Absolute Boyfriend, Vol. 3

絶対彼氏 [Zettai Kareshi] #3

by Yuu Watase

Shy high school student Riko Izawa aches for a boyfriend but guys just won't look her way. Then one day she signs up for a three-day trial of a mysterious "lover figurine," and the next thing she knows, a cute naked guy is delivered to her doorstep--and he wants to be her boyfriend!Has Riko died and gone to heaven? The cute naked guy turns out to be smart, super nice, stylish and a gourmet chef. Plus, he looks like a million bucks¿. Trouble is, that's about what he's going to cost Riko because she didn't return him in time!

Genres: Manga, Romance, Graphic Novels, Shojo, Comics, Young Adult, Science Fiction

191 pages, Paperback

First published April 26, 2004

About the author

Yuu Watase (渡瀬悠宇) is a Japanese shoujo manga-ka. She is known for her works Fushigi Yūgi, Alice 19th, Ceres: The Celestial Legend, Fushigi Yūgi Genbu Kaiden and Absolute Boyfriend. She likes all music, except heavy metal and old traditional music.

She received the Shogakukan Manga Award for shōjo for Ceres, Celestial Legend in 1997. Since writing her debut short story "Pajama de Ojama" ("An Intrusion in Pajamas"), Watase has created more than 80 compiled volumes of short stories and continuing series. Because of her frequent use of beautiful male characters in her works, she is widely regarded in circles[which?] as a bishōnen manga artist.[citation needed] In October 2008, Watase began her first shōnen serialization, Arata: The Legend in Weekly Shōnen Sunday.
Her name is romanized as "Yû Watase" in earlier printings of Viz Media's publications of Fushigi Yūgi, Alice 19th, and Ceres, The Celestial Legend, while in Viz Media's Fushigi Yūgi Genbu Kaiden and Absolute Boyfriend her name is romanized as "Yuu Watase". In Chuang Yi's English-language versions of Fushigi Yugi (spelled without a macron or circumflex), her name is romanized as "Yu Watase".

Reviews

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whilst the last third of this volume made me laugh out loud SOOOO much and mostly made up for the uncomfortable premise of this instalment, I must say I wasn't a fan of the emphasis on sex by Gaku in this.

Gaku takes Night and Riiko to an island retreat where he gives her 3 days in which to have sex with Night (to prevent Night from being stolen away and imprinted by another woman who may kiss him). I found this very uncomfortable to read as Gaku was completely removing Riiko's choice in the matter and reducing the success of their "relationship" to sex! [Another thing to note: Soshi was on the island too since he confessed his feelings for Riiko to Night and the latter brought him along as a type of gentleman's agreement!] Thankfully though, nothing ensued and soon moved on to more hilarious matters involving Riiko's dad meeting Night for the first time! I laughed a LOT at this section. Watase is fantastic at capturing the various reactions of her characters!

[Leah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Soshi or Night Soshi or Night Soshi or Night?! Gahhhhhh lol Hey even I don't know which one is better... At the end of the day though Night is a robot lol so I would pick Soshi. It's not like you can even have kids with Night :P Can't she just have both? XD

[Beck · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was really surprised at how strongly (and overtly?) sex has been playing into these last two volumes. Shouldn't be considering the whole premise is that she ordered a really expensive Nightly Lover figure, but...there we are.

I'm not sure how I feel about Yuu Watase's author notes on this series. They don't annoy me as much as whossit's video game blah-blah-blah, but they're not as endearing as some, either. Man, these manga creators seem crazy overworked! I'd like to know more about that aspect of the culture/career field.

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love how Gaku always shows up randomly. I watched the tv adaptations before reading the manga and I kinda prefer how Riiko is an adult in the tv adaptations vs here where she is a teenager, because it does feel a bit weird how Gaku is trying to get her to have sex with Night. He’s a bit too pushy. Riiko is being forced to decide between Night and Soshi too quickly when she’s only a teenager. Other than that I’m enjoying it so far. Night is funny and sweet as always.

[elif sinem · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm rounding the 3.5 up because it's so stupidly over the top but it makes me belly laugh

[Gʀᴇʏʜᴀᴍᴇ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Review of Absolute Boyfriend volumes 1-4:

For some unknown reason I'm not a fan of Watase's manga.

