Absolute Boyfriend, Vol. 2

絶対彼氏 [Zettai Kareshi] #2

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

190 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2006

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

[Leah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well Mika is a beesh lol And oh hello Soshi! haha finally makin a move and stepping up to the plate I like it! Seems as though Night is going into the background now

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars - dropped half a star because of THAT ending *sob*

Volume 2 focuses more on Soshi's (Riiko's neighbour and childhood friend) feelings towards Riiko and shows him to be an incredibly thoughtful and protective individual. Mika (Riiko's supposed friend) turns out to be a two-faced bitch as she goes behind Riiko's back and tries to seduce Night, however, he is having none of it (much to my delight!)

In order to keep Night (and pay the forfeit for not having 1 million dollars to pay for him) Riiko agrees to show Night what it means to be a woman and for him to gather data on understanding the female race. She gets a job as a waitress and discovers that Soshi is a waiter there! Cue lots of cute and awkward moments! Feeling guilty about Riiko getting a job, Night decides to gain employment too but on his way home is kidnapped by a group of guys who mistake him for one of their male escorts - he quickly gains employment and becomes a firm favourite with the ladies.

Ending - Soshi kisses Riiko and reveals his feelings for her whilst Night is kissed by one of his female clients which re-programmes him in becoming her lover and not Riiko's! Riiko is now considered his ex but she wants him back and will have to prevent losing him forever before he does the "deed".

[Mariℓina · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story proceeds with ease and our favorite characters get themselves tangled into more trouble. Every girl at school is crushing on Night and Riiko feels jealous, and if that wasn't enough Mika her best friend hides a terrible secret..


But the worst has yet to come. When Night finds a somewhat weird job and tries to learn more about humans so he can be better for Riiko, an unexpected situation will occur. Will Riiko be able to win Night's 'heart' again? And what about Soshi?



THOUGHTS ABOUT THE BOOK

- Night is so sweet and protective, he has evolved a lot.
- Mika was awful, i didn't like her from the start
- The artwork is still great.
- I still don't like Soshi much.
- The story is always funny but now it's filled with many romantic elements.

[Vanessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Me estoy leyendo este manga con una amiga y lo que estamos fangirleando y disfrutando de la historia es de 5 ⭐️ Estamos leyendo una edición en la que han compilado todo el manga en 3 tomos, así que estoy deseando leer el último tomo en febrero 🥰

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall Rating: A
Summary: A romantic comedy manga with a splash of science fiction created by Yuu Watase. Absolute Boyfriend is six volumes long and is the story of Riiko Izawa. Riiko is a high school girl with an addiction to buying things online, and has never had a boyfriend. In fact, she is rejected by every boy she asks out. The manga begins with Riiko asking out her current crush, and being immediately rejected.

After the rejection, she is wandering in the park, and finds a ringing cellphone. After answering the call, she returns the phone to an oddly dressed (kind of steampunk actually) man named Gaku. Gaku is a salesman for a strange website called Kronos Heaven, and offers Riiko anything she wants on the site for returning the phone. Riiko responds that all she wants is a boyfriend, and to her surprise Gaku says he can help.

When Riiko visits the site, she learns she can create her ideal lover. Still not believing Gaku, she customizes her lover with options like loyal, intelligent, attractive, etc. and orders him for a three-day trial.

The next day, men wearing outfits as strange as Gaku's deliver a large box to her door, and inside is a life-like figure...who is completely naked (don't worry, there's no nudity). Following the instruction manual, Riiko kisses him to wake him up, which also makes him to be in love with her. Unable to think of anything else, Riiko names him "Night".

Now Riiko has to deal with a man living with her (she lives alone) who wants to have sex all the time, a next-door neighbor named Soshi who may be more than a friend, a best friend who may be hiding things from her and who she is now hiding things from, and how to explain all of this without anyone finding out who "Night" really is.

