Manga Review: Beauty Pop
posted at Tuesday, December 13th, 2011 at 10:35 PM | Manga Reviews, Reviews, Young Adult
Beauty Pop by Kiyoko Arai Published by VIZ Media on February 29, 2008
Genres: Contemporary, Romance
Format: Paperback
Source: Library
Goodreads
In Kiri's school there are 3 boys who carry out transformations on random pretty girls; Narumi Shougo, the hairstylist, Minami Kei, the nail artist and Ochiai Kazuhiko who balances the overall look. They are adored by the girls because they are so good at making them beautiful. However, Kiri is also a master hairstylist who is willing to 'add some magic' for those who need it, but in disguise. Now Kiri is forced to face the three in a showdown with Narumi.
Beauty Pop is a shoujo manga that focuses more on the subject matter than on romance. The early volumes are very similar to some other makeover manga, in that they don’t have quite as much plot and each chapter centers around a different makeover. The later volumes involve more romance and more leveling up in the stylists’ skills.
My favorite thing about this manga is that, despite being a reverse harem shoujo series , the heroine is not constantly concerned about having a boyfriend or focused on romance. Actually, the best word to describe Kiri might be apathetic. Her hairstyle is practical not pretty, as are her clothes. She’s sarcastic and disinterested. In fact, when the romance comes into the series, it’s the boys who suffer from desperation not the female character, which is rather nice to see.
The first time I read this, I remember being hugely disappointed by the way the romance turned out, as I had been rooting for an entirely different guy to win. This time through, prepared for the ending, I was more okay with it.
Although not one of my favorite series, Beauty Pop definitely has good features and is worth a read for a shoujo fan. Recommended to fans of The Knockout Makers, Ouran High School Host Club or My Heavenly Hockey Club.
i love beuaty pop…and i love kyoko arai..
many of her mangas are translated into indonesian language…
hers are very entertaining 🙂
Oh cool. I think I’ve read a couple others by her, and they’ve been solidly entertaining. She’s not among my favorites, but I do like her!