This is a sad thing because it's hard to find a manga author so prolific as to write so many different series' to like, love, or something in between. I have read volumes of her Alice 19th,and Ceres and in each series there is something...missing. I can't define it really, but it feels like if the book had a head, legs, or arms it would be missing one of them.

Watase has written a lot, and I wish so much that I could find some lilliputian amount of redeeming value in Absolute Boyfriend but I just can't. It's insulting, anti-feminist, and all around not a functional form of entertainment for me. There's so much stupidity in the plot it's painful, and the girl protagonist is a train wreck that sullies female self confidence, independence, and social standing in relation to men.

All of this sort of sealed that I wouldn't appreciate this series, but I know for sure it's beloved by many others.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

When you want a boyfriend none are around, that is just how Riiko feels. On the path of desperation she signs up for a free trial for a robotic boyfriend. What can go wrong right? Nope, wrong! Riiko receives the extravagant Night, a hot and sexy man that only wants to please her.

Seriously this is one of the best manga I have ever read! It is filled with romance and comedy and enjoyable characters. I fell in love with every aspect of this series right from the beginning. There is an interesting love triangle that also develops, I had a hard time choosing which guy I would end up picking, you will have to see for yourself.

Riiko is just a doll! No, not literally, but cute nonetheless. She is always looking on the bright side of things and is protective of the ones she loves. Night is the epitome of every girls dream guy. He is so adorable when he is learning all of the different emotions and things Riiko is trying to teach him. Night is really cute when he starts becoming overprotective of Riiko.

I really wish they would make it into an anime!!!

[Samantha wickedshizuku Tolleson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This volume starts off with Chapter 13:Return.

I'll write more when my editing mode hits.
Happy Readings!
Fly my Pretties! Fly!

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I know this is only the third volume, but I feel bad for Soshi. The boy's getting shafted and needs to move on.

[Kayla Lodge · Rating 3 out of 5]

I felt like this volume was a little pointless the whole time gaku is doing everything he can to get them to have sex and it just gets a bit repetitive and the worst part they don’t even get the job done so what the point of this book at all it kind of felt like a waste of paper and time.

[Ezra Bellwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think the hilarity dipped down slightly in this volume but I’m sure it will pick itself back up in the next one.

[✨Sky✨ ♏ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5 stars

[Libby Jones · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bit dodgy

[Dylan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fun volume! This series is a good read with cute characters.

[Mango · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG!!!! I LOVED THIS SERIES!!!!

This is a review for the overall series. I give the overall series 5 stars! You know why? Because it was awesome!

The first thing I want to talk about is the ending. Oh, how tragic it was. Oh, how it made my sad. Oh, how it made me cry. Night is "dead". I wish he weren't dead. He just didn't deserve to die. T.T I am so sad. I wish so bad that he weren't dead. He was funny, charming and good looking. He should be alive and with Riiko. T.T He was so lively. Good at cooking, sports, academics.He loved Riiko SO much. He loved Riiko and getting naked. but now he will get naked no more. T.T I wish he were still alive.... And he was so sweet to leave send that note to Soushi and and and... sigh... I wish he were still alive... T.T

R.I.P Night ♥♥♥

So Riiko is a girl. She loved Night very much. He sadly died in the end and she kept kissing him to bring him back, but sadly, he didn't wake up... She was clumsy and very dense but is very kind and sweet and smart. Soushi is taking care of her now... She still loves Night though, even though he's dead. Riiko is a good character. I love her face and who cares if she is flat-chested.

Soushi was always in love with Riiko. But never had the guts to say it to her until she was taken. He still loves her and accepts that she loves Night. I felt sad when he was leaving for Spain but then he came back because Night asked him to take care of Riiko. AND THE NOTE! THE NOTE! That note he recieved from Night. T.T

There were many events in the story that made me laugh because they were so darn funny; like all those times when Night gets naked. There were many events that made me sad; like when Night died T.T . There were many events that made me go "Awwwwww! <3"; like all those times when Night said I love you to Riiko. There were many amazing events in the book. I still remember most of them in my head now.
<33333333333333333333333

The series was funny and witty and romantic and sweet and actiony and thirlling and just simply amazing. I don't think it coukd be any better than it already is. I had a great time reading it and hope that many other people will read it an enjoy it too. I recommend this manga to everyone, including boys. Who cares if it's a shojo manga?It was freaking great! So go out there and read this manga called "Absolute boyfriend".