I'm two volumes into this one, and I am hooked. This is another one Rachel recommended to me, and after "Life" I needed something lighter. "Absolute Boyfriend" definitely did the trick. This one is fun, has some great plot, and the characters are interesting. I also loved the progression of Night's personality. When the manga starts he's basically a robot and a bit silly (and very pretty). As it progresses, he develops feelings, and his rivalry with the serious Soshi provides a lot of humor and depth to the story. If you're looking for something light, then this one is a great choice.

Check out more manga and anime reviews at Hobotaku!

[Megan M · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm kind of frustrated with the way this series is going. I hate that Mika gets away with being a crazy bitch, Riiko just forgiving her like it was really no big deal. I don't like that Riiko is being shamed for not having sex with Night, so basically Night's running off with a different girl is her fault. I hate that Soshi is so great and Riiko is so blind to it.

But let's be honest - the drama is why we read shojo manga. I will almost definitely be getting more volumes of this series.

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

So cute!! I liked seeing Riiko step up to pay for Night. Soshi is adorable. At first he seemed like a bit standoffish but he has really grown on me already. Night is very naive and this gets him in a lot of trouble in this volume. And the ending is intense!

[Beyond the Pages with Eva K · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quick Summary: A contemporary Shojo Manga

My Review: Absolute Boyfriend, Vol. 2 by Yuu Watase is part two in the Absolute Boyfriend series.

About the Book: Riiko is in for a world of trouble in this edition. She is betrayed by someone close to her. She is desperate to make some money and soon finds herself in a compromising situation. Her boyfriend is changing right before her eyes. Her best friend is suddenly making a dramatic declaration. Everything that seemed to be under control is so not.

My Final Say: Book 2 is even better than book 1! I cannot wait to see what comes next.

Other: I just found out that this was made into a flick. You better believe I'm adding it to my watchlist, once I find it. I adore J-dramas, K-dramas, P-dramas...well, you get the picture. 🤓

Rating: 5/5
Recommend: Yes
Audience: OT to A
Series: Yes
Status: M
Level: 👍💬💛

#mangawishlist

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5!

[Samantha wickedshizuku Tolleson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This volume starts off with Chapter 7: Off-Campus Homeroom.

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

[Kayla Lodge · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well this took a turn for the worst I was beginning to like Night’s affections toward Riiko and all it took was a kiss from some other woman to make him forget all about her and start dating someone else. Now I just feel sad and I hope that things can get back on track, but I guess that is what happens when you buy yourself a robotic boyfriend.

[Magical_Bookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this! This was such a nice continuation of the series. The ending has left me wanting more and needing to know what is going to happen next. I need to get my hands on the next volume sometime soon.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sarah, shouldn't you be studying instead of rereading stuff?

[✨Sky✨ ♏ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5 stars

[Bianca · Rating 5 out of 5]

I NEED MORE.

[elif sinem · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remain obsessed. ought to have gone for the amnesia subplot but I like this a lot too.

[BeckyisBookish · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oh the drama of it all! Haha

[Ezra Bellwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think I’m actually rooting for Soshi over Night. I do like Night a lot but I just feel more of a connection with Soshi. Night also kind of reminds me of Tamaki from Ouran High School Host Club and I don’t know whether that’s just me or there are actually similarities.

[Mayar Mahdy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been waiting for so long (2 weeks, actually) and now I finally got all 5 remaining volumes.

This is such a fun read. Not a fan of breaking the 4th wall here, but I'm still really enjoyng this.

[Harumichi Mizuki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bagian soal pengkhianatan sahabat Riiko ini lumayan brings back bad memory -_- Di depan nempel terus dan sok baik, di belakang ternyata nyebar gosip aneh yang bikin orang lain nggak suka ama kita (ya yang percaya gitu aja ya GOBLOK). Udah gitu diam-diam selalu berusaha merebut apa yang kita punya. Wah berurusan dengan orang seperti ini dari SMA sampai kuliah benar-benar menyakitkan. Akhirnya memoriku selama masa-masa itu jadi tercemar karena selalu diwarnai kehadiran si ular beleduk. Sayang di sini enggak dijelaskan mengapa si "sahabat" bisa segitu jahatnya pada Riiko. Yang jelas aku girang banget pas tahu para anggota fans club-nya Night langsung menyadari kebusukan si "sahabat".

