Sawa applies to Heaven’s Wing Academy, thinking she would look cute in the uniform. But she never expected the academy to be a previously all-boys’ school! And the head honcho of the school, the class president himself—Ran—doesn’t seem to like her one bit and takes no pains to hide it. At first, adjusting to life at the academy is tough. Sawa is bullied and teased, and the boys in the class even throw her new shoes in the water. While attempting to retrieve her shoes, she falls into the water and is unexpectedly saved by Ran, who up until this point has made her life hell. The newfound gentleness in Ran intrigues her—and she finds herself falling for him. What will her days be like for the rest of her school life?
I believe Rockin' Heaven is the series where Sakai makes a big leap in her manga career and matures a lot in terms of writing and art. The first volume still shows several traces of her older style and somewhat disproportionate face, especially for male faces, but it solidifies so much over the course of the series and by the 8th and final volume shows a very confident and nice art style which has lasted through to her most recent works.
Also the plot is much stronger than her previous works - on the surface, this seems a very basic shoujo manga filled with clichés and a shallow lead character. And perhaps that impression isn't entirely wrong, but Sakai handles it really well. Our main character Sawa is about to attend her new school which she purely chose for the sake school uniform. It's only after she enrols that she realises that this was a formerly all boys school now open for the first time to girls as well and she is only one of two girls in her new class which also happens to be a rather infamous one for slack rowdies. On the surface, the second girl Akira's only purpose is only to play second fiddle to Sawa who takes centre stage in this boy-filled class room stage and of course the ring leader Ran is the most handsome and also happens to be the director's son - clichés are unavoidable, especially in the first volume. But I believe that Sakai has smoothly carried these characters through this eight volume series with some surprisingly mature themes all the while avoiding some of the common downsides of these tropes.
First and foremost, I was glad to see that neither does Akira purely play a secondary figure, nor do all the boys gather around Sawa. Of course, there will be certain jealousies and dramas, but that's to be expected in a scenario where there are only two girls in a class that otherwise only consists of boys. But I appreciate that there was a good focus on friendships among the classmates both amongst each other but also between Sawa and Akira and between them and the other classmates. There were a plenty of moments where it seemed a potential romantic rival could have been introduced, but I felt that this was kept to a relatively low level when I compare it to other works of this genre.
There was a healthy and realistic focus on how Ran and Sawa's relationship developed. I was surprised by some of the decisions they made along the way but in a positive way. Were they the best decisions? Perhaps not, but I could relate to where the characters were coming from. It also dealt with heavier subjects such as loss of family members, attempted suicide and pressure from parental expectations.
I enjoyed Sawa as a character and, although she sometimes seemed a little too selfless, I thought it was well explained in the later half of the series and how it ties in to her own family background and how even in her selfless way she develops selfish thoughts and feelings. It is by no means the deepest manga series out there, but I do believe it has some thoughtful scenes and is all in all one of the superior series of its kind. You definitely can't go wrong with it if - like me - you simply enjoy shoujo high school romances, clichés and all.
A shoujo about a girl who enrolls in a previously all boys school, meaning she is one of very few girls at the school. At first she has a hostile relationship with all the boys as they are destructive and care free about school, but she fights them and encourages them to try. Eventually she ends up slowly becoming their friends, and starts to fall for the popular guy in her class.
This was pretty fun. I really like the art, it’s the Arina Tanemura style that I always enjoy. The romance is pretty cute, but I feel like it’s going to progress quicker than I particularly like. I also kind of wanted the negative relationships with the boys to last longer for dramas sake, but the platonic friendships are pretty cute. Looking forward to the rest of the series!
This is one of my favorite shoujo ever!!!!! I love the art, the characters and the comentaries of the author along the chapters. It's perfect to me and it was really important when I was younger, since it has so many positive messages and it's so sweet and strong at the same time. I love Rockin' Heaven from the bottom of my heart. I finished reading the whole collection in four years because it was really hard to find the copies here in my city (the market of manga in Brazil wasn't that big at the time), and I didn't want to read it online.
Je me suis replongée ce weekend dans mes vieux mangas. J'avais peur que l'histoire ait vieilli ou de ne plus être sur la même longueur d'onde qu'au collège (ça commence à dater 😱), mais pas du tout. Cette série fait partie de mes shojos préférés. J'adore la relation qui se tisse doucement entre les personnages et, bizarrement, je les ai trouvés assez matures.
It wasn’t bad… I just got bored also the second act breakup peeved me and then IT HAPPENED AGAIN so I dun like that- also didn’t like how basically all of them were in love w her like please get a grip. Altho, w her personality it makes a lot of sense :/ basically it was just fine :,) THE START ATE THO
Hace tiempo que había leído este manga, así que decidí retomar la historia. Me gusta que la protagonista tenga carisma y sea divertida, en vez de la típica chica mancha cliché que no puede hacer nada por sí misma. Es bastante divertida la historia, pero no me acordaba de casi nada.
I read Rockin’ Heaven way back in middle school, AKA my amateur manga reader years. It’s one of those books that you barely remember, but it’s essence is etched so deeply into your psyche anyways.
