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SUBTLETY IS FOR WIMPS!

She . . . is a second-year high school student with a single all-consuming question: Will the boy she likes ever really notice her?

He . . . is the school’s most notorious juvenile delinquent and he’s suddenly come to a shocking realization: He’s got a huge crush, and now he must tell her how he feels.

Life-changing obsessions, colossal foul-ups, grand schemes, deep-seated anxieties, and raging hormones–School Rumble portrays high school as it really is: over-the-top comedy!

177 pages, Comic

First published May 16, 2003

69 people are currently reading
752 people want to read

About the author

Jin Kobayashi

44 books31 followers
Jin Kobayashi 小林尽 is a mangaka. His most famous work so far is School Rumble,
He began drawing manga seriously during his college years, and won the Weekly Shonen Magazine's Rookie Award in 2001.

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5 stars
655 (36%)
4 stars
491 (27%)
3 stars
420 (23%)
2 stars
149 (8%)
1 star
60 (3%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 93 reviews
Profile Image for Galadrielė.
298 reviews155 followers
March 8, 2018
☆4.75/5☆

▪Plot 5/5
▪Details 4/5
▪Characters 5/5
▪Romance 5/5
▪Logic 4/5
▪Artwork 5/5
▪Enjoyment 5/5

love love love this anime and manga ♡♡♡
Profile Image for Elizabeth (Elzburg).
354 reviews946 followers
May 20, 2019
Banner

In today’s episode of Elz Reviews: School Rumble... Did an oopsie.

Previously, in This Book Review:
Holy shit. The first chapter ended my life. I was laughing so hard I was crying and I couldn't even try to keep reading because looking at the page just kept knocking me out. This first gag is so funny oh my god.

Oh… oh no… What happened? Three stars? Oof.

The first two chapters: Great. Good stuff. Super funny, loved it. The rest of the volume? Ehh. Not… Great... Kind of disappointing, not going to lie. This is the manga of the greatest anime of my youth, something filled with memories of laughs and gaffs and which created a rare opportunity to bond with my brother. So, what went wrong? To answer that, we must first examine what went right.

The first two chapters in this series are great because they are humorous introductions to two of the main characters in this series, quickly establishing their personalities and quirks in an entertaining fashion by incorporating hilarious gags. This makes readers care about and maybe even like said characters.

The problem is that this series has a lot more than two characters, and that from chapter three onwards it just runs with them without introducing them or giving readers any reason to care about them whatsoever. Suddenly, there are side characters interacting with our two main characters, and we can see that they know each other but since WE (the readers) don’t know who they are, their exchanges are rendered utterly unremarkable and unimpactful.

The above combined with the fact that this wasn't even funny past the second chapter is what led to this being a very mediocre volume. What I will give this volume is that it was at least able to salvage some degree of entertainment value, so it gets 3 stars instead of 2.

Characters we don’t care about. Not funny. Kind of entertaining. Sad!

------

Original Note/Mini Review (No spoilers) :


Please consider giving this review a "Like" if you've made it this far, it helps me out a lot! And follow me if you want more!
Click to read my other School Rumble reviews:
Volumes: 1* | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

*Current review
Profile Image for Nick.
259 reviews21 followers
May 13, 2008
Overall Rating: D+
Synopsis: Created by Jin Kobayashi, the series is a romance comedy that follows Tenma Tsukamoto. Tenma attends Yagami High School, and is in love with the stoic Oji Karasuma. Meanwhile, the male protagonist, Kenji Harima, a delinquent, has developed a crush on Tenma. Both Harima and Tenma have difficulty telling their respective crushes how they feel, and so (of course) hilarity (supposedly) ensues.

There is also a large cast of supporting characters, and I could go into great detail about all of their various relationships to the main characters, but unlike Cromartie High School, the supporting cast doesn't consist of a robot, a gorilla or Fred Mercury (at least not that I've seen).


When I picked up volume 1 of School Rumble, I was hoping that it would be in the same vein as Cromartie High School. A large cast of interesting characters that I wanted to read more about and made me laugh. Not so much. Volume 1 utterly failed to get me interested. I didn't hate the characters, or the plot, but I just didn't care about either. I'm wondering if, like Cromartie, this one's better as an anime. For its sake, I hope so.

