Haru no Houtai Shoujo

A disappointing mystery combined with a refreshing romance. Haru no Houtai Shoujo is a pretty good manga that is frustratingly close to being a really great one. Story (6): The plot centers around a group of people all trying to catch a serial arsonist, and most of whom have some kind of supernatural abilities. It's a solid enough premise, but the execution isn't very good. For one thing, the story is lacking in suspense. The build-up to important events happens too quickly, and false leads are exposed almost immediately. More damningly, however, is the fact that hugely important aspects tothe plot are never explained. Art (8): It's not beautiful artwork, per se, but the characters, settings, and action sequences are all drawn clearly and consistently. Characters are distinct enough to be instantly recognizable, and the action sequences are all clearly drawn so that the reader knows exactly what is happening. Character (9): The characters here are fantastic. They all have interesting back stories, understandable motivations, and they act on those consistently. More importantly, the relationship between the two mains is fantastic. Haru and Natsu truly love each other, for reasons that are crystal clear, and who want to do everything they can to protect each other. More importantly, they both have a rock-solid faith in the other's love. I loved every single conversation between them. Enjoyment (8): It's definitely a fun read. After it's over, you'll be scratching your head about the many plot holes, but most of those won't hit you until after it's all over. Overall (7): With better pacing and better exposition, this could have been a truly great manga. All of the pieces are there: interesting characters, solid premise, familiar-but-different setting. Unfortunately, the plot falls flat. Still, watching Haru and Natsu interact is so refreshing, so lacking in melodrama, that Haru no Houtai Shoujo is worth reading anyway.