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| Pastel 8 (Pastel) | 
 enlarge | Author: Toshihiko Kobayashi
Publisher: Del Rey
Category: Book
List Price: $10.95
Buy New: $5.48
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Avg. Customer Rating:  (2 reviews)
Sales Rank: 872896
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Unknown), English (Published)
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 208
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.5
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5 x 0.7
ISBN: 0345498763
Dewey Decimal Number: 741.5952
EAN: 9780345498762
ASIN: 0345498763
Publication Date: September 25, 2007
Release Date: September 25, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
SISTER TO THE RESCUE
Mugi can?t find the courage to confess his love to Yuu. So he does the next best thing: he tells her sister, who then hatches a plan to bring them together. Her idea? Lock the two in the bathroom in their birthday suits and force Yuu to wear sexy cosplay outfits. With friends like Tsukasa, who needs enemies?
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| Customer Reviews:
An ex, a kitten, and a rival... October 16, 2006
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
...all add their little touches to Mugi's one-sided affections for the sweet and caring Yuu.
Volume 4 of Pastel finishes off the Hinako/Tokyo arc of the story answering several minor questions while, of course, leaving the big one (does Yuu care for Mugi as well?) vague and ambiguous... in the standard rom/com manner. A new kitten joins the family after Yuu falls for the old doe eyes trick, leading to some under the clothes hijinks that gets Mugi into trouble. Last, but not least, a new rival enters the fray... and, like Hinako, it's Mugi that's the object of the beautiful Murakami's attention, but her motives seem to be far from pure.
The majority of the volume covers the Murakami arc as she is introduced, makes her play to insert herself between Yuu and Mugi, and even gets him to stay over, using Yuu as an unwitting accomplice for her goals. I really like this volume as Mugi gets one of his rare moments to shine, do the right thing for all involved, and manage to reaffirm his dedication to taking care of/secretly loving Yuu.
It's standard rom/com situations all the way through, which is no surprise as Pastel is your standard rom/com manga with plenty of recognizable archetypes... but I still find myself enjoying it anyway. Don't expect much in the way of "love-love-communication" between Yuu and Mugi as, though they have their moments, they're still up for innocent interpretation on Yuu's part... and you can all but guarantee it's going to be that way until Kobayashi-san is ready to wrap things up many, MANY volumes down the line (what are they on in Japan? 11? and still going!)
The art is par for the course (which makes it sound dull, but Pastel's art has been consistently pleasing with fanservice and landscapes) with Mikan's design being decidedly cute and Murakami's being attractive and creepily evil at the same time.
Pacing is good, with the Murakami arc actually wrapping up before the end of the volume (unlike the cliffhanger involving Hinako last time) and I'm glad the Hinako arc closed as ambiguously as it did, leaving the road open for her to return to cause more friction between our favorite almost-lovebirds.
Pick it up, enjoy Mugi taking the initiative again, and sigh in contentment as we continue to watch young love bloom at an extrememly slow pace.
There shall come a rival May 24, 2006
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
A Japanese romance comic just wouldn't be any good with just one beautiful girl. There must always be...the rival. And that is just what you get in this next volume of "Pastel."
Mugi's childhood friend Manami makes the scene, and she is all grown up. The best friend of Mugi's former girlfriend Hinako, she has been biding her time and nurturing her secret crush on Mugi until she was certain Mugi and Hinako were actually finished. Making a sudden reappearance in Mugi's life, she declares her intentions to Yu, who is none to pleased.
Mugi's heart is still firmly with Yu, but Minami makes for some stiff competition and she is none too shy about using her advantages. Author Kobayashi makes full use of the rivalry to show off his girls to their best advantage. A trip to a local pool and and evening at a festival puts both Yu and Minami in bikinis and kimonos, as well as Mugi's perpetual habit of stumbling in on them while they are taking showers.
"Pastel" continues to be a simple, sweet boy's romance comic with loads of fanservice and great looking girls. Kobayashi has a way with drawing eyes and underwear, and the innocent nature of the characters keeps it all from getting too sleazy. Not an incredibly gripping story, but enough to keep me coming back for the next volume.
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