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Copyright © Hoshisato Mochiru
Published by Big Comics
ISBN4-09-182481-1
ISBN4-09-182482-x
Available now
¥500


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by Keith Rhee
Have you ever found something you were looking for... in a place
and situation you were least expecting it? THE STORY OF
LOOKING FOR THE BETTER HALF, by romance manga artist Hoshisato
Mochiru, tells the tale of an unlikely couple who meet under
unlikely circumstances and yet manage to grow to accept and love
each other.
Yuu, a professional translator and subtitler, is a hopeless romantic
who's easily moved to tears. Angered and saddened that her best friend
is leaving her career behind to get married (thus breaking their mutual
promise that nothing would interfere with their careers), Yuu stops
by the local video store and begins to cry (as usual) at the ending of
a subtitled movie (her first subtitling job!) and facefaults when the clerk starts
laughing uncontrollably. The clerk Minoru says he can't help it, as he
finds it rather funny. The two begin squabbling, after which Yuu storms
off.
Minoru has problems of his own, however. When he's not
working as a store clerk, Minoru is busy auditioning to become an
actor. Unfortunately, Minoru finds himself unable to take any kind of
melodrama serioushe ends up bursting into laughter (hence the scene
at the rental store). For someone who's trying to land a serious role,
this is a rather unfortunate problem, and so Minoru keeps failing
miserably.
The day of Yuu's friend's wedding arrives. A reluctant Yuu is
dragged to the wedding by her friend, who introduces her to her
soon-to-be husband. "Let me introduce you to my good friend," says the
groom, and introduces... Minoru! The two wind up sitting next to each
other at the reception, where Yuu begins to complain about her life.
Minoru tries to encourage Yuu; uncharacteristically for himself, he
launches into a speech so serious that he moves Yuu to tears (as usual)
and receives a standing ovation from the audience, and they end up
spending the night together.
What starts out as a random encounter and brief infatuation
soon develops into something more serious, as both Yuu and Minoru keep
bumping into each other and begin to spend a lot of time together. Yuu
begins to see the serious, caring side of Minoru, while Minoru
gradually learns to take things seriously, be it himself, romance in
general, or Yuu. Despite a lot of disagreements and heartache, the two
gradually realize that they were meant for each other.
The story is one of Hoshisato's earlier works, and it shows
in the artwork, which is rougher than his recent works but nevertheless
conveys emotion and feelings very well. The lighthearted tone of the
story is also indicative of his earlier style. Of particular note are
the name puns in the story. Minoru's family name is Omaedake, which
literally means "Only You." (And what is the name of the woman he's in
love with?)
At two volumes, THE STORY OF LOOKING FOR THE BETTER
HALF is one of Hoshisato's shorter stories, and not necessarily
one of his best. But it is still an enjoyable read, and tells its tale
well and wraps up nicely without any unnecessary story arcs for the
sake of story length. If you're already a Hoshisato fan, I can readily
recommend this story. In addition, the short length and lighthearted
story make this story a good introduction to his works for new
readers.  |
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