#amano Shinobu

[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

[kursed-arcana]

[sevxra]

My Last Game merch collection featuring exclusive 20th anniversary celebratory gacha merch and some out of print merch I luckily found! Can’t wait for the rest of the English print volumes to make my collection shine🥰

[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!

[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

[doppel-tournament]

ROUND 1, Part 41

[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.

[carlosyt14]

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

Rinku VER

Mana + Toka VER

[kursed-arcana]

[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

[innerchorus]

As requested by @lavender-100, some details about Layla's physical appearance. Some novel spoilers in this post so be warned!

We first meet her in Book 10, where she is a trainee priestess at the Temple of Ashi in the Oxus region. She is initially described as tall, well-proportioned, and wearing women's clothing that is white with blue trim. She is even taller than Farangis (and Farangis herself is described as being taller than average for a woman and a little taller than the average Parsian man). For reference, Layla is about the same height as Narsus.

Layla's hair is short, though no hair colour is mentioned. Her clothing is also short, and her long, slender, tanned arms and legs are exposed to the sun. She has a broad frame and a muscular build, and owing to her strong physique she almost looks like a young boy.

I have some illustrations to share, too!

Book 10, Layla versus Namard, illustrated by Yoshitaka Amano.

Book 11, Layla versus Alfarid, Kermine in the background. Illustration by Shinobu Tanno. You can see the silver bracelet on Layla's left arm clearly here.

Incidentally, the design of these silver bracelets given to the three girls (Parizad, Fitna and Layla) is described as being engraved with a design of a young man on the back of a bull, stabbing the bull in the head with a short sword. I'm assuming Tanaka drew his inspiration for this from tauroctony scenes.

Anyway, as you can see, in Tanno's illustration Layla's hair is white. It's possible I missed a description of her hair colour somewhere in the novels, but it's definitely not mentioned in Books 10 or 11, so I'd say it's possible this is a stylistic choice by Tanno that is intended to show the effects of Zahhak's blood on her (a form of mind-control). Since Don Ricardo's hair turned completely white after his encounter with Zahhak, I can see why Tanno might have chosen to portray Layla with white hair here, but I'll keep an eye out for actual written descriptions of her hair colours later in the novels just in case it's mentioned.

Book 12, illustration by Shinobu Tanno, Tahamenay in the process of throwing herself in front of Gieve's sword in order to protect Layla. Gieve came very close to accidentally killing Tahamenay here but thankfully Isfan's quick reactions saved her life as he deflected Gieve's blade.

Book 13, another Shinobu Tanno illustration. Layla and Ilterish get to see Zahhak for the first time. The mage is Gazdaham.

The outfit Layla wears in Book 13 is described as completely unadorned, and she's dressed like a man, with only the silver bracelet appearing out of place with her warrior's attire. Even so, it's mentioned that Jalair thinks she is very beautiful.

(In terms of height, Ilterish is about average height for a man, so Layla's actually a bit taller than him.)

[puellamagishowdown]

Round 1 Has Finished!

Thank you all for voting! Some results are exactly what I expected but quite a few were confusing to me. Sometimes I wish I knew why people voted the way they did. Also, just for the record, I did randomize these. None of these pairings were planned.

Now for something important I'm going to say before things get too bad.

I've seen a few heated replies that are getting too close to aggressive for my taste. Guys, this is for fun. There are no real world consequences to the result of this poll bracket. If I believe someone is getting too aggressive or insulting towards other voters (or me), I will block. I don't want any true negativity here and if preventing some people from interacting keeps peace, I will do it. You all are free to try and convince others to vote the way you want, but keep it civil.

If you would like a list of results along with some commentary, feel free to click the keep reading button. Otherwise, see you all soon for the next round.

Suzune Amano vs Ayame Mikuri (54.3%) - The first result gives me sadness. I'm a real fan of Suzune's character.

Niko Kanna vs Miyuri Yukari (63.8%)

Pia Undo (59.2%) vs Yuuri Asuka

Tsubasa Hanekawa (50.4%) vs Alexandra Kurusu - This one was close. It was switching back and forth until the end.

Toyo (81.1%) vs Ebony

Sasa Yuuki vs Madoka Kaname (91.2%) - I wonder how Sasa would have done against someone other than Madoka. You know, the magical girl who will probably be in the top 5 if not win the whole bracket.

Livia Medeiros (67.1%) vs Hikari Kirai

Hayate Yagami vs Rena Minami (81.3%)

Tart vs Sana Futaba (67.1%)

Arisa Narumi vs Asahi Miura (68.1%)

Manaka Kurumi vs Kaede Akino (68.9%)

Ranka Chizu vs Sudachi Suwa (52.6%)

Mikoto Sena (81.5%) vs Hagumu Azumi - I'm sad we'll probably never see Mikoto animated. Her design is really pretty.

Hotaru Yura (83.3%) vs Moka Megumi

Himika Mao vs Saki Asami (60%)

Melissa de Vignolles vs Mikage Yakumo (58.9%)

Yukika Nanase vs Sasara Minagi (55.4%)

Amaryllis (61.3%) vs Shizuka Tokime

Ren Isuzu (83.1%) vs Pernelle

Shizuku Hozumi vs Kokoro Awane (56.1%)

Kuro (58%) vs Kaoru Maki - The character without eyes won. Okay.

Kagome Satori vs Nanaka Tokiwa (54.1%)

Kagari Hinata (66.7%) vs Mayoi Hachikuji

Alina Gray (69.1%) vs Ria Ami - I really love Ria's design. I would like to think she would have moved on if she wasn't against a major character like Alina.

