Takane to Hana review

A story about a Teenage girl who replaces her sister (Flaked due to having a boyfriend) with an arranged meeting with a high profile CEO of the largest corporation in Japan. You've read shoujo manga you know the type. However immediately he's rude to her so she also is rude to him and leaves in a huff. However with his pride being hurt and horrified how a women hasn't fallen for him cuz of his existence being existing, he will now try to woo her constantly through the weirdest way possible. She annoyed with him though finding him funny due to extravagance she intends to make him fall in love with her instead. Hence the Push and pull relationship starts and However falls in love first LOSES.

If you couldn't tell this is some Kaguya shit going on. The MMC is full of himself but it works because the FMC pushes back hard. They both want the other one to fall in love first whilst both of them due to there constant teasing, affection and various situations mostly romantic than sexual they slowly start gaining feelings for each other. This results in the push and pull dynamic as I mentioned earlier. This isn't the first series to do that. But it works because of the equal mental pairing of the characters. Despite being 26 the Male lead is more immature, despite being 16 the female lead is the more mature one. The money difference also allows for some actual funny gags. Rare for a romcom unlike the many garbage ones that get praised.

The manga is 18 volumes yet it works because the core of the series. The romantic Comedy aspect of the series is actually very good. The jokes aren't all amazing but most of them do land unlike other romcom like Nisekoi or Love Hina or Maison Ikkoku. The manga also isn't excessive in comedy. Its not using comedy to hide its bottom tier writing and characters Like Jitsu wa watashi wa often did. It has the right balance. Though I still wish It gave the more emotional moments the right amount of breathing room. It felt a little short and undercut with comedy at times.

The characters are great. They have great chemistry both the male lead and female lead have various stages of character development whilst not alienating from there original personality. The age gap is surprisingly not really a thing. Its just there as like a passing mention thing. It doesn't have an arc, It feels more like something that exists because the author is into older guys. Hana the FMC does mention how different there world is because of there age gap but its not an obstacle. Even when it seems like its an obstacle its not. They mention it more times than it being an actual problem.

The family drama as it does appear. This IS a shoujo manga after all. Is also kinda well done. Mostly because it retains the humor while not making the situations too dark. There is 1 scene that definitely crosses the line. But you know its just one scene. If you've read Shoujo manga you know what I'm talking about.

The characters romantic development is sweet and engaging. I did think that these couples are meant to be together. There isn't a love triangle due to how short lived it is. This is seems to be recurring theme as something dramatic isn't as long as it should be. But this isn't really a bad thing.

In the end its the ending that kinda bothered. The whole sweep all the garbage under the rug. Bad guy does good stuff now. No one is at fault really. Its my parents and then the parents get the back story that their parents were assholes and so on and so on.

The jokes don't always land, the family drama could've been better, shouldn't undercut some serious scenes with jokes but honestly there isn't a lot to complain here. The comedy is funny when it matters, the romance is tight and to the point, the development is nice and not overtly done. And you have a naked tap dancing scene so why haven't you read this manga already.

One of the romance series that is actually funny unlike the many other series that wave the romcom tag.