Name: A spoiler-free review of Ao Haru Ride. Shoujo at its best.
Item: Ao Haru Ride
Rating: 80
Author: Benkei

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Ao Haru Ride

a review by Benkei

Benkei

3 years ago·Jun 29, 2022

80

/ 100

════ ⋆★⋆ ════ Considerations ════ ⋆★⋆ ════ ● This is a spoiler-free review. ● 80+ in my rating means really good. ● I've got to read this work on a friend's recommendation. I was aware of it being a really popular romance. With that in mind, I just dived in.

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The Story ════ ⋆★⋆ ════ Yoshioka despises boys and their violent and uncivilized behavior. Everything changes when she meets Tanaka. He's different from the others, as he has a low build and a soothing voice. When they finally get close enough to go on a date, Tanaka disappears. Later, Yoshioka gets to know he has transferred. Years later, in high school, Yoshioka meets Tanaka once again, but now he's a totally different person.

The story of Ao Haru Ride is good. It has all the romance and drama that you could ask from a Shoujo manga. The story can seem predictable at times, but that doesn't ruin the development. It's still nice to see how everyone will sort themselves out romantically.

A nice point is that the story has a good sense of closure. When it's over, you don't have a lot of loose ends that keep you thinking about what happened to some character.

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The Art Style ════ ⋆★⋆ ════ The art style is good. I especially like the tones and effects that are used to represent feelings, especially the warmth effect used when romantic thoughts are being developed.

The art screams "Shoujo" with very white panels, fewer shadows, and less detailed background in general. Overall, I think the only thing that I can complain about is the character design. Initially, I had difficulty distinguishing a few characters because they wore similar clothing and had similar hairstyles. Besides that, everything else is okay.
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(She's so cute)

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The Characters ════ ⋆★⋆ ════ There are a moderate number of characters in this manga; Yashioka, Tanaka, their high school friends, and a few other supporting characters. Each character has their own personality and conflicts that add drama to the main story.

As I always like to talk about the main character, Yoshioka was average for me. I liked her at the beginning until midway through the manga. Later on, she appeared very indecisive IMO, making it a constant "Will They or Won't They" (Click for details).
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Conclusion ════ ⋆★⋆ ════ If you're like me, you skip everything and read only the conclusion because you don't want to get spoiled with other themes. So I will try to be brief on this point:Maybe read it. I know Shoujo mangas aren't for everyone, but if you've never read any of them, Ao Haru Ride is a good introduction to the genre with a nice story, good drama, and nice characters.

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