Setelah krisis selesai, Riiko dihadapkan pada masalah keuangan. Memang dia sudah tidak perlu membayar seratus juta yen. Tapi Gaku tetap menagih biaya perawatan tiap bulan. Dibantu teman sekelasnya (Miyabe-san), akhirnya Riiko bekerja di sebuah restoran masakan Vietnam. Ternyata Soushi pun bekerja di sana. Soushi mengungkapkan perasaannya pada Riiko dan gadis itu bingung karena dia menyukai baik Riiko maupun Soushi.

Melihat Riiko bekerja, Night jadi ingin membantu mencari uang juga. Dia bekerja jadi host sembari mengumpulkan data lebih banyak tentang manusia agar dia bisa mengungguli Soushi. Namun, seorang pelanggannya kemudian menciumnya. Gawatnya, kalau Night dicium cewek lain, programnya akan ke-reset dan dia akan menganggap cewek baru itu sebagai pacarnya. Riiko jelas shock.

Anehnya, Night masih mengenali Riiko sebagai mantan pacar. Padahal, menurut Gaku, seharusnya ingatan Night pada Riiko akan terhapus jika Night dicium cewek lain. Riiko pun berusaha mencium Night lagi sebelum Night berhubungan seksual dengan pacar barunya. Kalau itu terjadi, hubungan antara Night dengan cewek itu akan terkunci dan tak mungkin bagi Night untuk kembali pada Riiko. Program yang ngeselin, ya.

Riiko berusaha menyelinap ke apartemen cewek itu untuk menemui Night, tapi malah nyaris jatuh dari lantai atas. Di masa genting, Riiko berteriak minta tolong pada Night dan Night langsung melompat untuk membantunya. Rupanya, Night terus kepikiran pada Riiko meskipun mereka "sudah berpisah". Tampaknya AI Night berkembang lebih pesat daripada yang seharusnya. Setelah diselamatkan, sambil menangis Riiko bilang bahwa dia ingin mencium Night, sang robot tersenyum dan mencium Riiko dengan kemauannya sendiri. Gaku sampai terpana. Program lama Night kembali dan dia pun menjadi pacar Riiko lagi.

[Holly Letson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Riiko is so dense she cannot tell when her next-door neighbor has had a crush on her for years. As we saw in V1, even Soushi's brother can tell this. Riiko is only finally starting to see this when she feels like she has lost Night.
I feel for poor Soushi. In that aspect, it must be really hard to keep seeing the woman you love every day (within your grasp)...especially when you have to keep watching her blantantly throwing herself all over another "man". What makes that even harder for Soushi is that all Riiko sees him as is just a "friend", so all he ever gets to be is "The Voice of Reasoning" for a few minutes whenever she needs him most.
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Also, this volume is the part where Mika finally tells Riiko that she was just a beyotch who was using her as a source of boyfriends for all these years. Yes, pretty and popular Mika was such a lazy and stupid girl that she could NOT find boyfriends for herself, and she therefore, had been stealing boyfriends from Riiko since Junior High. Riiko was always under the impression that guys did not like her, when the problem really was that her so-called "best friend" was seducing them all and having them come be with her instead. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing Riiko b!tchslap Mika across the face. I felt she should have slapped her 2 or 3 more times, at least.
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The job-getting section of this was really interesting. Riiko gets a job at MANTEIV to help pay for Night. Turns out that Soushi is already working there. Night gets a ring-reading that say Riiko prefers Soushi over him, so he leaves. There are some really nice Riiko-x-Soushi scenes in that chapter, but we all get hurt by Night soon thereafter, when he accepts a job as a male escort and gets kissed by another woman.
Two kisses happen in this volume, Night being kissed by the female customer and Riiko being kissed by Soushi. Sadly, Soushi's is pretty much written off. But, Night's is focused on, since it signs him over to that girl, and he now sees Riiko as his X-girlfriend.
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Turns out that, in order to truly and completely win over Night, it is required to have sex with him. Riiko always refused all his sexual advances, but the new girl seems to be wanting to become physical with him right away.
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What can Riiko do win Night's love back?