It’s basically 2000s era shoujo on steroids; you’ll find every corny trope in the book here, and the art style is something you’d have to have a very particular taste for. Still, I had so much fun reading this when I was a kid; I don’t think it was ever “popular,” the way Kimi ni Todoke is or anything, which is a shame because I would’ve gone crazy if this was made into a show.
I don’t even remember the main character’s name, but she was my idol. I loved her. She was a bad bitch to me when I was 13 and will always be… Ren (her love interest) is kinda aggravating, but who’s surprised!
I’m not necessarily saying you need to read this manga; it easily melds into the background of a thousand other mangas like it. However, it’s incredibly underrated and I’d be happy if one more person on this Earth experienced it. It’s like a sugary sweet treat, loaded with a nauseating amount of nostalgia and childhood dreams.
··· Commento alla lettura del primo numero ··· Molto, molto carino come primo numero. ❤ Lei ha un bel carattere forte e deciso e lui è...beh misterioso come piace a noi femminucce. Molto avvincente. E poi a me la Sakai piace troppo! (vedi recensioni di Momo) XD 5 stelline alla mini storia a fine volumetto, davvero bellissima! *-*
··· Commento a serie conclusa ··· La storia è veramente molto carina, ma per certi versi mi ricorda molto Marmalade boy della Yoshizumi.
Per esempio lo stesso protagonista maschile, Ran, la maggior parte delle volte si comporta proprio come Yu: per esempio evita che lei baci un altro (quando non stanno ancora insieme), la porta in infermeria (solo che lì non la bacia come Yu), ha un passato difficile in famiglia e per questo lascia la ragazza, Sawa in Rockin Heaven, lasciandola alla deriva e in pieno caos.
Sawa, nonostante tutto il gran casino, non fa altro che tenere comunque duro (e rieccoci con le similitudini di Miki) e cercando sempre di sorridere e fare del bene per i suoi amici (immischiandosi a volte in fatti che non la riguardano! XD) e confusa e disperata si mette (non certo con una certa spinta del ragazzo) con un altro.
E che dire dell'amica, Akira? Ricorda parecchio Meiko per il suo mondo, diciamo così, triste, scuro e segreto, ma non solo! Perchè da grande sarà anche una mangaka e guarda caso Meiko farà la scrittrice, insomma siamo sempre là.
Insomma, ci sono un pò di cose già viste e riviste, e molte scopiazzate (insomma, Mayu!!!), ma a me quest'autrice piace molto da quando l'ho scoperta con Momo e non mi delude. Sia per i disegni che per le storie, che tutto sommato sono abbastanza leggibili e apprezzabili. E ho adorato il finale: mi è piaciuto tantissimo vedere come sia andata a finire a tutti i protagonisti! (quanto sono carini nel futuro Sawa e Ran col figlioletto Aoi? *-*)
A proposito di Momo! Sbaglio o la sorellina di Sawa, Sachi è una preview di Momo?! Eheheheh! :D Che carina!!! *-*
E dunque... il voto conclusivo di questa serie: (beh su 8 volumi ho dato sempre 4, quindi...) 4 su 5!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Rockin Heaven ist ein zuckersüßer Manga aus der Feder von Mayu Sakai. Bis dato gibt es 8 Bände, die wir euch hier alle der Reihe nach vorstellen werden. Praktischerweise gibt es inzwischen bereits Doppelbände. Dies ist auch insoweit sehr praktisch, da man von der Geschichte rund um die niedliche Sawa nicht genug bekommt. Des Weiteren gibt es in den ersten beiden Teilen leider nur 4 Kapitel und dafür Extras, etwa eine Kurzgeschichte, Erklärungen zur Geschichte oder ähnliches. Für Leute, die auf Zugaben dieser Art stehen, ist es sehr nett. Für jene, die so etwas für unnötig erachten bzw. lieber noch ein Kapitel hätten, sind es leider verschwendete Seiten. Die Geschichte beginnt mit Sawas Schulwechsel. Wie sie nun mal ist, hat sie sich für diese Schule dank deren blauen Schuluniformen entschieden. Dabei hat sie mal prompt übersehen, dass diese Schule bis vor kurzen nur Jungs aufnahm und ist daher in ihrer Klasse nur eines von zwei Mädchen. Die verschrobene Akira, die unbedingt Mangaka werden will und jegliches Geschehen in der Klasse als Vorlage dafür nimmt, nimmt sich dank Sawas Bemühen zunehmend dieser an und wird sogar ihre Freundin. Die Klasse hat einen extrem schlechten Ruf, was wohl daran liegt, dass die Schüler tun lassen, was sie wollen. Alles unter der Herrschaft von Mitschüler Ran, Sohn des Direktors, den zudem eine Menge Geheimnisse umgeben. Das alles kann Sawa nicht einfach hinnehmen sie legt sich mit ihnen an und muss beweisen, dass sie dazu gehört. Sie macht es sich zum Ziel die Klassengemeinschaft zu einen und den anderen zu zeigen, wie man die gemeinsame Zeit auch angenehm verbringen kann. Eine Wette, damit die Klasse am Schulsportwettkampf teilnimmt oder eine Lerninitiative. Rockin‘ Heaven ist ein bunter, flippiger Shojo-Manga. Und wie es sich für einen solchen gehört, ahnt man recht schnell, dass sich zwischen Sawa und Ran etwas entwickeln könnte. Das Ende des ersten Bandes zerstört diese Ahnung jedoch recht schnell wieder….
