At first glance, "Matsuri Special" doesn't seem like anything special. The summary makes it sound like a melodramatic romance against the backdrop of wrestling competitions, the art isn't outstanding in any way, and the series itself only goes for four volumes. Why, then, did I give it a rating of "very good?" Because "Matsuri Special" is the rarely depicted story of a girl's journey to embracing her strength and using it not only to protect those she loves, but to discover herself. I will now go into more detail. Story: 7/10 - good The plot isn't anything breathtaking, but it isn't bad, either:our heroine, Matsuri Hanyuu, has grown up in the world of low-level professional wrestling, and is pushed by her father to become a professional wrestler. Matsuri, however, just wants to be a "normal girl" and works insanely hard to conceal her family and her physical strength from her classmates, and even hopelessly chases her crush, Wataru, until she meets a new transfer student, Shigematsu, and has to use her wrestling skills to defend Wataru. From that point, she flip-flops between wanting to become a better wrestler and wanting to become more cute and delicate (her idea of a "normal girl") and gets involved in some crazy situations while trying to come to terms with herself and save her father's gym. Sounds like a typical crazy shoujo plot, right? Wrong. It's handled quite well, honestly, and there's isn't the overabundance of crying and forced drama that there usually is in shoujo romance manga. Some parts feel a bit rushed, but overall, the pacing is decent, and it's definitely not bad.
Art: 5/10 - mediocre
Out of all the things I could rate about this manga, the art got the lowest rating, and for good reason. Matsuri and Mimi Maru, the two main female wrestlers in the story, are often referred to as "muscly" and "built" by their peers, but their bodies don't look any different from the rest of the girls. Their arms, which are apparently really strong, look like typical Shoujo Sticksβ’ (my name for the unnaturally skinny arms that are so common in shoujo manga), and their so-called "built" thighs look just as skinny as those of the other characters. It feels like the artist was afraid to make these girls as far from the "cute" beauty standards placed on Japanese girls, which seems hypocritical, especially considering the themes of the manga. Aside from that, the fight scenes are also quite stiff, which is lamentable, because other than the sub-par art, they are quite exciting fights. There is also inconsistency in the colors used for some characters, specifically Matsuri: in some color images, her hair is colored brown, but in others, it's jet-black. The artist really just couldn't decide.
Character: 8/10 - very good
I was really pleased with the characters of "Matsuri Special." The main character, Matsuri, struggles with conflicting expectations: the society she lives in expects her to be a "normal girl" - weak, submissive, cute, and in need of protection - but her father and the community she's grown up in expects her to be tough, strong, and fierce. Matsuri also appears in need of appreciation and validation from someone else, which she seeks from her crush, Wataru, and later receives from Shigematsu, Mimi Maru, and even her father. She has to embrace her strength and make it part of her identity rather than working to squash it and conceal it, and this makes for some admirable character development for her. Matsuri really is a strong and cool heroine! The other characters, like Shigematsu, Wataru, and Mimi, also have unique personalities and development of their own, and they each discover their own type of strength over the course of the story. I did find that the main boys (Wataru and Shigematsu) were a bit blander than I had hoped and that the girls (Matsuri and Mimi) really stole the show when it came to compelling characters, but even they had something to add to the story and something to learn for themselves on the way.
Enjoyment: 8/10 - very good
I definitely enjoyed "Matsuri Special." It was exactly the kind of empowering girl-power sports manga I wanted, and even though it was quite short, I found myself silently cheering for Matsuri and becoming invested in her journey to self-acceptance. It was refreshing to see that Shigematsu and Mimi (and even Wataru, eventually) saw her for she really was - a girl who is cool and inspiring because of her strength - and encouraged her, each in their own way, to reach higher and dig deeper into the way she saw and presented herself. The wrestling fights, aside from the lackluster art, were exciting and more dynamic than expected from a decently old shoujo manga, which made them pretty fun to read.
Overall: 8/10 - very good
Anyone looking for a good female-led sports manga with an awesome heroine, a supportive female friendship/rivalry, a wholesome romance, and a positive and empowering message about embracing your strength, loving yourself, and being the kind of girl YOU want to be rather than conforming to anyone else's expectations? Look no further than Yoko Kamio's "Matsuri Special!" It has its flaws (like Matsuri's lowkey toxic father and the so-so art), but then again, what manga doesn't have flaws? The pros definitely outweigh the cons in this series, and I definitely had fun reading it and was left with a positive and empowered feeling after each chapter, so I highly recommend it. Pick up the special series "Matsuri Special" and you will not be disappointed!
Edit: apparently this is listed as shounen??? Hard to believe, but OK. It really does seem 100% like a shoujo series.
