#Shinobu Amano

[haveyoureadthisshoujoseimanga]

Summary under the cut:

In elementary school, the rich and spoiled Yanagi Naoto was known for excelling in both studies and sports. But then he suffered the first setback of his life when Kujou Mikoto, a girl from a poor family, transferred to his school and performed better than Naoto at every turn. Reeling from this unforgivable blow to his pride, Naoto decided that he had to make Mikoto lose at something…by making her lose her heart to him, which he could then break! Now that they’re both in college, will Naoto finally be able to win Mikoto’s affections–or will he lose this final game with her?

[highresshojosei]

Last Game On the cover of LaLa - April 2013

[hatsumishinogu]

Shinimodori Reijou no Lucetta Vol.3

[ridley-was-a-cat]

253. Last Game, Vol. 3 - licensed - The story is relying more on interruptions to stretch out the romantic conflict than I generally prefer, but I am definitely enjoying watching these two childhood friends complicate their relationship. She is unbelievably dense about love sometimes, which makes me feel bad for the two guys around her, although they seem to be more fascinated than hurt by her fumbling.

[animehouse-moe]

Last Game Volume 4 Review

I'd forgive a lot of people for not thinking that Naoto Yanagi is the male lead. As of late Souma's been getting a lot of attention and development, but that effort from Shinobu Amano only serves to improve the experience of Last Game. With focus that shifts as effortlessly as a summer breeze, Amano is able to do plenty within the styling of a shoujo manga and have it come off as incredibly natural.

There's so much to discuss and appreciate about that with this latest volume, so if you're curious or want to read more, then feel free to check out the full review at Animehouse.

[kursed-arcana]

[innerchorus]

Are there drawings of Tehamin from the novel?

Yes! I don't have access to all versions of all novels so this is not going to be comprehensive, but here are some images. There are a few novel spoilers in here, though I won't go into detail about anything.

Innocentis lays eyes on Tahamenay for for first time, Book 1, illustration by Shinobu Tanno.

Tahamenay with Innocentis in one of the palace courtyards, Book 1, illustration by Yoshitaka Amano.

Seated on a wicker chair inside the glass greenhouse looking at the laleh (tulips), Book 2. As you can see, Amano's Tahamenay has black hair as is consistent with novel canon.

'The queen looked younger than her thirty-six years, or to be more precise, hers was an ageless beauty. Her raven hair, jet-black eyes, and ivory skin glimmered all the more for the jewels and silks adorning her.' (Book 1, Chapter 3, part ii)

Arslan and Tahamenay meet, Book 7. Yoshitaka Amano's work again.

I know I shared this before in the post about Layla but I'm including it here too for completion. Tahamenay jumps between Layla and Gieve in Book 12, illustration by Shinobu Tanno.

Yamada Akihiro's colour illustration of Tahamenay on the cover of Book 12. That's all I've got, though if anyone has other images to add please do so!

[doppel-tournament]

ROUND 1, Part 41

[engshoujosei]

Last Game

11 volumes (when complete, volume 1 releases in English on May 16th, 2023).

Licensed by Seven Seas and Pocket Comics.

The beloved shojo tale of one-sided rivalry, revenge, and romance! In elementary school, the rich and spoiled Yanagi Naoto ruled his class in studies and sports. But he suffered the first setback of his life when Kujou Mikoto, a girl from a poor family, transferred to his school and outperformed him at every turn. Reeling from this unforgivable blow to his pride, Naoto decided that he had to make Mikoto lose at something…by making her lose her heart to him! Now, both in college, Naoto proposes one “last game” with Mikoto–but who will be the winner?

Status in Country of Origin 

11 Volumes (Complete)

Tags:

Ambitious Goal/s

Arrogant Male Lead

Best Friends

Bickering Love

Blunt Female Lead

Blushing Male Lead

Character Growth

Chasing After Love Interest

Childhood Friends Become Lovers

Country Boy

Dense When It Comes To Love

Dream/s

Emotional Roller Coaster

Emotionally Strong Female Lead

Female Demographic with Male Lead

Female Nerd

First Love

Friendship

Inexperienced in Love

Innocent Love

Kuudere

Love Triangle/s

Male Lead Falls in Love First

Misunderstanding/s

Multiple Couples

Mutual Pining

Mutual Unrequited Love

Post-Secondary Student/s

Rejection

Rich Person Pursuing Poor Person

Rivals Become Lovers

School Club/s

Single Parent

Slow Romance

Socially Awkward Character/s

Student-Student Relationship

Transfer Student/s

Tsundere Male Lead

Unexpected Feelings

Unexpressed Feeling/s

University Student/s

Unrequited Love Becomes Requited

[carlosyt14]

If you know what this is supposed to be based on, you know

Rinku VER

Mana + Toka VER

[roseunspindle]

What I Read in March 2023

- I am enjoying this series

- not sure I liked the pervy doctor guy...

