Kodomo no Omocha
Kodocha: Sana's Stage

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After finishing this manga, I just had to write a review because there was none, and this is such a great manga! I tried my hardest to rate realistically, but in the end it didn't really work out. As always, I'm more critical with my explanations rather than my ratings.

Story: So the story is about Sana Kurata, a famous child actress, and her relationship with Hayama Akito. At first she hates him because he is a trouble maker and cold, but over the course of the manga their relationship grows into a really deep conection. The story itself is a romantic comedy, with drama mixed ... in. It moves quickly but nothing feels left out or missing. There are many unexpected twists and turns that make it really exciting. It's really one of the best shoujo stories since it's not in any way a typical shoujo or idol manga. One of the reasons I loved this manga was because it stands out from others of the same genre.

Art: I am a huge fan of Miho Obana's art. Her art style is very "shoujo" so many characters do infact have the same style of eyes. However, she does a great job of expressing the emotions of the characters. I am bothered by the lack of definition in arms and legs (they're just like sticks), but that's not really unusual for the style, also they arent adults so it makes sense. For a manga of its time the art is very good, and of course the art gets better as the manga progresses, well.. a little bit.

Character: The characters are what make the story. Each character has a distinctive trait that makes him/her special. Sana is really hyper and says the weirdest things. Hayama is cold, says what's on his mind, and never ever smiles. Tsuyoshi is sweet and a pacifist, until he snaps and throws desks all over the room. Mama, Sana's mother, has crazy hairstyles and a squirell lives in it. I could keep going. However, aside from their quirky personalities, the character development over the manga series is great. No one is perfect, and this manga shows how a lot of the individuals may not be who everyone thinks they are. Sana is also not your typical heroine. She is not a crybaby who relies on her love interest. Instead she is hyper, dense, and always wants to do the right thing. The fact that the characters aren't extreme shoujo stereotypes made the story interesting.

Enjoyment: Yeah, if you can't tell by now I really enjoyed this series. There are lots of funny moments that made me laugh. But there are also really series moments that really surprised me! It's hard to put into words exactly why I enjoyed it, but I was not bored a single moment in this manga, even though I had seen the anime beforehand.

Overall: If you're a shoujo fan, you have got to read this manga. It's one of the most unique mangas I've read and it really is a great story. I would like to say that non-shoujo lovers would be able to enjoy it as well, because it's not all "lovey-dovey" like most. The romantic drama is secondary and is defenitely not the main focus. I highly encourage everyone to try it out.

~Wow, Kodocha was the very first manga I ever read and well of course to me it's a classic. I find it like no other shoujo manga and in fact, I can't find one with it's type of humor! You'll laugh at some of the ridiculous things the characters say OR do and you'll feel the pain and agony each one faces. Big or small.

The story starts with 12 year old Sana Kurata, a soon to be big TV star who goes through ordinary girl problems that any girl faces. If you call, "facing-her-classroom-of-crazy-monkey-boys" normal. They ruin class for the girls and there Sana ... meets her arch-nemesis Akito Hayama. With that being said, these two hit it off like a battle to the death! (not really lol but it's funny how they settle things) And of course, once they set their differences aside and going through thick and thin together, they find themselves to be the closest of friends, then one of them starts to have feelings for the other. (hmmm guess who)

The comedy and romance are a great mix between the two in this manga, especially one that deals with young kids. Despite their age, you could feel the sweet and innocent love and really feel the awareness each one gets when they learn the ways of love. It's sure not easy for these two. (so much happens...) And the drama isn't something overwhelming though there will be times when it seem like it. It only shows that no matter how young you are, there will be times when you feel like a child again in a adult like situation and you have to face it head on.

To sum everything up, story is a 9. Though it seems very childish at first the story really picks up as the characters grow and it's interesting and enjoyable to read. No fillers or anything. Art is a 9, since most can seem to find this type of style but either way the author does a great job depicting each character with her own style that you'll just love. It matches the story completely. Characters I give a 10, since they're very lovable and unique to me. You can't help but cheer them on and see them as great characters. Enjoyment and overall view is a 10, since of course this was the very first thing I ever read. (not super hero comics sadly lol) But I hope this manga finds it's way to your "mangas-to-read list" and that you too will find something great about it. I know I do.

~Thanks for reading!

***If you read the manga, then watch the anime, you'll find that the anime is really extremely different!!! lol but don't let that stop you from watching it cause it's still funny and enjoyable to watch. In fact maybe more humorous? Either way I liked it. Check it out!

It starts off really well in the first two or three volumes.

It utilized a childish language and a cutesy demeanor to convey adult circumstances, like physical abuse within families, rape, pregnancy, blame. It starts off strong. Two characters meet each other and find out how little they know about each other.

It didn't feel like I was reading a shoujo manga, but then what happened? Love triangles and love squares happened. What started off as two different people and their friends becomes love triangles: girl for the dude and a fellow child actor for the main lead.

It starts off really good, it was a romance ... turned family drama. But then the love triangles, the drama and the misunderstandings. Girl nearly breaks her leg and her love interest believed in gossip from a tabloid that she's dating her costar. How's she supposed to call if this was the 90's, before cell phones? Pay phones were terrible.

It went longer than necessary. I couldn't torture myself anymore. I love shoujo, not this.