Mikura Komachi (60.3%) vs Umika Misaki

Yu (77.5%) vs Lavi Himuro - Why? Is there some real love for Yu out there for some reason or is it just voting against Lavi? I really don't understand this one.

Kushu Irina vs Himena Aika (50.6%)

Sayuki Fumino (51.7%) vs Chika Aoba - The first of two tiebreakers. What a peculiar duo to be a tie. And I messed up the title of the poll like a loser.

Ashley Taylor (73.2%) vs Akira Shinobu

Yuuri vs Meiyui Chun (87.7%)

Hinano Miyako vs Mel Anna (67.1%)

Satomi Usagi vs Ryoko Natsu (76.1%) - Satomi was the reason I decided to use fan art for the Kazumi girls. The only colored art of her I could find had SAMPLE across the front of it. And she didn't even win.

Ayase Souju vs Hazuki Yusa (75.7%)

Tsukuyo Amane vs Eternal Sakura (75.3%)

Kanami Honoka vs Mayu Kozue (92.3%) - Poor Kanami got bodied.

Kako Natsume (58%) vs Hanna Sarasa

Maria Yuki vs Rui Mizuki (65.8%)

San Kagura vs Kanoko Yayoi (65%)

Chizuru vs Masara Kagami (70.4%)

Ryo Midori vs Juri Oba (66.7%)

Isabeau vs Kyoko Sakura (84.6%)

Tsubaki Mikoto (70.8%) vs Chisato Shion

Riz Hawkwood (83.9%) vs Temari Kira

Kanna Hijiri (52.6%) vs Jun Kazari

Sunao Toki vs Chiharu Hiroe (55%)

Aimi Eri vs Mito Aino (66.7%)

Kuroe vs Corbeau (51%) - The cloak girl showdown was really close. I really never knew who would win.

Nemu Hiiragi vs Tsuruno Yui (70.2%)

Kazumi vs Yuma Chitose (52.6%)

Hitagi Senjougahara vs Mitama Yakumo (59.6%) - I'll be honest, I kinda thought the Monogatari fans would have risen and voted. Then again, I have no idea how large the Monogatari fanbase is in the first place.

Shinobu Oshino vs Yuna Kureha (62.5%)

Yuuna Kaharu vs Riko Chiaki (70.5%)

Ayaka Mariko (53.5%) vs Takina Inoue

Meguru Hibiki (60.8%) vs Akari Mai

Nadeko Sengoku vs Momoko Togame (55.6%)

Mirai Wakaba vs Ui Tamaki (86.2%)

Ao Kasane (57.3%) vs Matsuri Hinata - I'm actually a bit crushed. I love both Matsuri's design and character. The fact she didn't get through but her sister did is almost worse.

Suruga Kanbaru (52.8%) vs Fate T. Harlaown

Seira Mihono vs Gunhild (69.8%)

Rion Yuzuki vs Homura Akemi (93.1%) - Rion was destroyed. I almost feel bad.

Asuka Tatsuki vs Sae Kirino (58.1%) - Fun fact, when the poll ended the first time it said 50.6% Asuka. Only the next day did it say it was tied. That's why the tiebreaker poll went up so much later.

Nagisa Momoe (83.2%) vs Sakuya Suzuka

Iroha Tamaki (66.9%) vs Chisato Nishikigi - I have no idea what Lycoris Recoil is about, but both of the crossover girls had really nice designs.

Mitsune Miwa vs Yachiyo Nanami (74.6%)

Seika Kumi (61.9%) vs Emika Kisaki

Nayuta Satomi (52.6%) vs Tsuyu Mizuna - The first time I saw Tsuyu, I just thought Ayaka Kamisato. Keep in mind, I was not playing Genshin at the time.

Yozuru Sasame vs Karin Misono (50.9%)

Urara Yume vs Kanae Yukino (75%)

Konoha Shizumi (61.5%) vs Eliza Celjska

Shigure Miyabi (62.4%) vs Haruka Kanade - Really? I thought Haruka had one of the better designs but apparently I'm wrong. Or maybe Shigure's story is really that good.

Tsukasa Amane vs Oriko Mikuni (63.8%) - Also a little sad neither Amane twin got through. I like their designs but that might just be my personal bias towards kimono-styled outfits.

Hotori Yuzuki vs Lapin (72%)

Tsumugi Wakana vs Olga (75.2%)

Mifuyu Azusa (59.2%) vs Mabayu Aki - Mabuyu has a design I think would have fit with the Holy Quintet if she was released back in the day (and the clothes were green). But I have heard Scene 0 is pretty meh so that probably held her back quite a lot.

Natsuki Utsuho vs Felicia Mitsuki (83.3%)

Mami Tomoe (71.4%) vs Touka Satomi

Rika Ayano (58.7%) vs Heruka

Sayaka Miki (86.1%) vs Nanoha Takamichi - I also thought the MGLN fans would have risen from depths and really voted for their titular character. But then again, Sayaka is a force to be reckoned with in this bracket.

Mitsuru Inami (73.6%) vs Luca Souju - Every single one of the characters I used fan art for didn't even move onto the second round. I could have just not included them and nothing would have changed. And that's a shame because I feel Kazumi has some real underrated designs, especially the Soujus.

Ikumi Makino (66.3%) vs Minou

Kanagi Izumi vs Kirika Kure (52.9%)

Konomi Haruna (76.5%) vs Leila Ibuki