I have a list of go-to shoujo manga series I go back and re-read every so often. Heroine Shikkaku is high on the list. It is very amusing seeing the intense reactions people have to this series because I think there is just something about it you either love or hate. I will explain why this is my favorite, but this is going to be a long-winded post. Imagine a manga where the main female character is not the good guy, is not the one you should take as a good example in life. Not only that, but the guy she loves with all of
...
her heart is a complete loser...and he knows it, yet tons of girls will fight over him.
The characters:
Our main girl is the off-the-walls, crass, yet so adorable Hatori. She believes that she is the destined heroine for her love interest, Rita, who has been her best friend for a very long time. He goes through meaningless relationship after meaningless relationship, but she refuses to be threatened because in her mind, those other girls are just "side characters." Despite believing this, however, she interestingly has never truly made a move on him, but rather sticks to the sidelines, telling him that she'll always stay by his side no matter what. When he has yet another breakup, she stalls on confessing her feelings to him for too long and by then he's met his next girlfriend. Only, this time his girlfriend is not like the ones before. She's plain, shy, and very awkward at first, along with being the kind of lonely kid that would probably sit at the adults' table instead of being with her peers. Her name is Adachi, and she falls for Rita when he sticks up for her when she's bullied. Hatori is immediately shaken by his new choice in girlfriend, as Adachi proves to be a loving, doting caretaker of Rita- who in turn is starving for this type of love. This relationship becomes more and more intense, and Hatori is forced to see that Adachi is replacing her as the heroine. Hatori goes through an array of intense emotions and determines that she must have him back no matter what.
Despite what others might say, Hatori is an amazing main girl. She is such a bitch, she's selfish, she's arrogant, and she never knows when to shut up. And while she's by design an extremely cute and attractive girl, the writer draws her with the absolute most hilarious, over the top expressions that I truly believe made this series what it was. She's so cartoonishly evil at times, having no consideration even for Rita's feelings at all when trying to win him back with all of her might. She takes the cake for being an overly honest, bizarre main female character in any manga I have seen. She is so expressive and delusional. There are many times when the reader may scream at the screen because she is so stupid, but it's part of what makes me laugh and cry while reading it because I unfortunately relate so hard with this character.
Rita, on the other hand, is such a frustrating character. The first time I read it, I was losing my mind with anxiety over what in the world he was thinking. Ten years later as an adult, I am so amused by this character because I can't help but feel like he reflects reality. In my childhood, I used to see girls fighting over the lamest guys because they were cute. Rita is weak, pitiable, but he's apparently cute enough to get away with it. He's indecisive, causing a series of misunderstandings between him, Hatori, and his girlfriend Adachi. When he finally starts to realize his feelings for Hatori have become complicated, it's hard to know if he's arrived at it naturally or if she's driven him crazy enough to think it by that point. He takes advantage of the never ending love he receives from both girls, and I swear there is a point where it feels like he may as well be dating both of them. Cunning, much? He breaks hearts, he makes Hatori cry constantly, yet they continue to drive each other crazy.
Then we have Hiromitsu, the cool player with the gorgeous design who is tall and prince-like. He is hyper intelligent, wise beyond his years, and starving for entertainment. He's just a dangerous side character at first, but he absolutely STEALS the show when he sweeps Hatori off her feet. He is hands down the best character in this series, and in the best way. At first he seems like he will amount to nothing, but he truly has some of my favorite character development I've seen in a shoujo.
Why I love this manga:
-the art: the art is not perfect technically. There are many times when the artist struggles with consistency concerning anatomy. However, her ability to convey strong emotions through the character's eyes is powerful. I love when I should be hating Rita but his eyes pull at my heartstrings. The expressions are great, and I just love the her particular way of drawing mouths/lips.
-The character development and flaws: this one may not pop out at people, but every character has a lot of development. In the beginning, we can sympathize with Hatori because we have all had a love in our youth that seemed doomed. This manga is immediately nostalgic for those of us in our 30s who have experienced disappointment. But, it goes way beyond that in this series. Hatori has a huuuge flaw and it is her unwavering ego. She is so full of herself that she can never accept when she is to blame for things going wrong. When she fights with Rita or Hiromitsu, it can be fairly well guaranteed that she is the one that caused the problem and she is the one who will come up with every excuse in the book to make it so she is not the bad guy. What I love about this is that the writer clearly understands this flaw, so much so that there are two specific arcs of the story where you have buildup. You see Hatori creating a problem at the start, lying and manipulating her way while wholly disregarding if its in the best interest of those she loves. Then, when the plot gets so thick, it crumbles. She often faces with her mistakes with utterly chaotic results, causing her to ask if she is being punished for being such a bad person. In the end, she has to face with herself as a failure and accept that she can be wrong. What I like about this is that while it is about her love and devotion to Rita, it is truly about her values and how she must change. I think that makes this series more solid than others because Hatori is not just a mindless vessel for us to romance the hotties in the story. I have seen some manga series where the main girl lacks richness of character- this is simply not the case for this series!
