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Written by maehara
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Friday, 11 April 2008 16:00 |
 I admit, I'm a sucker for shoujo anime - less so manga, as the artwork in the typical shoujo manga tends to be a bit flowery for my liking, but The Gentlemen's Alliance (that's read as The Gentlemen's Alliance cross, and the is part of the official title) is by the same artist as Full Moon, which grabbed my attention and unusually left this book with expectations to live up to. And it did...
1 - I'm Not Afraid of the Emperor!☆
In return for a business loan of 50 million yen, the prestigious Kamiya family gave their daughter Haine away to the Otomiya family. Haine, now an Otomiya, is appointed to the student council of the exclusive Imperial Academy, a private school for the aristocracy. Even though Haine is of proper lineage to be on the council, she finds herself struggling to find her place among the many secrets of its elite members, especially those of the president who holds her heart - Shizumasa Togu, aka "The Emperor". Haine has been in love with Togu since she read the fairy tale he wrote as a child. However, the Emperor is so well sequestered by the student council that she hasn't been able to speak to him in the three months she's been at the academy. And as rumour has it, he already has a lover...
2 - My Troubled Love! The Student Council is Full of Mystery?!
Haine's in shock at what she's just seen - Shizumasa's rumoured lover is a guy!? How can that be? And what will it do to her chances of getting her hands on him? While she's walking around the school in a daze trying to work out what just happened (not that hard, but Haine's not that smart), she runs into a group of Heretics - a group at the school who oppose the power of the Student Council. They're on the lookout for new member, and Haine's background could make her ideal - but a wrong word from one of the Heretics, on top of the rest of her bad bay, proves to be a bad mistake. But just as Haine's ready to lay the smack down, Shizumasa arrives on the scene...
3 - Who's the Mastermind? ☆ Only Those Who Have Climbed Mount Fuji Can Talk About its Height?
The Heretics are continuing to cause problems at the school, and Haine's surprised that Shizumasa and the rest of the Council are happy enough to let them off with only slaps on the wrists - the idea is that they're trying to provoke the Council, and the Council aren't going to give them the satisfaction of seeing them rise to the bait. Haine doesn't really believe in the subtle approach. though, and decides to dish out some punishment of her own. Meanwhile, her little brother Kusame has been doing some digging into Shizumasa's past, and is convinced that Haine would be better off staying away from him and the Student Council...
4 - Can I believe in You, So That I May Be Stronger That I Am Now?
Shizumasa hasbn't been speaking to Haine for while now, and it's starting to get her down. In her own head, it's all because of her failings, although her friends are quick to remind her that there's nothing wrong with being yourself. The school field trip gives her an chance to try and put things right with him, though, and she's not about to let the chance pass her by - but her attempts to speak honestly to him soon turn into an emotional venting session. The Heretics, meanwhile, are growing tired of being under the Emperor's heel, and are planning to overthrow the Student Council once and for all...
I confess, the summary for chapter one is the official blurb. Just call me lazy. As mentioned, The Gentlemen's Alliance is by the same author and artist as Full Moon, Arina Tanemure, and just like how Full Moon's Mitsuki has something rather depressing in the background - her impending death from throat cancer - so Haine has something of an unhappy past to deal with, in the form of her birth family's indifference to her, and the reasons behind her adoption by the Otomiya family. It's not something that's played on too much, in these chapters at least, but it is used as background here and there. But serious aspects don't make for a serious story, fortunately - this manga is played mostly for laughs, and does a good job and teasing them out of you.
Haine is a complete airhead. She's generally well-behaved now, but she has a chequered past - in reaction to her birth family's lack of interest in her, she spent some time being a rebellious little yanki girl, and to this day it's sometimes hard for her to resist the urge to solve problems by fighting, although when she gives in to those urges she always regrets it. Her best friend Ushio has a bad case of lust for her, and also doesn't seem to be against using her feminine charms to get her way with the men - although while she may be cute, her personality is on the cynical and uncaring side. Me, I love her already.
Amongst the men there's obviously Shizumasa - Haine remembers him as a happy, helpful boy from when they were younger (and when she first fell in love with him), but now he's just a moody teenager who is very rarely cheerful in public or helpful to others. After Haine manages to get close to him again (by contriving to become his bodyguard - those yanki fighting skills came in handy afterall), he begins to mellow out a bit, at least with her, but in general he's not a nice man. Maguri is the vice-President of the Student Council, and apparently Shizumisa's gay lover. Yes, you get the full range of relationship types here - straight, yuri and yaoi - all done in a way to get the best humour out of a situation.
Story is simple enough - the wacky adventures of a young girl trying to have her way with her dream man - but the appeal of the book comes from the humour surrounding Haine's efforts, and the general wackiness of the school they find themselves in. If all nobility is educated this way, it's no wonder the world is a mess. The biggest problem with the idea is that it's been done before - wacky high-school love stories are ten-a-penny - but the way it's done, and the inherent appeal that a lot of the characters have, makes it very easy to read. I found myself running through this page, page, page at a time, ignoring how long it took me to read it and simply enjoying it for what it is: shallow, harmless fun, and the sort of book that (shoujo tags aside) can be enjoyed by just about anyone.
The Gentlemen's Alliance isn't going to set the world alight - it's not original enough for that - but it is simple, enjoyable fun that'll keep you well entertained when you're in the mood for some fluff. Works for me, anyway...
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