Tenbin wa Hana to Asobu

Genre: Gender Bender, Shoujo Ai, School Life, Seinen, Supernatural
Author: Unohana Tsukasa
Publisher: Houbunsha
Magazine: Manga Time Kirara Forward
Rating: 7.75/10

Characters:

Quick Synopsis: Youko transfers to an all-girls' school, Lotus Girls Academy, and meets Shuu, the most popular girl in school. Not long enough, Youko discovers Shuu drinking blood from the neck of Hasumiya-sensei, the nursing teacher and also Shuu's brother. Youko learns that Shuu suffers from "Vampire Syndrome", which makes her need human blood ever so often. Also, this illness causes Shuu to be genderless (and thus, just holding a facade to the entire school) and will achieve a gender on her/his (???) 18th birthday depending on which blood s/he drinks the most by then. With this, Youko vows to protect Shuu no matter what. Thus, adventure begins. Oh and do we sense a hint of romance too?

Quick Review: Okay, that might not have been the quickest synopsis I've ever written.

Tenbin wa Hana to Asobu is by no means a Shakespearean work and it is a cliche when it comes to Shoujo Ai stories, but (and a big BUT it is) it is still a fun read. I find Shuu's character very interesting, as s/he binds herself in different layers of personalities. Oh, and how cute s/he is as she figures out her true feelings for Youko. Youko, on the other hand, is a very energetic girl. She's very different from Shuu, but she compliments Shuu really well.

The art is well done. Shuu is drawn pretty elegantly, as well as his/her brother, Hasumiya. Yep, they are quite the pretty people. Though there is not much detail in background (Oh I do love detailed backgrounds), the characters are drawn well.

It's a textbook story on Shoujo Ai love set in high school. And at times, it might just give the reader a feeling of warmth and fuzziness with the thought of young 'uns falling in love. At least it makes me wanna fall in love all over again.

Other Reviews:

Okazu
Timeless Grey