For more manga and anime reviews, please check out Hobotaku.
Profile Image for Holly Letson.
3,846 reviews527 followers
February 7, 2017
I DNF'd this volume, and dropped the series - at least, for now. I might pick it up again far down the road and try it again, but not anytime soon. I didn't hate it. I just felt that it was too slow. I got an Azumanga Daioh kind of feel from this. I just feel that it might take it a couple volumes to pick up speed to actually become funny, and I don't want to waste time on it right now.
Profile Image for Starry.
464 reviews
October 13, 2012
She...is a second-year high school student with a single all-consuming question: Will the boy she likes ever really notice her?

He...is the school's most notorious juvenile delinquent and he's suddenly come to a shocking realization: He's got a huge crush, and now he must tell her how he feels.

Life-changing obsessions, colossal foul-ups, grand schemes, deep-seated anxieties, and raging hormones--School Rumble portrays high school as it really is: over-the-top comedy!
________________________
tsukamoto tenma likes karasuma kun while a delinquent harima kenji. Karasuma kun was going to go to a boarding school in america until a girl(tsukamoto) found out and wrote him a scroll telling him she doesn't wanting to leave-but at the last minute she chickens out and doesn't write her name on the scroll. Well he does stay, because of the "mysterious girl". Meanwhile the delinquent has a major crush on tenma, and does some pretty funny things to show her he likes her, like the test situation...
Tsukamoto Yakumo's story is also told in this manga. She is Tenma's younger sister, though she's more responsible and looks older. She can fall asleep anywhere-literally, which is one of the bad things of her, aside from her being oblivious to any guys liking to her. Takes care of a stray cat. Is usually calm and quiet and is popular among the guys though she doesn't know it. She can hear the whispers of the hearts of those that like her, as in she can read their mind of those guys that like her. She starts to have feelings for Shuji-kun, whom is a younger guy that came over her house to be close to her. Funny thing is, he is Harima's cousin!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Deb.
278 reviews8 followers
October 9, 2007
It's an insipid series that's not worth anyone's time. The stories are not always connected, they don't always follow a discernable time line, and the main character is the worst kind of idiot!

This encompases all that is bad about the sexist Japanese mindset: women can only be strong in one category (sports, academics, jobs, spirit) and unintelligent/untalented girls are lifted up on a pedestal as if being kind or considerate can make up for all that they lack in depth of character.

I know that shojo isn't famed for feminism, but come ON - this series is like a tame hentai. No nudity and badly written content. blech.
Profile Image for Verónica.
338 reviews14 followers
April 7, 2015
Abandono este manga. Es un manga tonto, que quieren hacer gracias con chorradas... Este manga no es para mi.
Profile Image for Lea .
326 reviews1 follower
March 5, 2024
Every character is such a glorious idiot, I love them.
Profile Image for Yoyomaus Die Büchereule.
2,222 reviews31 followers
October 7, 2020
School Rumble Band 01 von Jin Kobayashi

Zum Inhalt:
Tenma ist sechzehn, süß, tollpatschig, immer optimistisch und furchtbar verliebt in Ohji Karasuma. Um seine Aufmerksamkeit zu erregen, lässt sie sich allerhand einfallen - von einer dicken Liebesbrief-Rolle bis hin zur rasanten Verfolgungsjagd auf dem Fahrrad. Klar, dass sie bei so viel Einsatz gar nicht mitbekommt, dass der wüste, Motorrad fahrende Harima seinerseits ganz verrückt nach ihr ist...

Cover:
Das Cover fand ich eigentlich noch richtig ansprechend, weshalb ich mir auch in Hinsicht auf den interessanten Text zum Inhalt, diesen Manga gekauft habe. Leider entsprach das alles dann doch nicht so meinen Vorstellungen. Hier muss ich zugeben, dass man sich von Cover und Inhalt wirklich leicht täuschen lassen kann.

Eigener Eindruck:
Tenma ist eine Highschool-Schülerin und bei allen recht beliebt. Heimlich ist sie in ihren Mitschüler Ohji verliebt, der sie jedoch kaum zu beachten scheint. Dafür hat sich aber der Rocker Harima in sie verguckt. Und während Tenma versucht Ohji schöne Augen zu machen, versucht Harima wiederum die aufmerksamkeit von Tenma zu erlangen. Dafür versucht Harima sich sogar von seinem rüpelhaften Image zu trennen. Doch alle Bemühungen scheinen vergeblich, denn Tenma hat nur Augen für Ohji und stapft bei ihren Versuchen ihm ihre Liebe zu gestehen, von einem Fettnapf in den anderen....

