Honey and Clover Volume 1

Instead of the usual high school setting, Honey and Clover gives us an "art school confidential" peek at college life in Japan. While the "emo" art school vibe transcends borders, Umino's sometimes slow-moving story relies on some "only-in-Japan" traditions and cultural mores that might leave Western readers scratching their head.

Honey and Clover won't be everyone's cup of tea. It's distinctive, sketchy art will either charm or repulse you. But if you're open to its atypical appeal, Honey and Clover's refreshingly eccentric characters and unexpectedly romantic story will grow on you if given the chance.

In Honey and Clover, five students at an art college outside of Tokyo try to make the grade, fall in love and find enough to eat on a starving student budget. True to its art school setting, Honey and Clover's artwork has a distinctive, sketchy style that sometimes teeters on the edge of ugly only to be redeemed by a scene of fragile beauty a few panels later. Umino also loves to punctuate her characters' reactions with explanations, just in case her sometimes primitive facial expressions don't do the job, e.g. "too upset to form words" or "flustered". Quite early on, you realize that this isn't your usual shojo story.

Unlike most shojo manga, Honey and Clover is seen through the eyes of its male characters. Instead of focusing on its female leads Hagu and Yamada, Honey and Clover is mostly narrated by emo-boy Takemoto, who mostly bumbles through the series in a confused daze. And why wouldn't he be? Art school is full of some real characters.

Honey and Clover's characters are unlike your typical shojo manga archetypes. Fragile and childlike Hagu. Earnest yet insecure Takemoto. Eccentric and mysterious Morita. Aloof and cynical Mayama. Strong yet heartbroken Yamada. They're a strange group, but they do fit together nicely. After a while, their quirks become endearing and interesting.

Honey and Clover won't be everyone's cup of tea. It's a bit slow moving at times, and it relies on some Japan-specific cultural quirks that might confuse Western readers. For example, the boys' obsessive passion for eating meat – a pricey treat in Japan – made me think that Honey and Clover should have been titled "Hamburger and Chicken."

Overall, Honey and Clover is a fun mix of romance and slice-of-student-life humor. Given the chance, it may grow on you if you're open to its unlikely charms.