully short-lived and entertaining. In an effort to split up Tsukushi and Tsukasa, Kaede, Tsukasa's over bearing mother, arranges Tsukasa's marriage without any warning and suddenly he has a fiancee named Shigeru.
  Shigeru is a stark contrast to Tsukushi. She immediately picks up her responsibilities to be a fiancee much to Tsukasa's chagrin. Tsukasa has eyes firmly set upon Tsukushi but since she is not fighting for him, he tries to forget her and dates Shigeru though it's very clear that the relationship is only one-sided. It was hard to see Shigeru try so hard to get Tsukasa's attention and I felt bad for her.
  Volume 17 kicks off the romance of the series which has been playing quietly in the background. For the first time Tsukasa feels awful for his bad temper and apologizes, which is a huge step for him. Similarly Tsukushi finally feels a void and is actually jealous of the time that Shigeru is spending with Tsukasa. The romance between Tsukushi and Tsukasa have been uneven and at many times one-sided, however, I definitely see a shift to mutual attraction as Tsuskasa continues to grow as a character. By the end of this volume, misunderstandings are cleared and a new path is cleared for a potential Tsukasa and Tsukushi relationship, but will they take it?

Rating: 4 stars

Words of Caution: There is some language, crude humor, and implied nudity. Recommended for teens and adults only.

If you like this book try: Boys Over Flowers Vol 18 by Yoko Kamio, Kare Kano: His and Her Circumstances by Masami Tsuda, Mars by Fuyumi Soryo