Was soll ich sagen.... der Manga hat für mich nicht das gehalten, was er optisch von außen versprochen hat. Eigentlich hatte ich hier genau wie auf dem Cover süße Zeichnungen erwartet, aber der Inhalt und der Zeichenstil sind... nun sagen wir gewöhnungsbedürftig, denn mich konnte das alles einfach nicht überzeugen. Tenmas Schwarm Ohji zum Beispiel sieht eher aus wie eine graue Maus und hat keinerlei markante Ecken, an denen man nur ansatzweise festmachen könnte, warum Tenma ihn denn nun so mag und ihr heimlicher Verehrer Harima wirkt eher wie ein Schwerstverbrecher, der dem Mädchen eher etwas zu Leide tun will, als alles andere. Dabei schafft es der Mangaka wirklich die Figur des Harima so gruselig darzustellen, dass er eher aussieht wie Mitte 50 anstatt die Optik eines Highschool-Schülers zu haben. Der Inhalt der Geschichte ist ebenfalls reine Geschmackssache wie ich finde. Die Aktionen die Tenma veranstaltet, um ihren Schwarm zu begeistern waren jetzt in meinen Augen weder niedlich, noch lustig, sondern einfach nur zum fremd schämen. Man braucht für dieses Werk ganz sicher seinen ganz speziellen Humor. Für mich jedoch ist es wirklich rein gar nichts, weshalb ich die Serie mit dem ersten Band nun auch gleich direkt wieder abbreche.

Fazit:
Nicht mein Ding, deshalb gibt es auch keine Weiterempfehlung.

Idee: 4/5
Charaktere: 1/5
Spannung: 1/5
Humor: 1/5
Zeichenstil: 1/5

Gesamt: 2/5


Daten:
Taschenbuch: 160 Seiten
Verlag: TOKYOPOP (1. Oktober 2005)
Sprache: Deutsch
ISBN-10: 386580361X
ISBN-13: 978-3865803610
Vom Hersteller empfohlenes Alter: 13 - 16 Jahre
Verpackungsabmessungen: 18,4 x 12,4 x 1,6 cm
Profile Image for Doc.
1,959 reviews30 followers
October 9, 2023
Let's get ready to Ruuuumble!

What a strange series but regardless of the bizarre characters, silly moments, and unrequited love triangle this book was also a lot of good old fashioned, random fun. I remember this title a while back and looking at a picture of Kenji Harima I immediately assumed it was another school fight manga and I never bothered trying to read it with other pressing series to try. Well, after finding this on sale and realizing I haven't read any fighting manga in a bit I decided to try this out at last and was shocked to discover I was completely wrong in what type of manga this is. Don't be like me and assume something by the title.

