Princess Princess

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For anyone who may not neccisarily be into shonen-ai, but dosn't mind a little gender bending, I definately reccomend this manga. It's a light hearted comedy with good looking (straight) boys in cute frilly dresses. It is the characters which make the plot so amusing and I challenge anyone to read this and not love them all.
It has a few laugh out loud moments, but it's a series that will have you smiling all the way through.

first of all , i don't like shonen -ai , or cross dreesing thing , but that didn't stop me from reading this and loving it .
it just was soo funny , but to tell the truth i read it because i had read " The Day of Revolution " and like it to much and wanted to know what will happen to Mikoto , he is just to cute and adorable 3>
and if you liked that manga you have to read this , because it also talks about him , with the other tow boys , who have been chosen to be princess ... .
so the tow mangas are contacted , and most the people who had read princess princess first , have been in shock after they read The Day of Revolution .

story : 7
it wasn't good , but not bad either , i guess its weird , but the funny part will make you like it .

art : 8
i like it , it was too nice , and well done .

character : 9
i think they were very likable , and the reason that will make you love this manga , because there are all kinds of boys here ,
with unique personalities .
for me i liked Mikoto very much , and wish if there was more about him .

enjoyment : 9
i have enjoyed reading it a lot , it was so funny , and i wish if there was more .
and i am glad it wasn't a real sohnen - ai , but there still hints about it , but i have ignored it , and enjoyed the other things .

overall : 9
becaose i liked it very much , and recommend you to read it if you want something to read .
but to tell the troth i don't think that i will enjoy it that much without Mikoto , for me he was the best part of it .

Wait, this isn't Shounen-Ai? Were my first thoughts after getting through the first 5 or so chapters. I honestly wasn't expecting much after reading the synopsis and seeing the cover art, but I ended up reading through it quickly, wanting to know where the story would head to next.

Kouno, our main character, transfers to an all boys school, for reasons that haven't been revealed. Although the students are acting strangely, unable to take their eyes off him, and those around him attempt to drop hints about his upcoming situation, he dismisses them as strange occurrences. He quickly comes to the realization that he's a candidate ... for the school's strange tradition, becoming a princess. What is this princess work, you may ask? It's similar to a bar host, the manga describes. They provide moral support to their fellow students, and receive benefits. Tempted by amenities and money, Kouno happily accepts the offer. Shihoudani, a beautiful boy with long locks and a quick wit, and Mikoto, with a sharp tongue and a hot-blooded attitude are his sidekicks in this wacky adventure.

I'm unsure if the original was written ambiguously or the translation was done poorly, but the first 3-4 chapters were a bit difficult to understand. The author wrote the first chapter with the thought of making it obvious that something fishy is happening, and the other characters act like they were dropping obvious signs, but it was portrayed rather poorly. It was more much confusing than it should have been! The chapters themselves are long, which can be attributed to the large amount of dialogue.

One thing this manga does well is that it clearly distinguishes its heavy comedic undertones from the more serious, mellow, moments. It was a breath of fresh air for the characters to argue that crossdressing shouldn't be taken as hurtful to masculinity. Embracing what is perceived as being 'exclusive' to the opposite gender is actually a point of pride is a unique take on the genre.

The art itself is fairly standard for a shoujo manga. It's nothing praiseworthy, but it conveys the tone and emotion well whenever it needs to, and isn't particularly lacking in any areas. The fonts chosen are a bit hard to make out at times, but it isn't illegible. The only complaint I have is that not enough is conveyed through the art in comparison to the dialogue. There are often bubbles of text filling up the screen, which makes me wonder, "Why did the author decide to write a manga instead of a novel?". At times, the composition falls flat, with the character being placed weirdly, or having too much negative space in a panel, which can be attributed to the lack of backgrounds.

Without a doubt, the part where Princess Princess truly shines is in its comedy and character interaction. If the art and story don't appeal to you, the dialogue certainly will. The comedy caught me off guard in the best way possible, and the jokes land well. The banter between Kouno, Mikoto, and Shihoudani is natural and shows off their chemistry. Each have their own aspirations, goals, and distinguished personalities. However, I wish we got to see more of Mikoto. Since they were marketed as a trio, naturally the expectation was that they'd all be main characters, but he was heavily sidelined after the first volume. Even Sakamoto felt more like a main character than he did.

All in all, I'd say Princess Princess is a worthwhile read, if you're looking for a manga focusing on crossdressing boys that blends comedy and seriousness well.