Allen (also him almost getting his head chopped off) but the situation on the ship is ripe for angst... *worry*

I found this next to impossible to follow, so giving up. 

Carmilla Quarterly has finished up. I do like the book. ^_^

this was pretty good, I would have liked to read a bit more of the three like, just hanging out, also the middle is a bit slow, but overall a decent read, have already bought book 2

things seemed to be happening to fast and it was another all over the place manga. plus I couldn’t hah “orient” myself in the world at all. 

Okay - but not my cup of tea

Finally continued and finished this book, taking a break once they got to the alternate world helped. I did quite like it. 

This was so good! I had so many emotion reading this first volume, can’t wait to read more. 

this volume was a disappointment after the first volume, Sakura Spider and the Idol girl are dropped, the All Might cameo was fun, but it just felt lifeless. 

still a nice, calm read

Loved it!

I couldn’t help myself and bought another book in this children’s series, but they are so cute!

already so done with Rashta and Sovieshu. Like, it both had left her alone, Navier would have left them alone. 

cute (and i look up so many recipes) but also has serious moments like dealing with internalized homophobia. 

[marikoyoshida]

Lady's Gong vol. 54 (レディースゴング54) - 2000.09.13

[highresshojosei]

Last Game On the cover of LaLa - August 2014

[hatsumishinogu]

Shinimodori Reijou no Lucetta Vol.2

[ridley-was-a-cat]

274. Last Game, Vol. 6 - licensed - Just as I was getting a little frustrated with the FL's obliviousness, everyone in the astronomy club gathers at the ML's apartment for a party, and a drunken smooch clues her in to her "best friend's" actual feelings. Everything's going a little faster now.

[animehouse-moe]

Last Game Volume 1: Shoujo Love is War (Not Really)

Last Game's first volume is definitely an interesting one. Originally a 3 chapter serialization for a story, it found a way into the hearts of readers that got it a full serialization totaling 11 volumes. So, it must be good if it managed that, right? I'll keep it short (like the rest of this review) and say, yes, it is good and fun, and for a few different reasons.

Also, forgive me for having no images to accompany this, but there's not a good English scanlation out there currently.

Starting it off, like I said Last Game was only meant to be 3 chapters, so the story structure from the get go is rather interesting. It doesn't waste time, that's for sure, as we skip from elementary school to high school, and all the way up into college, following the rich and suave Yanagi and the plain and quiet Kujou.

Yanagi was about as much of a snot-nosed and uppity brat as you'd expect from someone overflowing with money, but he doesn't show that side until Kujou shows up and one ups him in everything, sparking a one sided competition that's lasted over a decade.

While the competition was rather set in stone though, the personalities of these characters wasn't. Over the years that they've known each other, they change shapes and form gradually and emerge out the other side of this volume as largely different people than what they were when they came in.

Take Yanagi. He's rich, he's competitive, and endlessly annoyed about Kujou at the start. But slowly but surely he changes. He sees the other sides of Kujou, the pieces of her that show all the struggles and challenges that she's overcome. And in a way, it makes Yanagi jealous. The girl that's had nothing is better than the him that has everything. So he resolves to change that on his own, by being something to Kujou, and by resolving himself to improve on his own.

Or Kujou, who would never talk to someone before and was only focused on providing for her mother. She gets a cell phone, she eats out with Yanagi, she makes friends at college and learns to feel and act for herself, outside of the existing of her mother.

They're both really endearing stories that bring the pair closer via proximity and circumstance rather than some arbitrary meeting or single impactful moment, and allow both to open up to the other outside of the competition that Yanagi decided upon.

It's really simple in that sense, but it's just so well done that you can't help but admire it. It hits all the right notes and finds just the right ways to crack Kujou's exterior and to spur Yanagi on to wriggle his way into Kujou's heart.

And that's really all there is to the first volume. It's a prologue, it sets the stage for where we're going in the next 10 volumes, and it does a really great job at that, specifically because of its original plan for serialization. It was meant to only be 3 chapters, so Amano sensei had to bring value and substance within there without anything else to rely on, they couldn't use the past or future to contextualize this story, and I think that really made a difference when it comes to being a prologue. Simply because it was never approached as being a prologue.

Also, Seven Seas has added some of Amano sensei's one shots into this volume, which is a super cool piece to add considering we're not likely to get them otherwise. I'm really hopeful that they'll keep it up with each of the Last Game volume releases, which I'm really looking forward to!