オトメン(乙男) 5

Otomen #5

by Aya Kanno, Aya Kanno

銀百合祭名物☆ナデシコンの代表に選ばれてしまったりょうと介添人(=サポート役)の飛鳥。二人の前に強力なライバルが現れて──!! ビューティーサムライ再び参上☆ 巷をにぎわす銀鼠&江戸紫コンビに迫る怪しい人物とは…!?

Genres: Manga, Romance, Shojo, Comics, Graphic Novels, Humor, Young Adult

Paperback

First published April 18, 2008

About the author

Aya Kanno (菅野文; Kanno Aya) is a Japanese shōjo manga artist.

Former assistant of mangaka Masashi Asaki of Psychometrer Eiji fame, she made her debut in the January 2001 issue of Hakusensha's magazine "Hana to Yume" with Soul Rescue. Her works include Otomen.

Reviews

[Laura A. Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very very very good volume! Sort of feel it's been my favorite volume thus far!

I really enjoyed seeing a focus on Ryo and Juta in this volume because I really love their characters and was so glad they had a chance to shine on page! Ryo's story was different than I expected, but I honestly feel that fits her every time she makes a large appearance. LOL! Though I really really loved seeing her more of the "dashing" one though I don't think that's the right word. I guess I should say that I liked how she was "fighting" for Asuka because based on how things have been before, it has been hard to tell if she actually likes Asuka. I feel this volume clarified that she does indeed like him (even if I don't know if her feelings are as deep as Asuka's feelings or not) and enjoyed seeing that on page.

And JUTAAAA! I was SO happy for him!! He had SUCH a fun and happy part in this volume and loved it! Even more so when it's the worse of the worst things that happen to him as bad as that is to say! LOL! Truly, the mangaka might have felt it was too much and went overboard for his appearance and story, but I really really really loved it! <3 <3 <3

I also loved the Beauty Samurai!! Oh my goodness, I am SO excited to see more of them, though THAT ENDING! :o :o :o I have a guess who that person might be who showed up and I'm not sure how I feel about it!!

[Mizu · Rating 4 out of 5]

🌸SYNOPSIS
We continue our tales of the Otomen, where Ryo has been chosen to participate in a contest where her feminine charms and skills are put to the test, but she lacks all those skills! Thankfully she can rely on Asuka for his feminine touch to help her possibly seek victory but that’s not all, a new romantic contender in the form of another girl in the contest. Can Ryo compete against such a rival!?
But that’s not all kiddies, in volume 5, we have the return of the Beauty Samurais, but can they work together to help make all women beautiful or will a rivalry tear them apart? What about Juta and his career as a manga artist? Will his secret be revealed? Find out in volume 5 today

🌸OPINION
Absolutely love where this story is heading and how the characters all face their challenges. I also love how Ryo and Asuka work so well together and it makes me cheer them on even more. Heck, even Juta is starting to grow on me as a character, I finally feel there is more to him then being a womaniser.

🌸PRO
Development in both story and character

🌸CON
None that I can contribute here

🌸FINAL SAY
“Ryo Miyakozuka, you are the true ideal man”, that she is and I cannot disagree with this statement, since Asuka is the ideal woman and I really believe they would be an ideal couple but that may not even happen till the end of the manga. I enjoyed this one a bit more than the others, I felt like the other characters developed more to help improve the main characters, heck, even at first it made me realise the characters was kind of bland but that makes it good development.
Still can’t say much about any obvious art changes but hopefully in later chapters it may have changes but that is meant for the final review that will be done for Volume 18.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This volume has two stories:

In the first one,Ryo is in a competition to prove who it the ideal woman,with Miyabi,an upperclasswoman.

In the second one,Asuka and Tonomine take up their disguises again as Beauty Samurais,as a way to express their interests without their loved ones finding out. Coincidentally,this makes people want to find out who they are even more,which results in a cliffhanger at the end.

[Katt Hansen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ryo as the perfect woman and Juta reveals his double life? This volume isn't so much about our favorite Otoman, but about those around him. Which is great because we get a little bit deeper at least into Juta (I really felt sad for him at the end). Ryo...why is she still so flat? This is my biggest complaint in the manga so far - never once does Ryo seem real.