Now I am not sure why the mangaka chose the name for the series (maybe because school fight manga was once the thing to read) but with the exception of the occasionally weird and random plot element this series reminds me more of Azumanga Daioh but it is a love story as much as a school story even if the main character of Tenma Tsukamoto is a little on the...dumb side while lacking in common sense. Now this is not to say her character is bad because like many of the cast the mangaka gives her a little to work with and seems to bring out her charm while keeping the story moving along. So if you like interesting characters and random silly manga maybe you should give this title a try? Having come out in 2003 there is a total of 22 volumes to the series and it is available on Kindle if you are having a hard time getting the volumes (besides as of now it looks like the first 19 volumes are available on Kindle Unlimited.) If you decide to read this series I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. :)
Profile Image for Ivonne Hufnagl.
Author 4 books
October 18, 2020
School Rumble ist ein schönes Manga über eine geheime Liebe in der Schule.
Die einzelnen Kapitel hängen zwar nicht direkt miteinander zusammen, was sicherlich nicht jedem gefällt, sind aber alle mit dem selben Humor ausgestattet.
Es macht Spaß, die Hauptperson zu begleiten und man kann immer wieder über ihre Versuche, ihren Schwarm zu beeindrucken, lachen.
Besonders gut gefallen mir auch die Bonuskapitel am Ende und die Erklärungen zu den japanischen Eigenarten.
Für alle empfehlenswert, die gerne viel Lachen und die Hauptperson von einer peinlichen Situation zur nächsten begleiten möchten :)
Profile Image for David Doel.
2,430 reviews6 followers
January 27, 2019
I read the first 10 volumes of this series (that's all I have); I think there are 22 volumes. The story is about a Japanese high school. It's a lot of fun and some sections are excellent. The author came up with a lot of creative and engaging story lines in some of the volumes. The character designs are good; the drawing is effective. One very nice feature is that each volume defines the honorifics used in Japan and each volume includes explanatory notes at the end that acquaint the reader with life in Japan.
Profile Image for Mia Ferraioli.
81 reviews
November 7, 2024
The first volume was all right. I didn't feel any particular reaction to it. The first two chapters were hilarious, but then it stopped being funny. Humor is subjective, so from chapter 3 on, it just didn't make me laugh. I liked the large cast of characters, but they were thrown in without proper intros and interactions with the main characters that I really didn't feel much. I remember watching the anime and loving it when I was younger, so I'll keep going with the series for nostalgia sake and to see how things go.
Profile Image for Azura Chan.
523 reviews7 followers
June 12, 2024
This manga brings me back to the days of high school when you couldn't get that one person you loved more than anything in the whole world out of your head, or you were fumbling around, at a loss for words, when you really needed to say something. This girl will like that guy, who likes that other girl, but another guy likes this girl, until it becomes a giant love maze that the smartest elementary school children could not solve.
Profile Image for Drew Kuethen.
8 reviews
February 3, 2025
This is reread for me. Absolutely love this series. It’s one of the those light, feel good series that just puts you in a good mood. The characters are relatable and it’s a good manga for people who are just getting into manga and are not ready for the heavier, darker stuff. Definitely appropriate for high schoolers and older. There is an anime that’s about 2 seasons, but sadly they never completed the entire story
Profile Image for Saidah Gilbert.
594 reviews18 followers
December 18, 2025
The title is slightly misleading but I always read the blurb at the back of a book before reading. So I was not surprised by the comic hijinks but it's not my cup of tea. I prefer that brand of comedy when there is no romance involved. However, if romance must be involved, then as long as disliked tropes don't appear, I can enjoy the story. I did not like the romance tropes used so I will not be continuing this series.
356 reviews10 followers
August 3, 2021
School Rumble Volume One is a bundle of cuteness and joy I could not stop smiling at the slap stick humor from page one as it is much like the old British humor we used to watch as a kid on TV like Carry On. Although I enjoyed reading School Rumble I would not go out of my way to read more volumes in the series.
Profile Image for Johnny SkullTek.
115 reviews2 followers
October 20, 2023
This very well could have been cutting edge stuff when it originally came out, but as someone who's read waaay too many solid gag and romance manga in the last few years, this vol 1 just felt like a tour of ancient tropes with mostly one-note characters.

I struggled to finish this one to see if there was any interesting hook at the end, but nothing really hit for me. I'm not planning to pickup vol 2, personally.
Profile Image for Valeria a tintas.
74 reviews
January 3, 2022
Soy muy fan de School rumble desde que tengo 13 años y lo conocí gracias a qué mi hermano lo ponía por las tardes, después decubri que los animes venían del manga y desde entonces tengo muchísimo tiempo queriendo volver a ver la serie otra vez. Me encantó. Y amo a Harima🤭
Profile Image for Hannah Revesz.
28 reviews
June 3, 2019
It's a bit confusing and I find it difficult to follow the plot but I guess it's kind of good
Profile Image for Alex.
190 reviews2 followers
January 1, 2020
I love this series.

I watched the anime when I was younger and reading this now is like a burst of nostalgia I really needed.
Profile Image for Untimely Gamer.
89 reviews2 followers
March 6, 2020
There are a bunch of Azumanga Daioh look-alikes on Kindle Unlimited. Most do not measure up to the original or even later riffs on the same ideas like Nichijou. School Rumble, too, does not quite match the heights reached by Azumanga Daioh, but the manga establishes its own unique wavelength. It's good, it's funny, and it made me laugh out loud several times.
Profile Image for Katia Tosco.
30 reviews
May 4, 2020
C'est mignon et drôle mais il y a beaucoup de clichés, et l'histoire part un peu dans tous les sens... pas sure d'avoir envie de continuer la série.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 93 reviews

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