[Denise みか Hutchins · Rating 5 out of 5]

This manga continues to be absolutely ridiculous and awesome. I wanted to remark specifically that I appreciate a lot of the adult themes in this volume, both for their humorous value and for their broaching of subjects that are normally taboo, such as sex, date rape, and (ha!) penises. The author explained in the very first volume that this story was never meant to be taken very seriously. Armed with that information, I have only found myself enjoying each chapter. Even when I was worried we were getting into iffy territory, especially with this volume, the author proved herself a competent writer who keeps the feelings and rights of girls and women in mind. I’m trying not to give any spoilers, so I’ll just round that out by saying how proud I feel to read a Japanese female-centric story that doesn’t fall into the typical shoujou manga bullshit such as, “It was your fault for leading him on,” or “You owe him for everything he’s done for you.” This is just an awesome manga for modern (teenage+) girls and women, surprisingly realistic and oddly empowering.

Now, onto to volume 4!

[Mariℓina · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this volume the rivalry between Night and Soshi touches a whole new level. After Riiko succeeds in rebooting Night, the need to get closer becomes almost mandatory... but Gaku has an idea, and of course like every other one he had is fun and naughty..hehe


Riiko finally realises that Night is the one and their adventures will take place in a tropical island, a crazily scary spa and a hotel!!!




THOUGHTS ABOUT THE BOOK

- Night!!!!I love that guy.
- Soshi is good but i still don't like him. Actually i know it's bad to say it but, i HATE that guy!
- The artwork is great!
- Night wants to become human fo Riiko's sake, so he will be what she wnats. awwww!
- Riiko, always the silly, clumsy girl.
- Gaku is hilarious!

[Mika · Rating 3 out of 5]

.5+ for the dad chapter which felt relevant, interesting and led to a funny scenario while still moving the story forward.

Unlike the rest of the volume. I mean Jesus, one moment we are saving Night, then on an island, then in a spa, and then at home. All throughout, Riiko keeps warffling on who she ~*Truly Loves*~ instead of progressing even a little.

And my gosh the sex thing is annoying, just ENCOURAGING the culture of sanctifying virginity.

Very Disappointed. Are the next two volumes EVEN MORE WARFFLING? Must I wait until the last volume for ANY forward motion (only to have it seem abrupt and sudden because the author only allowed herself ONE book to wrap it all up?)

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was so nervous at the beginning of this volume! I had no idea how Riiko was going to fix this. The situation with Night was so bad... Then what Night does to Soshi on the island getaway! TSK TSK Night! The lady and the spa....I have no words...She freaked me out. And Gaku briefly changes his look. What an improvement!! So this volume Riiko was a bit to naive about how to move a relationship forward. I hate seeing her pressured to in any way!

[The Book Dragon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Night got brainwashed...literally...and now he's got himself a new girlfriend.
Riiko's gotta kiss him to switch him back. And this wouldn't have happened if she'd slept with him.

To remedy that, Gaku whisked them away to an island. Night decided to bring Soshi.
THIS ISN'T GONNA BE AWKWARD AT ALL!

This series has 6 volumes.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good third installment of the series, although I did feel like it was a little rushed. There were a few parts where I had to re-read to fully understand what was happening since the art didn't help, but overall it was a good read. I'm looking forward to receiving the fourth book.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Soshi begins to distinguish himself as a solid romantic choice, here! The series continues to be ridiculous and touching in turns.

[♡ zuly ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprisingly enough even though I’ve read this before I barely remembered anything that happened. Definitely dated, but still a fun read.