[Jaylee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This continues to just be fun fluff. It makes me happy. :)

[teacupsandunicorns · Rating 5 out of 5]

ANOTHER WIN FOR OTOMEN

Please men. Please embrace the feminine and stop with the toxic masculinity. This is such a refreshing take on gender and it’s a wonderful series and I love all their friendships

[Gale Bruckner · Rating 5 out of 5]

The series started out feeling episodic, but it's built into something interconnected. So many of the characters have felt shame about being who they are or liking what they like we're looking like they do. It reminds me a lot of a line from th book I Kissed Sarah Wheeler, where the author talks about communities being full of more diverse people than we think. I really want to see them grow together and be welcomed by each other in the community exactly as they are. Also, I absolutely want to adopt Kurokawa! He's so precious. I arrived at this volume of the manga thinking I might not buy the rest because while I love the premise there didn't seem to be overarching drama or the possibility that asuka could truly come out to the world as an Otomen, but now I think that's exactly where this story is going. Also I think his mom, not his birth mother but the parent that left when he was young, is about to come back into the picture! I'm so excited to see what happens next.

[Viridian5 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Volume 4 was all inconsequential filler, so I'm glad to see the story moving forward a bit again. There's even a big segment starring Ryo, which I appreciate since the series covers Asuka's and Juta's thoughts thoroughly while leaving Ryo a cipher beyond her "manly" yet kind ways. I still don't know if she's completely clueless of Asuka's feelings for her or pretending not to notice because she doesn't think of him That Way and doesn't want to talk about it. The author notes that the Ryo segment was written because the reading audience demanded something more on Ryo. Thank you, audience.

Once again, the stories leave me ambivalent about what the series says about gender roles. On the one hand, it says that people should be allowed to be the way that makes them feel happy and fulfilled while the everyone else in the series seems to be reinforcing the narrow-minded views of what is "proper." [spoilers:] See the tasks and audience in the "perfect woman" contest or the manga piece where Juta is convinced and told many times that shoujo manga is all about reinforcing girls' dreams... which is apparently to be the pinkest, fluffiest girly-girl possible. Ambivalence comes in once again when the story reveals that Juta's shoujo manga idol is also a man. (Men know girls' dreams better than girls do!)

I found the beauty samurai section rather funny. I'm not entirely sure Asuka would really be totally mum to his friends about it, though the fact that someone else's secret identity is involved too keeps his mouth shut. I'm interested in seeing if the female reporter is actually Asuka's dad, as I'm inferring from the end of the volume. [/spoilers:]

[nidah05 (SleepDreamWrite) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally getting around to catching up with manga series I should be reading instead of starting new series. Anyway, it was nice getting back to this series. The art is pretty good and the cover art is pretty.

This volume was good as you get used to the story and its premise and wonder what will happen with Asuka now. While at the same time, you feel for the guy and wonder when those two will get together.

Either that, or I really should not put off series I'm currently reading. Though I kind of forgot what happened in the last volume but at least I somewhat remembered whose who, etc.

[Sesana · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit more story than in previous volumes. There's the ideal woman competition, which Ryo enters despite being a tomboy. There's Juta's secret as a shojo mangaka nearly being exposed when his alter ego wins a manga prize. And then there are the beauty samurai, a pretty silly story that teases at being serious, by possibly starting to deal with Asuka's absent father. Still light, fluffy, and fun, and I'm glad that Ryo had a more starring role in this volume.

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Today's post is on Otomen volume 5 by Aya Kanno. It is the fourth in her Otomen series. It is 192 pages long and is publishes by Shojo Beat. As this is the fifth volume in this series, you need to have read the first four volumes to understand the story. The cover has Asuka and Kitora with flowers blooming all around them looking at the reader. The intended reader is someone who likes shojo manga, humor, and love stories. There is no foul language, no sex, and very mild violence in this manga. The story is told from third person close of the main character with moments of the other characters added in for plot development. There Be Spoilers Ahead.


From the back of the book- Ryo is chosen to participate in a contest where flower arrangement and tea ceremony skills are tested--but she sucks at those things! To top things off, the previous champion wants Asuka for herself! Does Ryo have a fighting chance?


