The Wallflower 1: Yamatonadeshiko Shichihenge (Wallflower: Yamatonadeshiko Shichenge)

by Tomoko Hayakawa

Book Overview

MAKEOVER OF THE CENTURY It's a gorgeous, spacious mansion, and four handsome, fifteen-year-old friends are allowed to live in it for free! There's only one conditionthat within three years the guys must transform the owner's wallflower niece into a lady befitting the palace in which they all live! How hard can it be? Enter Sunako Nakahara, the agoraphobic, horror-movie-loving, pockmark-faced, frizzy-haired, fashion-illiterate recluse who tends to break into explosive nosebleeds whenever she sees anyone attractive. This project is going to take more than our four heroes ever expected: it needs a miracle!

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0345479122
• ISBN13: 9780345479129
• Release Date: October 2004
• Publisher: Del Rey
• Length: 224 Pages
• Weight: 0.51 lbs.
• Dimensions: 7.4" x 0.7" x 5.0"
• Age Range: 16 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 11 and higher

Customer Reviews

Book condition

Received as described

Addictive

Great story, beautiful art, fabulous humor. Sunako a young woman spurned turns into a recluse, given the choice she never leaves her room,which is home to slasher movies, skulls, things preserved in jars and anotomical dolls, when she does go out in public people think she is a ghost(ie that girl from ringu)due to her really pale skin and long jet black hair that covers her face. Enter an interfering aunt and her four extremely attractive young male tenants, if they can turn Sunako into a "real lady"(read stylish social butterfly)they will get free rent for a year. As expected though Sunako is violently opposed to the idea. Sometimes the boys rescue her, somtimes she rescues the boys, and sometimes they all run from the screaming hoards of fan girls bound to pop up anywhere this much bishie can be found. A good piece of manga, I'm on the fifth volume and still wondering whether they will ever get Sunako-chan out of the dark...or if she will be able to control those viscious nosebleeds.

Very Japanese, And I Mean That In A Good Way!

Okay, you have already read the reviews. You may even have seen a fan-translated version of this on IRC. For those of you who have and are STILL asking yourself (shame on you) if you should buy these books, there is only one thing you want to know: "How is the translation?" It's good. It's VERY good. It's BETTER than the scanslation. There is very little "Americanization". I have volumes 1-3 and I didn't see any "Y'all", or "howdy", or even "homie". The scanslators did a good job, but these guys did a GREAT job, even covering the small details and the sound effects. They kept to the original story and dialogue as much as humanly possible, explained what didn't translate very well instead of making up stuff, and also explained a lot about the Japanese culture. I dare you to compare that to the travesty that Mahou Sensei Negima turned into. There is also stuff in there from the author that never made it into any scanslation that gives you a good look into her thoughts and her life. If you're a fan of the series -- and if you're still reading this then you are -- go ahead and buy these books. You won't regret it. In fact, I dare say you will inflict these books on your friends. I know I did.

One of the few comedy manga titles I actually loved..

I loved this manga. I laughed out loud several times, getting strange looks from others in the room. This manga is about a high school girl who avoids beautiful people and likes to be in the dark, watching slasher movies. That is, until her aunt invites 4 handsome guys to move into the 'dorm' and get free rent for 3 years if they can turn this girl into a beautiful lady. They have their work cut out for them, as the girl fights them at every attempt and her nosebleeds from seeing 'creatures of the light' doesn't help. While this manga has very slight shoujo moments, it is a comedy on most counts. One of my new prized manga titles is The Wallflower.

Avid Manga Readers Will Be Impressed

If you like hot men in drag, homicidal hermits, or watching those "popular girls" suffer, you will ADORE this manga! This book made me laugh so much! The artist used the perfect blend of funny chibi art and beautiful illustrations to tell her story. Unlike most mangas done by women, this isn't just a fluffy love story. As a matter of fact, I think it's safe to say this is the most unique love story I've seen in a while! The story starts with four guys living in a boarding house with the very rich woman they affectionately call "the Land Lady." She is widowed at a young age, and runs off with the first man she meets. She leaves the boys a note and challenges them to take in her niece (whose parents are in Africa) and if they can turn her into a lady, they can live in her mansion for free. The bad news? The nice (Sunako Nakahara) is a horror! Sunako is a obsessed with American slasher movies (Freddy vs. Jason and such) and talks to anotomical dolls that she keeps in her room. She hasn't looked in a mirror in two years and refuses to let the boys come anywhere near her. (If they get too close she gets bad nosebleeds) Her bangs are so long that she sees everything in darkness, and refers to the boys as "creatures of the light." Sunako thinks she will melt in the presence of the boys, especially the very sexy Kyohei. You see them get pretty close throughout the book. Why is this unique you ask? It's the only manga I've ever seen that still makes the lead character look nice after she's attempted to kill the male character. It's hillarious! Check this out, I loved it!

Tickles Me Pink

This book is simply awesome. There's not much I can say, other than I laughed out loud on several occassions, and I'm one of those people who only laugh under very hilarious circumstances. These poor boys can't even look at the girl without screaming, fleeing, breaking out in hives, crying openly, or otherwise freaking out. (Can't really blame them, though--she has the aura and appearance of that freaky little girl in the Japanese horror movie "Ringu", which was remade in America as "The Ring".) As an added bonus, it will probably be the only time you'll actually laugh out loud as the female lead actively, seriously attempts to murder the male lead (several times!). Also, the other three boys are forced to crossdress before the volume is over. Even though this sort of thing always seems to happen to pretty boys in manga/anime, it is still handled with a unique comedic flair in this case. I borrowed this book from a friend--she's going to have a hard time retrieving it--until I get my own copy in the mail, of course. ;)