This review does not contain spoilers, but as usual, I encourage you to go into this read blind After finihsing her work on Embraced by the Marine Blue Wind, her best received manga until then, Ai Yazawa was looking to push her comics’ popularity to a bigger scale. So, she turned to her older works to look for the missing element, the key aspect that would elevate her stories. With the help of a couple of her peers in the industry, she came to a finding that would shape her narrative from then on, and become one of her defining characteristics: writing captivating female characters. Thus, Midori Saejima was born.

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ALL THAT'S RIGHT WITH I'M NO ANGEL
It is clear that Midori’s personal growth as she treads through her last years of highschool is the main focus of the manga. This central point is laid against her and Akira’s relationship, as well as the secondary cast’s romantic turmoils, with their paradise-like school life as a backdrop. The setting in which the coming of age drama develops is so bright and comforting that the dramatic moments seem inspiring rather than anxiety-inducing. This, paired with a cheerful yet delightfully nuanced cast, makes for a totally heartwarming read.

The back and forth of Midori and Akira’s relationship makes their journey so endearing, and keeps the reader wondering how the plot’s twists and turns will play out. Midori is shown in a neverending cycle of conviction and flailing, of doubting and reassuring herself. What might seem repetitive and make the reader impatient, also makes for a wonderfully satisfying sequence of tense, emotional, reflective and finally conclusive events, where the reader gets to fully follow along Midori’s internal processes. These moments are written almost in a personal diary manner, and make for some utterly charming one-liners. Take the following as an example:

Ahh…

Maybe…
I went wrong somewhere, the way I fell in love.

These pensive passages are one of Yazawa’s staples, and it is interesting how they’ve morphed throughout her career and adapted themselves to the several tones of her works. These quotes in I’m no Angel serve as a way of characterizing Midori as a thoughtful, sweet and caring girl, whose immediate way of confronting situations can be selfish but ultimately cannot help herself from helping others achieve happiness. Contrastingly, in Neighbourhood Story, Miwako’s musings paint her as passionate but childish, as she struggles to admit her true feelings to herself. Later on, in Paradise Kiss and NANA, introspective moments become more of depth and poem-like.

Even though Midori has an intense hold of the reader’s attention, the rest of the cast remain essential to the story’s atmosphere, and make its main character shine even more brightly. For instance, Takigawa has a more laid-back approach to relationships, both romantic and friendly, and in the few moments where he is featured, he blows a gust of fresh air into the drama-heavy story. Similarly, Mamiya and Bunta are the most upfront and wholehearted of the cast, and make for great friends of overthinker Midori. They often spark funny bits, and help the manga achieve a sense of depth and cozyness that is not all that common in highschool romances. In fact, it is pretty rare to see a story with these themes have such a large cast, but keep focus on the main couple, while having its supporting characters be so vital to the reading experience. This is one of the features that differentiates I’m no Angel from other Ai Yazawa manga, for instance NANA, in which the supporting characters take active roles in shaping the plot and the lines between main, secondary and tertiary characters are blurred. Because of this, in I’m no Angel, both ensemble cast lovers and those who hunger after the main couple will find things to love. And where the reader takes away the most from, whether it be the subplots, Midori’s self-reflection or a mix of both, results in a different reading experience.

The humour featured in I’m No Angel seems quite out of the norm for shoujo manga. The gags are very visual and the humour is fast-paced, which makes for an upbeat read. Yazawa pens some hilarious doodles and expressions while keeping the perfectly dainty and delicate nature of her art intact. Plenty of bits are referenced, even be those a single panel or scribble, later on in the chapter or book, which never fails to get a smile out of you.

Adding to the wonderful setting which Ai Yazawa builds for I’m No Angel, is its sublime illustration and design. Akira’s biker get-up gives the manga the perfect 90’s sweethearts style from page one. Midori’s attitude is portrayed in her constantly changing outfits, each cuter than the last. The rest of the cast rock bouncy and flowy hairstyles, stylish fits and adorable dresses. As in all her other works, Yazawa’s fashionista self wonderfully shines through.
But what is perhaps even more of a treat to the sight is the traditional illustration featured all across the manga. Yazawa’s apparent strokes and free movements give I’m No Angel’s art a special touch that differentiaties it not only from her other works, but also from her peers’. The distinct media used throughout, such as pencil, watercolor, marker and charcoal, perfectly capture the manga’s feeling.

do open this image in a new tab and zoom in to view the art in all its glory

Moreover, this makes for a great parallel between Midori and Yazawa herself, and Maki and Masashi, who all share a passion for drawing and art. All of Ai Yazawa’s most prominent manga have female leads and multiple side characters who make a living in the art field. This lets her portray the role that creativty plays in developing one’s identity, and how it shapes coming of age stories, as well as the more practical aspects of pursuing a career in the arts. Even though this is not prominently featured in I’m No Angel, it’s still nicely tied in at the end of the story, and represents this characteristic of Ai Yazawa that she would continue to highlight in her later works.

At times it does seem as if some apsects of I’m No Angel were sketches of what Yazawa would write later on. Subtle drama without it being unrealistic, and endearingly flawed characters are all throughout her works, but Midori and her story’s developments can be found to be a tad predictable, which diminishes the writing’s impact. However, I firmly believe that this does not take away from I’m No Angel being a perfectly warm, unbelievably sweet and inspiring read. In the end, I cannot ignore the fact that what I’m taking with me after finishing this read is a cheerful yet quiet and sheltering atmosphere and the lively and reassuring presence that is Midori.

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