Flower in a Storm by Shigeyoshi Takagi

Title: Flower in a Storm

Mangaka: Shigeyoshi Takagi

Age Group: Teens

Series is: Completed with 2 volumes

Volume(s) Reviewing: 1

My Rating: 4.5/5

Normal as she wants to be, Riko can not when out of the blue a guy with a gun comes barging into her classroom. Then he asks her to be his wife! Ran Tachibana will do anything to have Riko say yes to him because after all, he is the most richest and powerful 17-year-old in Japan!

The goal is to catch Riko by five o'clock the next day or else Ran will give up on her. So Riko is on the run as Ran pulls out helicopters, hired men, and other grand surprises!

Before I go into the review, I just want to point out an error. If you were to pick up this manga and read the back summary, it would say at the end, "However, Riko has one trick up her sleeve - she has superpowers!". I want to comment that, no, she does not. She just has unnatural super-strength and agility, not superpowers! Honestly, who wrote the English synopsis for this? (Unless this superpower thing appears in the next volume...)

My favourite character is Ran. In the beginning, I could not stop staring at his character. I absolutely adore the topknot hairstyle and sunglasses (he always changes them too!). I was in awe with his character design because I found him so attractive! He is quite comparable to the popular character Tamaki in the manga Ouran High School Host Club because of his personality and background. He is spoiled, rich, and a bit dumb (although smarter than Tamaki himself). He is a fun character that you look forward to seeing and he adds flare to the overall manga because of how he uses his power to get Riko. He fell for her at first sight after a car accident. The idea is a little ridiculous but cute in some sense.

I sort of like Riko, too. She's a good kid but I am not fond of her super-strength. To me, it just sort of defies science altogether because it doesn't seem like she particularly works out or anything. I know that there are some strong people out there who don't actually work out but I find it unnatural for a petite girl like her to be.

The plot is very unrealistic but it is the kind that you can't help but like. It has interesting content and great character dynamics. Many adorable and fun scenes take place too.

The art reminds me a lot of Bisco Hatori's. Even the shading and expressions are similar! But you can tell that it is obvious that both artists have a distinct style from one another, making them their own mangakas. I think Takagi is great at making a scene with a certain mood. I mentioned before that I love Ran's character design. I also like the simple girl-next-door look to Riko.

I highly recommend Flower in a Storm. Since there's only two volumes, you don't have to put a lot of money aside to collect the series!

Review copy provided by Viz.