Sawa freut sich auf ihren ersten Tag in ihrer neuen Schule. Die blaue Uniform passt perfekt und sie freut sich auf einen Neuanfang, wäre da nicht das Problem, dass sie sich nur hat von der schönen Uniform leiten lassen, anstatt sich zu erkundigen, auf was für eine Schule sie nun ab jetzt gehen wird. Denn die Amabane High School war bis vor kurzem eine reine Jungenschule. Nur Akira, ein ziemlich verschrobenes Mädchen, geht mit ihr ab nun in die Klasse 1-G, die alles andere als beliebt ist. Neben diversen Streichen und reichlich wenig Interesse für den Schulablauf, stechen die Jungen vor allem dadurch hervor, dass sie dem Sohn des Schuldirektors ständig den Rücken stärken. Und dieser spielt sich stets als der Boss auf. Etwas, was Sawa absolut nicht verstehen kann. Und während sie sich fest vornimmt, nicht aufzufallen, steht ihr der erste Streit mit dem Boss schon ins Haus. Nun ist es an ihr sich durchzusetzen und vielleicht doch noch eine gute Zeit in der High School zu durchleben.
Der Manga ist wirklich süß gezeichnet. Sogar eine Zusatzgeschichte befindet sich auf den hinteren Seiten und lockert so das Ambiente etwas auf. Die Storyline ist an sich gut gezeichnet, jedoch kann ich die Art und Weise, wie die Jungs mit Sawa und ihrem Umfeld umgehen nicht wirklich gut heißen. Zwar ändert sich das alles im laufe der Geschichte noch, aber trotzdem finde ich einige Szenen doch etwas überzogen. Trotzdem ist die Geschichte sehr schön und ich möchte sie jungen Mädchen und Mangaliebhabern ans Herz legen.
Broschiert: 176 Seiten Verlag: TOKYOPOP; Auflage: 4.Auflage (2010) Sprache: Deutsch ISBN-10: 3867191611 ISBN-13: 978-3867191616 Vom Hersteller empfohlenes Alter: 13 - 16 Jahre Größe und/oder Gewicht: 12,6 x 1,9 x 19 cm
It's been a while since I've read shojo manga. I'd forgotten just how much screentone and sparkles could fill a page. And the huge eyes and naive protagonist that seems to be ubiquitous in this genre.
But yeah, I decided to reread this manga since I found out that it was finally finished at eight volumes, and remember totally loving this series back in middle school when I first started reading it.
I've read a lot of shojo manga since then, so now it's easy to recognize the usual cliches and standards in this genre whenever I start reading it, which is why I haven't read one in a while.
Unfortunately, Rockin Heaven falls in with the usual shojo trope. Heroine is a cute, optimistic girl who eventually falls for the leader of the guys in her school since he saved her and helped her out a few times. She manages to win over the unruly guys in her class because she's persistent and does nice things for them. The usual.
The series isn't bad, per se, it's just not that original. But I can't help but be a little biased since I still do like it enough to want to finish reading the series.
Mini manga review is again with you as today is second Saturday. And I have a sweet romance story for you. Okay it’s not all that sweet, but it’s a romantic comedy.
To say the truth, just now as I’m writing this review I came upon one terrific thought. Even though I enjoy a lot of mangas with fights and that kind of stuff majority, okay, 99.9% of mangas I cover either in full or mini section are romance. Something is totally wrong with my brain.
But let’s forget about that now! Why should you read this story? It’s fun and it’s interesting. It may be your average, but the feelings that it brings out are real! You may perceive Sawa as an idiot. Okay, she is an idiot. Who in their right mind chooses the school based on the uniform? Only idiots, but nevertheless she is a cute idiot.
Are you ready for fun, romance and some action? Did you have a sucky day? Then this is your manga. Enjoy it to its fullest and don’t forget to share your thoughts below! Stay tuned for more! Happy reading!
When I read the blurb for this manga( on: mangahere.com, I was like "THIS IS MY TYPE OF BOOK/MANGA!!"~~A must-read!; After reading the first volume, I gotta say, it was addicting. A story of a pretty optimistic girl named Sawa Konishi who goes to a school which was originally an all-boy school because of their cool-looking uniform...gosh that's some weird girl there. Apparently, all the cute guys in her class are rebels & Sawa befriends a mangaka( somewhat a loner). Her awesome journey and 4 yrs. in h.s. turns out to be one wacky mission of love, friendship, and family.
Series Review: Rockin' Heaven is a cute and short manga that was fun to pass the time with. The characters were good though I sometimes questioned their reactions to certain events. The plot wasn't that in depth but still enjoyable.
Lucky Sawa-chan! I would love to be in her shoes anytime. Who cares if she went to an all boys' school. It's not like she's the only girl there. Whoops said to much not going to spoil it today.