Review- The blurb goes over the first story in this volume. We get a little bit of a fight over Asuka but he knows his own mind and he loves Ryo. No other girl is going to turn his head. Ryo does win the contest, the hearts of her friends and even the heart of the previous champion. The middle story is about Juta continuing to try and hide what he does for living. He is up for an award from other shojo mangakas. Of course Asuka is there attending the awards and he wants to meet his favorite author. Last story is about Asuka and Hajime becoming the beauty samurai again and it looks like they are going to be doing this as a long-term paying gig. But someone wants to know who the beauty samurai under their masks. We get some fun character development, more moon-ing over Ryo from Asuka, and just more humor. With this volume ending as a cliff-hanger I cannot wait to read what is going to happen next.


I give this volume a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I bought this manga with my own money.

[Abbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

While the first story about an "ideal woman" contest was not great, in my opinion, the second story about Juta at a manga event made up for it 100%. Be warned though, the third and final story of this volume ends on a cliffhanger!

[Brogan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love getting more backstory and development with some of the side characters/deuteragonists like Juta! And in general the way this series explores and plays with gender is just so interesting and fun!

[Bearnice · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Otomen! It's absolutely amazing.

[Supermomochan (PeachyFishyBooks) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 i did miss these characters. I hope we get some deeper plots, because this series is really repetitive...

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5!

[Isabella · Rating 3 out of 5]

The crossdresser mangaka was a very nice surprise lol

[Pinky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ryo wins the competition for being an ideal woman at her school.

[Jennifer]

Ok, Juta has a terrible family AND manager. And now Asuka is connected with a crappy editor.

[Mirdell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cuma Ryo yang bikin Asuka klepek-klepek sampe teh gak enak aja tetep diminum. Haha.
Ya ampun Juta emang punya 1.001 alesan buat nyembunyiin identitasnya sebagai penulis Love Chick.

[Annabell Webb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Still super cute.

[Jourdy · Rating 4 out of 5]

HIS DAD!!!!!!

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked getting a better feel for Ryo as a character. Although I am still confused what she thinks of Asuka. We still haven't gotten her to speak up there. I felt the festival dragged on a bit too long. Juta needs to be more honest about himself. The longer he goes, the worse the fallout. I think he is wrong about the truth reaction but the end still cracked me up.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was cute and funny.

[melhara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cette critique fait partie d'un défi personnel: d’améliorer mon français!

Je pense que ce volume est mon volume préféré.

Dans le premier chapitre, Ryo est nominé pour le Nadeshi-con, un concours de féminité! Mais comment est-ce qu’une fille aussi virile que Ryo peut gagner un tel concours?

La deuxième histoire de ce livre (qui est probablement mon chapitre préféré dans cette série) concerne Juta. La série manga de Juta a remporté un prix et il est obligé de faire un discours ... mais comment peut-il le faire tout en restant anonyme?

Enfin, dans la dernière partie de ce livre, les samouraïs de beauté (Asuka et Hajime) sont de retour! Et ils deviennent célèbres! Le livre se termine par un cliffhanger avec l'introduction d'un nouveau personnage mystérieux (je pense savoir déjà de qui il s'agit ...).
----------------------------------------------
Note moyenne de la série: 4.1/5
Critiques pour le reste de la série:
Tome 1 | Tome 2 | Tome 3 | Tome 4 | Tome 5 | Tome 6 | Tome 7 | Tome 8 | Tome 9 | Tome 10 | Tome 11 | Tome 12 | Tome 13 | Tome 14 | Tome 15 | Tome 16 | Tome 17 | Tome 18

[Marsha · Rating 5 out of 5]

New challenges await Asuka and his friends in this fifth volume in the “Otomen” series. Ryo is surprised by a local competition for the ideal woman and a vicious rival who’ll stop at nothing to win it—and Asuka as well.

Ryo’s reactions remain rather understated. While she does her best to win the competition and freely acknowledges her shortcomings in various areas (as a tomboy she lacks grace, deep knowledge of cooking, ikebana [flower arrangement] or tea making), she doesn’t seem unduly upset about it. In fact, nothing appears to phase her very much, making her a contrast to the more uncertain, nervous Asuka.

Because of her self-assurance, the reader is presented with the unfairness that besets men like Asuka. Girls may be tough, hoydenish or unskilled in the so-called womanly arts and suffer no disparagement or derision because of it. But girlish interests or qualities in men are ripe for censorship and scorn.

We are sharply reminded of this when Asuka is once again confronted with HIS rival, the seething Hajime Tonomine, whose insecurities lead him to oppose Asuka repeatedly in an effort to prove himself superior. The story gets edgier as Asuka is given the hope that he might expose his secret tendencies while still running the risk of exposure to his manipulative mother.