Rita experiences some of the most impressive yet subtle character development in the end. He is the more believable because like anyone else who is flawed, even when he begins to change he is still flaky and flip-flops between his new and old habits. In my opinion, Rita starts off the story as a brokenhearted, broken human being. He seems to have no confidence in talking to people, is described by Hatori as bland with nothing interesting to say, and he lacks any ability to take care of himself. He has abandonment issues due to his mother, and it seems like he never has any other guardian taking care of him. Because of this, he allows himself to be weak. I feel bad for him in the beginning because Hatori is so relentless towards him that it seems to break his brain a little. But, mannnn. When he changes his mind about how he feels for her, I can't help but be so proud of him. While being selfish, he stands his ground that he is the one who understands her and he will make her happy. Ugh, I love it too much.
Hiromitsu is still the best character. Many will say he deserved way better and I agree. I think many of us readers will look at this and ask where do men like him come from because we all want a Hiromitsu in our lives. He's a badboy changed into good for the sake of someone completely undeserving, and in the end, his love is pretty unconditional. Interestingly enough, he experiences just as many insecurities as everyone else, and I might even say it's his own insecurities and overly analytical way of thinking that gets him into trouble. He is simply too smart for his own good.
-The relatability: I will wrap this up with this point. The real reason I love this series is because it made me cry. And the reason for this is that this HAPPENED TO ME. I was in love with my childhood best friend, and I was convinced that I was the only girl who would stand by his side no matter what. Come the end of summer when I got back to school, he started dating someone else from my circle of friends that he met technically through me. She was not the type of girl I ever expected him to go for, and in a lot of ways, I was extremely bitter in my jealousy towards her. My love for him was life-changing levels of intense (obviously, this was unhealthy haha). And because I was so determined to be right, I turned into a bitch. I started spending too much time with him despite his girlfriend, and we were probably way too close. I thought I could win him, but he stuck it out with her for many years. In the end, they split up but the damage was done. I held out, but I ended up with a broken heart after ten years. When I read Heroine Shikkaku, I cried and cried which is not a common reaction for me to anything I watch or read. But, it was an absolute eye-opener that I could not ever allow myself to be a Hatori ever again! I think I regained my respect for myself and then moved on. Now if only I had a Hiromitsu in my life TT.TT
In conclusion, Heroine Shikkaku is flawed but so satisfying for me. There are times I will stew over it and wonder if it could have ended differently. No, it just couldn't. It is quite a ride, but a very fun one similarly to parts of our own lives.
Jun 24, 2025
Heroine Shikkaku
(Manga)
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I have a list of go-to shoujo manga series I go back and re-read every so often. Heroine Shikkaku is high on the list. It is very amusing seeing the intense reactions people have to this series because I think there is just something about it you either love or hate. I will explain why this is my favorite, but this is going to be a long-winded post. Imagine a manga where the main female character is not the good guy, is not the one you should take as a good example in life. Not only that, but the guy she loves with all of
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Feb 10, 2010
It's not hard for me to say that this is by far one of my most favoritest(^.^) animes EVER! I don't particularily like the art, even though the animation is superb. But, this anime is amazing. The plot is slow in the first 2 episodes but trust me, it picks up.
The thing about this anime, you've gotta pay attention to little details as if you were studying literature, which sounds weird but it's true. Everything has it's own little connections. Ah! It's just soo good. I'd also suggest trying the manga. It's a little different from the anime, but the differences are good. Like...the art ... 
Feb 10, 2010
Kaitou Reinya
(Anime)
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Do not mistake this for a little kid's show...It isn't. It seems slightly childish at first but there is definitely some more mature content in this anime.
The art is adorable and very stylish, plus it's consistant. The characters are funny. This is not a plot-heavy anime. It's pretty much just for fun. I really enjoy watching this anime and I think there are plenty others who would. I would be very excited to see this anime get plenty o' love!! And, everyone will love the poor mice, her sidekick. He's a sad, picked on animal throughout the series! ^.^ |