[Bibliothecat · Rating 2 out of 5]

Review for complete series

I am really sad and surprised that I didn't enjoy Watase's Absolute Boyfriend more than I did. I love her art and have enjoyed other works by her. I've seen this series being criticised for the love triangle and, let's be honest, most people seem to hate love triangles on principal whereas I always believe it depends on how it's written. Absolute Boyfriend is definitely the bad type of love triangle.

I was pretty optimistic after volume one: I wouldn't call this a vastly original story, having robot-like love interests in manga is far from rare. Our main character Riiko's motivations of getting a boyfriend - just any boyfriend by the sound of things - come across a bit shallow but the story is light-hearted enough and there's lots of humour in store once Night, the boyfriend tailored to her taste, arrives. There were various routes this story could have taken and I will at least give it credit for having a more original ending than most of its kind. That still doesn't mean it is satisfying, though.

The biggest issue truly is the love triangle. Hard as I may try, I struggled to like Riiko and that's always a bad sign for a main character. She is so incredibly indecisive which truly makes her look shallow. Besides Night, who is programmed to adore her, there's also Soushi, her childhood friend. These two are constantly vying with each other over Riiko's affection, a common sight in shoujo manga, yet the fact that Riiko sways from one to the other is annoying to say the least. I can understand if she would feel confused about her feelings, flattered or infatuated with Soushi, but she literally insists on loving both which ultimately looks like she doesn't genuinely love either. A romance story is a little lost on me if I can't find a reason to root for the couple. It is equally hard to root for a couple if I think Riiko doesn't deserve either of these love interests. I also don't understand why Soushi likes her so much. Yes, they are childhood friends so clearly they have a bond. But given how Riiko behaves, I'd say he has more than enough reason to drop the whole messy business.

Getting back to my original point, it is rare that I truly dislike a love triangle. I consider them a pretty common and realistic aspect of love and romance and as long as the characters in question aren't totally indecisive, I'm ok with it. But my opinion remains that Riiko doesn't deserve either and that just sets a bad premise for me to enjoy a manga series. The plot itself became more jumpy and choppy as it went on, it definitely declined in quality with each volume. I do still think that it starts off strong and has beautiful art, but it's not enough for me to want to hold on to or recommend this series.

[Harumichi Mizuki · Rating 2 out of 5]

Volume ini rasanya kayak filler. Fanservice mulu isinya zzz.... Riiko masih bingung antara mau milih Night atau Soushi. Gaku inisiatif buat bawa Riiko dan Night ke pulau resort tempat pegawai Kronos Heaven biasa berlibur so they can have their intimate moments. Tapi Night malah ngajak Soushi karena pingin main jujur. Oh well. Di sini Night terlihat sangat posesif. Namun, akhirnya dia masih menghargai Riiko yang menolak tidur dengannya karena masih belum siap.

Lalu ada episode Night menangin undian berlibur kedua bareng Riiko ke spa. Spanya ternyata spa mesum khusus couple -_- Spa ngasih game buat para peserta untuk melewati berbagai stage spa yang aneh-aneh dan menantang. Ada spa pusaran air. Spa air terjun. Apaan dah 🤣 Tiap couple tangannya disambungkan dengan tali merah. Pasangan yang bisa melalui berbagai stage tantangan dengan tetap mempertahankan tali merahnya tidak putus, bakal menang dan dapat hadiah spesial. Namun, Riiko dan Night digangguin muli sama pasangan mahasiswa yang lagi saling bentrok.

At the end of the time, tali Riiko dan Night putus. Tapi Night bisa mendengar perasaan jujur Riiko untuk pertama kalinya:'Aku gak mau malam pertamaku dengan orang selain Night!' Akhirnya pasangan yang sedang berantem itu malah jadi pemenang dan baikan setelah keempatnya jatuh di spa air terjun. Sebagai ucapan terima kasih, mereka memberikan hadiah kemenangan mereka: voucher gratis menginap semalam di hotel.

Sayangnya, setelah Riiko dan Night sepakat mau ke hotel besok, malamnya orangtua Riiko pulang dari luar negeri! Ayah Riiko langsung mengusir Night keluar sehingga sang robot terpaksa menginap di rumah Gaku. Besoknya Riiko dilarang keluar rumah oleh ayahnya. Namun, Riiko berhasil membujuk ayahnya untuk mengadakan makan malam keluarga bersama di hotel tempat dia janjian sama Night. Di sana, Night tampil sebagai pelayan restoran yang bekerja agar bisa membiayai Riiko di masa depan, untuk membuat orangtua Riiko terkesan.