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

WHAT A CRUEL WAY TO END THIS BOOK!

I have such mixed feelings now. Despite this being a small book a lot happened in it! Between Mika and then NIGHT AND SOSHI AND HOW THIS VOLUME ENDED OH MY GOD.

I don't know if I want Soshi or Night with Riiko. But I really do hope all three get a happy ending by the last book in this series. I kind of agree Soshi seems more fit for Riiko and Night is after all, not human but that's besides the point; Night is the dream man. And the fact that he wanted to be more human and understand Riiko more... my heart T^T I don't know but so far my heart is rooting more for Night. Sorry Soshi but due to my already mixed feelings that could change >.>

[Amy M. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okay, I tried to read the next book in the series but I can't read any more. It's just not for me! Beside the ICK factor of a boyfriend-to-order, if you throw in the tired cliche of evil best-friend/all-forgiving heroine, it's all over for me!

Maybe I've just grown up since my FY days. Then again to this day I would still love to punch Yui in the face!

[Iwona · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best manga ever!! : ) When I was younger I read all Yuu Watase's mangas which I could found in internet ; )) In my country was published only one : (

Really good story - about love between human and android. About feelings, that the mechanical thing can feel. And sad ending :<

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A school trip and trouble with an old friend - classic bits, handled well. Riiko keeps trying to earn money, which leads to Night getting a job at a host club - a fatal error as one of his clients tries to steal him away!

[haven ⋄ f (hiatus) · Rating 2 out of 5]

This one was a whole lotta “meh.” The plot twists were okay, but they were done too early into the story.

Not sure if I’ll continue this series. It’s a little too dramatic.

[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.

[Bee Wright · Rating 3 out of 5]

The fan girls went too far punching Riiko and throwing mud on her face just for being Night's boyfriend, that's ridiculous. And Mika throwing a fit at Riiko was unbelievable. The two girls had been friends since grade school was Mika faking being friends or that long?

Night being an 'figure' would not be a fit for Riiko in the sense of a long-term relationship. People grow as they age, so I think Soshi (a real person), would work out better in the long run. Riiko and Soshi may not become a couple, but having a connection with someone real is way better than an AI. I does look like Night is becoming a sentient being though.

I hope Satori and Riiko become friends. Satori is a a quiet person from what I see, but a geniune one. Riiko needs a true friend. Not a liar like Mika. Soshi is now a love interest (so a little awkward to be friends at the moment). And Night is (for now), out of the picture of being a lover (and friend).

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

This book was on track for me to rate it 4/5 stars then there was a plot twist and I really didn't like the direction the story took. I can't really go into it without spoiling this book, but the plot twist made little sense if you think about the fact that Night is an android boyfriend made to love who buys him... The plot twist has made me really annoyed and angry and I almost want to rage quit this series but I have the other four volumes in the series so I feel like I have to read them because I have bought them. If I didn't already own them I think I would rage quit. I don't really want to recommend this series now but I am still enjoying the story, just not the plot twist in this book.

[Aikazen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Volume 2 of Zettai Kareshi continues Riiko’s chaotic love life as she navigates the challenges of having a perfect (but robotic) boyfriend, Night Tenjo. As Night grows more attached to Riiko, his increasingly human-like emotions create both sweet and awkward moments. Meanwhile, Sōshi, her childhood friend, begins to realize his own feelings for her, setting up a classic love triangle.

This volume amps up the drama and humor, with Night’s devotion leading to some hilarious misunderstandings and heartfelt moments. Riiko starts to question her feelings—can she truly love someone who isn’t human? Meanwhile, external forces threaten to take Night away, adding tension to the story.