Happy Hustle High, Vol. 4

H3スクール! [H3 School!] #4

by Rie Takada

What happens when the reigning tomboy of an all-girls high school finds out her school is about to be filled with boys!?Hanabi Ozora is a rambunctious 16-year-old tomboy who comes to the rescue of her less assertive friends-sometimes in exchange for food. So what does she do when, all of a sudden, her all-girls school is about to be integrated with an all-boys school?!She meets and falls in love-naturally--with one of the three most popular and handsome boys in the Student Council, Yasuaki Garaku! Unfortunately, Yasuaki doesn't care for girls...and when the girls' Student Council clashes head-on with the boys' Student Council, Hanabi steps in to become a member--hoping she'll change Yasuaki's mind!

Just when Hanabi thinks that she and the dreamy Yasuaki have reached the pinnacle of romantic bliss, the cruel hand of fate throws her a wicked curveball--her childhood friend Takeru (now a marvelous specimen of teenage studliness) is back in town and wants to reminisce about the good old days. Takeru's designs on Hanabi seem more than friendly, especially when he asks her to choose between Yasuaki and himself. Who'll get kissed? Who'll get punched? Who'll get kissed and punched?! Later, Hanabi finds herself in trouble with the school administration (for, like, the gazillionth time), and now must ace her finals and become the best student in her class...or else face the horrifically hair-raising consequences!

Genres: Manga, Romance, Shojo, Manga Romance, Comics, Graphic Novels, Comics Manga

200 pages, Paperback

First published December 13, 2005

About the author

Rie Takada ( 高田りえ) is a Japanese manga artist. She debuted in 1990 in the 17th issue of the manga anthology magazine Sho-Comi with the series SP girl. She still writes primarily for Sho-Comi, with her serialized works also published in collected volumes by Shogakukan, the company that publishes Sho-Comi.

Reviews

[Redfox5 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hanabi gets weird in this one. She decides that she'd rather date someone she's not seen in 10 years. I don't really understand how she came to that conclusion, maybe because Yasuaki was upset(understandable) because she would rather spend time with this guy than him?

Anyways the two guys face off but we don't even see it. We just hear there is a fight and then Yasuaki is laying outside Hanabi's house injured and then she decides she liked him best after all. I didn't like this as we have literally no idea who started the fight or how they got into it.

And for some reason a teacher has decided she doesn't like Hanabi and tried to get her kicked of student council. Random. We have never even seen this teacher in the book before.

This volume was okay but wasn't making much sense.

[Rhapsody · Rating 3 out of 5]

Second to last volume of the series. Chapters 1 and 2 wrapped up the Take (Hanabi's childhood friend) story. In ch.3, Hanabi and Yasuaki went on their first real date, to an amusement park. Amazing that it took 4 volumes for them to have a date, but I guess it's not that surprising by shoujo standards. In ch.4, Yasuaki starts teaching Hanabi how to surf. I really liked this one, since in shoujo it's usually just the girl squealing for the guy while he does cool things, whereas here there was a sense of partnership. Ch.5 was kind of random--a famous celebrity is in town and Hanabi spends the afternoon with him while his fangirls chase after Yasuaki. I will never understand these young Japanese celebrities/idols. Do we have the equivalent in this country? Seems like they have a much stronger tradition of obsessing over these beautiful young people who just really just come and go at quick intervals. In ch.6, Hanabi inadvertently gets herself into trouble with the principal and the evil guidance counselor suggests that she be kicked off the student council if she can't come in first in all her exams. Of course, her fellow student council members help her study. I encounter chapters like this a lot in shoujo, where the girl has to be helped in her studying by her boyfriend or just her smart male friends in general. I really can't stand this particular theme and I don't get how if shoujo manga's meant for girls, the writers keep on hammering us with the dumb-girl-who-can't-study-on-her-own thing. If not for that, it'd be 4 stars rather than 3, just like the first 3 of the series. Just one volume to go now!

[Nina {ᴡᴏʀᴅs ᴀɴᴅ ᴡᴀᴛᴇʀ} · Rating 2 out of 5]

SHE"S SO STUPID. The first chapter of this volume involves Hanabi's childhood friend. I liked Hanabi's character, so far she's been pretty capable, much better than the stupid girl in Heart and yet the minute her childhood friend turns up and tells her to dump her boyfriend, she does it. THAT's RIDICULOUS. Yasuaki has been nothing but a gem of a boyfriend to Hanabi, and just because he's a little jealous and a little mean, she decides to dump him. I don't care if she thinks "he's kind and nice and was always there for me", because that's how she was, it just happened in a few pages. One moment she's lovey dovey with Yasu, the next she wants to dump him not because she doesn't love him, but because he wasn't nice to her. God what a stupid girl. I get that she doesn't want to have the whole "my boyfriend controls my life" thing, but I can't stomach the idea that she considered dumping Yasu because another guy said to. OMG I sound too into this and too biased, but who cares it's my opinion and I don't like it. Sigh...well then Yasu gets beaten up by the childhood friend and Hanabi realises she cares about him. Blah blah blah stupid arc plotline, let's move on. Hopefully the next part is and the final volume will make up for it!

[T.J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Ever see a rainbow up close, Yasu? It's cool. I'll show you sometime."

The best part of this series is the relationship between Hanabi and Yasu. All the peripheral characters and contrived drama and high school antics are less interesting than just seeing the 2 of them together being cute, like when he's teaching her how to surf. Awww.

"Let's surf, Hanabi. I'll show you how. I thought a lot about what we could do together. And how to keep your wild-and-crazy spirit right by my side."

[-moonprismpower- · Rating 3 out of 5]

These storylines are just too much… and not in a good way. The whole “childhood friend” situation was annoying. And the woman teacher trying to sabotage Hanabi was just bleh. Oh and the” will they won’t they have sex” is getting old… I think the mangaka was running out of ideas…

[Brandy Ackerley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good as always.

[Hisgirl85 · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

[Dita · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my fav but I enjoyed it nonetheless.
Not a big fan of hanabi in this volume, wanted to slap some senses to her, but in the end ewverything is work out and got back on track

[Sophie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I can't decide if I like Hanabi. She's confident, yet petty. Strong, yet easily manipulated/convinced. It annoys me that she would consider dumping her boyfriend because someone tells her to, and that she's so vain and concerned with being cute for her boyfriend. However, the story about the tannoy is really funny. I just can't work out if I like her.

[Jasmine · Rating 3 out of 5]

....

[Chelsea · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great volume! I especially enjoyed the chapter about Hanabi & Yasuaki's date.

[Em Mirra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pending