Rada risih sih kalo satu jilid punya terlalu banyak fanservice kayak gini. Hubungan Night dan Riiko memang makin terjalin. Tapi melalui adegan-adegan yang rada... heuh.

[Christy · Rating 5 out of 5]

So funny and entertaining night when’s a free spa day and then they get into situations that she admits that she wants her first time to be with him then a couple of the spa gives them the reward which was a free night at the hotel, so then she tells him that she’ll sleep with him. Her parents come back home and they find out that he’s there so I told him to leave and her dad doesn’t approve of him and it was just so funny how night is so naïve and says yes so now we can go have sex in the hotel. It was just it’s funny and I write books on my enjoyment and I enjoyed it as a five star I would re-read the series. Looking forward to the next one. she can’t decide who she’s in love with. She likes them both but she can’t decide who she’s in love with which makes sense she’s 16 she has this hot robot guy then her best friend that she’s known for years. It’s also very attractive so she can’t make up her mind because her best friend just admitted that he likes her.

[Bee Wright · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm very glad that Night got some sense in him to not force Riiko. If he did force her I would not like him anymore, at all. I am rooting for Riiko to end up with Soshi, as he cares about her, but is also a real person. Night is programmed to like her and can start liking someone else if he gets kissed by them. Now Gaku did say that Night remembers her because she did leave a lasting impact on him, but he is still a figure and not a real person.

I found it a bit weird at the spa. Nineteen year-olds trying to get together with 16 year-olds? This manga was written in 2004, but still disturbing. And Night isn't technically 16, but the point still stands.

Riiko's father is really protective of her. Like too much. He also talks too graphically in front of everyone. After meeting Night he has been behaving rather horrible to him. That is a bit irritating. I hope he behaves better in the subsequent volumes.

[Lou (Lou and Life) · Rating 3 out of 5]

So I carried on with the series after I got annoyed at a plot twist in the last book. I am happy that I continued on with this volume because the plot twist that got me annoyed was resolved very quickly. However, I do feel as if that plot twist has tainted my feelings towards this series. I'm no longer enjoying this series as much as I once was. I will still finish this series because I want to see the entire journey, but I have spoiled myself with the ending, so I know that I have to read the books soon otherwise I may never read the books because I know the ending. After the plot twist that I didn't like was resolved, I did feel like not a lot happened in this book. It feels a bit like the main story of the other two volumes recycled and I do worry that the rest of the series will be the same. I don't think I would recommend this series anymore after reading three of the six volumes.

[Leila Anani · Rating 3 out of 5]

Riiko wins back Night but she still can't decide who she loves, perfect lover Night or her best friend Soshi. Soshi reveals his feelings to Night and the pair go head to head trying to secure Riiko's affections. Spanners in the works in this one include Gaku constantly trying to get Riiko to sleep with Night and the fact that her parents return out of the blue and her father favours Soshi....

I seriously can't call this one. I'm as torn as Rikko while a huge part of me wants her to end up with Soshi, Night's just so perfect that it's going to be tragic if she ditches him! Shojo manga by one of the finest creators in the industry, while I prefer her fantasy stuff I'm fairly hooked. Can't wait to see how this turns out!

[Aikazen · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Zettai Kareshi Volume 3, the love triangle between Riiko, Night, and Sōshi intensifies as emotions get more complicated. Riiko begins to develop genuine feelings for Night, even though he’s a robot, which leads to a lot of internal conflict. Meanwhile, Sōshi’s feelings for Riiko grow stronger, but he struggles to express them, fearing rejection and confusion over Night’s presence in Riiko’s life.

The story takes a more dramatic turn when Night’s true identity is at risk of being exposed, causing tension between the characters. Gaku Namikiri warns Riiko about Night’s battery limitations, adding a layer of urgency to their relationship. As Riiko tries to sort out her feelings, she must also protect Night from being taken back by the company that created him.