Rena & Tomoya: Fall in Love Like a Comic
In Manga and Romance, I talked about a topic that I was interested in exploring. 8 Essential Elements of Romance Novels defines my terms and explains the framework of the project.
I only got as far as Stan Sakai’s Circles (first and second parts), and then life intruded big time for a year or so.
But when I bought Fall in Love Like a Comic, I thought I’d try again. FLLC is a romance but it’s not a particularly good one. The artwork while serviceable seems a bit disconnected. The story is rushes breathlessly from one cliché to another. On the other hand, it’s enjoyably unpretentious and has some funny jokes. The main joke is that Rena melts into a gelatinous blob anytime that she is overcome with passion. It’s unbearably cute.
I thought I would not find any of the elements in a story this slight but I did.
There are lots of short tales included in the the two volumes. I’m going to summarize the plot of each of them but I’m only going to use the main story and In Love Like a Comic.
Ah, I try not to use too much jargon but here are a few terms.
Manga – comic books made in Japan.
Mangaka – a comic book artist.
Shojo manga – girls’ comic books which tend to focus more on emotions and relationships.
merciless
spoilers
begin
here
Image via Wikipedia
Fall in Love Like a Comic Viz Media. 2007. ISBN 1421513730 (vol. 1) 9781421513744 (vol.2)
Art: Chitose Yagami
Text: Chitose Yagami
Translator: Mai Ihara
Characters:
Rena Sakura: heroine. comic book artist and high school student
Tomoya Okita: hero.
Kaori Sazukaze: Tomoya’s older sister. Also a comic book artist whom Rena admires. Her real name is Mikako.
Mr. Wakabayashi: Rena’s editor.
Unnamed Girl: Rival for Tomoya’s affections.
Rika Goto: Tomoya’s co-star.
Yun: Rena’s friend
Yamase: Tomoya’s friend
Sunahara: Tomoya’s friend
FLLC: Chapter One
After Rena eavesdrops on her classmates complimenting her latest comic, she and Yun discuss how the school administration would disapprove of her work. Yun and Rena ogle a boy playing basketball named Tomoya. Though Rena appreciates his moves on the court, she prefers a fantasy boyfriend. Yun tells her that she’s being childish and that having a real boyfriend would help her comics. On Rena’s way to her editor’s office, she bumps into Tomoya. He teases her about running into his arms. Rena melts for the first time, which amuses everyone but Tomoya says she’s just a child.
Later, at her meeting with her editor, Mr. Wakabayashi comments that experiencing real love would improve her comics. Rena becomes inspired to find a boyfriend and then becomes unhinged when she realizes that she dropped her artwork at school.
She races back to the school find Tomoya waiting for her. He tells her that she’s naughty and claims he will reveal her secret to everyone at school. He says that she has probably never been in a real relationship because her work seems unrealistic. She ask him to go out with her. He agrees and begins by holding her hand. Then he kisses her twice and she breaks away from him and scurries away while he chuckles at her.
NEXT: Rena is threatened by hired goons! Rena ends up in Tomoya’s bed?!!??!
