The Bottom Line
With its doe-eyed characters and cutesy title, Happy Happy Clover might mislead you into thinking that it's another sugar-coated kids comic. Sure, it's filled with adorable forest critters, but they act, react and interact like kids do. It's set in a fantasy world of talking animals, but Happy Happy Clover gives young readers tales of friendship and adventure that feel real and relatable without being age-inappropriate or preachy.
It's probably too sweet for boys, but Happy Happy Clover is a fun and endearing manga series that will charm girl readers who crave comics that speak to them without talking down to them.
Pros
- A kid-friendly mix of humor, adventure and friendship that older readers can enjoy too.
- Adorable artwork and likeable characters that will charm young girls and tweens
- Illustrates kids' friendships, feelings and dreams through animals that kind of act like kids
- Clover is a spunky, but not overly saccharine heroine that young girls can relate with
Cons
- Is probably too sweet and cute for male readers to really enjoy
- Simple, kid-friendly stories that will bore fans who prefer more sophisticated material
Description
- Original Title: Hapi Hapi Kuroobaa (Japan)
- Author & Artist: Sayuri Tatsuyama
- Publishers:
- VIZ Kids / VIZ Media (US)
- Shogakukan (Japan)
- ISBN: 978-1421526560
- Cover Price: $7.99 US / $9.50 CANADA
- Age Rating:
E – Everyone / A – All Ages
for kid-friendly stories that will charm older readers
More about content ratings. - Manga Genres:
- Shojo (Girls') Manga
- Kodomo (Children's) Manga
- Animals / Pets
- Comedy
- Fantasy
- Video Game Tie-In
- US Publication Date: February 2009
Japan Publication Date: April 2006 - Book Description: 200 pages, black and white illustrations
Guide Review - Happy Happy Clover Volume 1
People often ask me, "What manga would you recommend for my niece / nephew / little sister / brother?" Surprisingly enough, I can usually only provide a handful of choices. Many people think that comics are 'kids' stuff' -- but it can be difficult to find manga for young readers that aren't -- well, childish or filled with cartoon characters shilling toys.
With its smiling forest critters on its cover, Happy Happy Clover Volume 1 had me wondering if this VIZ Kids title would be just too, too cute to stomach for more than a few pages. But several stories in I found myself utterly won over by this adorable book, and its honest, humorous and endearing tales of friendship and adventure.
Clover is an outgoing girl bunny who goes to school, plays games with her friends and gets into mischief. When a shy lop-eared bunny named Mallow arrives in the forest, Clover is ecstatic! Finally, a girl bunny that's her age!
Boy bunny Kale teases Mallow about her floppy ears, so Clover bops him on the head and says "It's your eyesight that's weird! Those are the cutest ears I have ever seen in my whole life!" From that moment on, Clover and Mallow become bestest friends who share secrets and a few mild misadventures.
It sounds simple and sweet, and Happy Happy Clover definitely is both of those things -- but it's not a saccharine kids comic. While the characters are forest critters, they act, react and interact like human kids do. They rebel against chores, mess up on their homework, get mad at their parents, friends and younger siblings, make mistakes and learn from them in a way that feels real and relatable.
As I read Happy Happy Clover, I found myself smiling wistfully, wishing that this manga was around when I was 8 years old. It's a book that I wish I had then, and the one that I wholeheartedly recommend for any girl (and girl at heart.)
