I-Revo: Ice Revolution

Wow, this really was an unexpected gem. I-Revo is a laugh-your-guts-out, cute, inspiring figure skating story. By now, almost every conceivable storyline has been done before, but that's okay. What I really want in a manga is good execution and a warm fuzzy feeling. And that was all there. The art was really fantastic. I loved how the artist mastered the subtle differences between guys and girls. Since this was a gender bender, the protagonist (a girl) had to often look like a boy. Although I could tell how people would mistake her for a guy, her basic features still had a feminine touch to them. Notonly that, the outfits, figure skating movement, expressions were all on point and well drawn. The protagonist had just the kind of personality I've come to love in manga: determined, hardworking and lively. She really makes this story enjoyable despite the rather shallow storytelling. What I didn't really like about the story was the romance. It seemed too sudden and a little forced. Also, from how this story was set up I thought it would be super long like Hikaru no go or Skip Beat, but it ended up only spanning 11 chapters. I still wish I could've seen more of Misaki but at least the ending wrapped things up nicely. Overall, I really enjoyed this manga. I would definitely recommend it for a light, fun read!