There is a strain for the frivolous Juta Tachibana. As he once stated to Asuka, he’s got his secrets, too, the main one being that he’s a manga artist for a popular shojo comic series. It’s a secret he’s desperate to protect since he fears losing Asuka’s friendship over it.

The author/illustrator has done a superb job of maintaining interest from one volume to the next, much like the fictional Juta. I found myself captivated by these various story threads and hoping that they would resolve themselves happily in future volumes.

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Otomen has been giving me some mixed signals with its message. It tells me "This is what the ideal woman is, that is what the ideal man is. Men shouldn't do this, and women shouldn't do that. But it's okay to be different. Be who you want to be, not who others want you to be. Be proud of yourself." So yeah, kinda contradictory there. Normally, I would be able to look past this confusion without too much difficulty, but the message is the main reason I'm reading Otomen. It addresses a topic, gender stereotypes, that few other manga are brave enough to. But without the message, I don't think I would read Otomen. This isn't due to anything Otomen does wrong, but because it's simply too shoujo for me. I can only take so many flowers and bubbles and blushes and heavy screen tones before I get diabetes from the sugary sweetness, and Otomen is really pushing it.

The other big problem is the lack of growth in the characters and their relationships. I expected Asuka to grow to accept himself at least a bit more by the fifth volume, but he still acts basically the same as he did in the beginning. And don't even get me started on the state of Asuka and Ryo's relationship, which moves at a snail's pace when it moves at all.

All that said, I do like Otomen. It's a pleasant and sometimes funny way to spend a few hours here and there, it has a great message (even if it does get confused at times), and it still has the potential to become a really great manga. Those are more than enough reasons for me to continue the series and to recommend it those who are looking for a manga that's a pleasant deviation from the norm.

[Sophia F · Rating 5 out of 5]

When you think about it, this is only 5 volumes in. Not much, considering how long these series can add up to be, but yet so much has happened and so much has piled onto my heart. Although this whole series has been toying with the idea of mixed genders for humor, this volume almost seemed to have taken it to heart.
From the beginning, in which Ryo was tested (and both won and failed) for her femininity, to Juta's cross-dressing in order to hide his gender and "protect the dreams of girls," to even the beauty Samurai. The whole theme seemed to revolved around cliched genders and how we don't have to apply to them. In between, we also are shown that the oh so popular Mira Jonouchi was actually a man, and it seems that Asuka's father may have reinserted himself back into the storyline.
Overall, I really enjoyed the change from lighthearted scenes to taking in the whole picture and involving a general problem with the world. Especially in Japan, humanity has always had a problem with categorizing others, and this volume simply proved this further. To assume that the ideal woman is the kind who can cook and clean perfectly is the stereotyped kind. And who says the masculine Samurai can't do makeup? Everyone can choose their own way, and stereotypes should not need to apply to anyone.
I have an unfortunate feeling that this'll be the only volume like this, but let's hope this more serious undertone motif continues in the next volume.

[Amy Keeley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like some other series I've read recently, Otomen only gets better with time. The characters have been gaining more depth, and the focus, though still on the romance, has begun to spread outward to other characters in a way that makes me smile.

For example...

This volume starts off by focusing on Ryo and her abilities, which I felt was a nice change of pace. The more I find out about her, the more I like her, and the more I want her and Asuka to end up together at the end.

I was also really pleased at the focus on Juta: on why he became a manga artist, on why he loves shoujo manga, and even a hint at why he has never really let himself get close to the women he dates. We get to see what kind of burdens he's had on him since he was a young man, and we get to see how he's grown in spite of them. There's more there than that, but if I say anything else, it'll be a spoiler. Let's just say he's become my favorite character in this series, and leave it at that.

This volume ends with some long-awaited validation for Asuka and Tonomine, but with that comes a cliffhanger ending. I'm looking forward to seeing the situation resolve in vol. 6.

[Rebecca Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

These volumes progress so slowly, with so much rehashing of character motives and backgrounds, yet I love them. It's kind of like a tv show where you feel like you know the characters and they just make you laugh. The end chapter of this volume suddenly speeds up, though, and we have two new developments. Asuka gets to do what he loves in disguise as one of the samurai stylists, and he meets a tall woman who looks suspiciously like him. I'm thinking its his father who changed genders. Gosh I love this series.