Ookami Shoujo to Kuro Ouji Manga review

Synonyms: Ookami Shoujo to Kuroouji, Wolf Girl & Black Prince

Type: Manga

Volumes: Unknown

Chapters: Unknown

Status: Publishing

Published: Jun 11, 2011 to ?

Genres: Comedy, Romance, School, Shoujo

Authors: Hatta, Ayuko (Story & Art)

Serialization: Bessatsu Margaret

Check out the Anime review here

"A secret no one can say, a true nature that can't be shown, everyone has an 'underside'!" --cover page of Ookami Shoujo to Kuro Ouji

"Generally a high school life is all decided in the first two months."

Do you agree this? Maybe you don't but this is what the main character of this stroy, Shinohara Erika, believes.Trying to build a reputation in school is what Erika needs to survive. But when you're a 16-year-old that has never even dated someone it's way harder. The solution? Lie.

So she pretends she has a boyfriend. The only one who knows the truth is her friend, San-chan. But without any proofs of having this "perfect boyfriend", Erika sees herself wrapped in her own lie. Her new friends start doubting her. Trying not to be called a liar, she takes a picture of a random cute guy walking on the street so she can show her friends.

Okay. Problem solved, right?

WRONG! In fact, this guy she took a picture of studies in the same school as her. The famous "Prince", Sata Kyouya. She then asks him a favor: prentending to be her boyfriend.

Cute adorable sweet and understandable guy agrees happily and a beautiful cliche love develops?

YOU'RE WRONG AGAIN! This so called "Prince" is a great sadist. He accepts the deal, but... now, Erika is his dog! Here begins the journey of the Wolf Girl!

Kyouya is unafraid to voice his most cynical views. Heck, if he sees an old lady struggling to walk across the road, he may as well be that person to send her to her doom. The refreshing part of his personality is that he shows no signs of other personalities. He's just being himself. It may get over the top at times but it's interesting but poor Erika has to put up with that. She knows this as well and tries her best to cope with it. It doesn't come as a surprise that other characters are not as unique as Kyouya or Erika. The friends of Erika feels static. But from Kyouya's side, one of them turns to be more interesting to read than how I thought he'd be. He's chirpy and friendly, a striking opposite of Kyouya, but is equally enjoyable.

What really made me into the story was the original plot. In shoujo manga, the story is almost always fluffy, cute, adorable and heartwarming. There are also those heartbreaking, tragic and sad love story. Ookami Shoujo to Kuro Ouji is a totally nonsense and new love story. A sadist and an almost-masochist making so much success is a little new in the shoujo industry.

The artwork are nicely drawn, not mind-blowing but enough to get the storyline/characters conveyed. After all, if the artwork wasn't at least decent, how will Kyouya be such a yummy eyecandy? Putting superficial preferences aside, its characters and plotline are top-notch. You've got to love Kyouya's cynicism and Erika's struggle to deal with that. But it is not recommended for everyone.... because some might find both protagonists absolutely worst....well think about it  - Will you date this guy if he was real? If yes... then its for you :)

Ookami Shoujo to Kuro Ouji Anime review

English: Wolf Girl and Black Prince

Synonyms: Ookami Shoujo to Kuroouji, Wolf Girl & Black Prince

Type: TV

Episodes: 12

Status: Finished Airing

Aired: Oct 5, 2014 to Dec 21, 2014

Producers: VAP, Yomiuri Telecasting Corporation, TYO Animations, Sentai FilmworksL, Nippon Television Network Corporation

Genres: Comedy, Romance, School, Shoujo

Duration: 24 min. per episode

Rating: PG-13 - Teens 13 or older

Check out the manga review here.

A desire for acceptance is something that most of us can relate to, and at times that can drive us to certain extremes. It's a premise that is not necessarily unique, but for a shoujo series it actually is. The clichéd trope of a spineless heroine and her tsundere love interest is all too common. However this series provides us with a slight variant; our main character is a compulsive liar and her love interest is a two-faced jerk who is content to treat her like a dog.

The story centers around Erika Shinohara, a vain 16-year-old girl who tells her friends about her romantic exploits, but she actually has no boyfriend. She claims that a handsome boy in a candid photo is her boyfriend, but it turns out that boy is a schoolmate named Kyouya Sata. She has no choice but to make him her fake boyfriend. Unfortunately, Sata may look like a sweet person, but he is actually an ultra-black-hearted sadist. Sata takes advantage of Erika's weakness and treats her like his dog.

Erika is not your traditional shoujo heroine, she's actually a plucky, resilient lead who actually seems to enjoy Kyouya's treatment. When situations arise that would stereotypically end in an angst-filled fight between our couple, Erika maintains her usual headstrong, blind determination to win over her ice-hearted prince. She does actually develop as the series progresses. Kyouya is, quite frankly, a jerk to Erika constantly and only occasionally showers her with some vague form of affection. But the series doesn't try too hard to redeem him—he has no sad backstory to fall on and his behaviour is not entirely without cause - being cynical and misanthropic seems to run in the family. The supporting cast is entertaining but they receive minimal attention or development. That is a disappointing fact about the series

In regards to the animation, the colour palette is vibrant and charming. In comparison to the manga, it actually has adapted all of the character designs quite nicely. Although it is like any other shoujo style, each design is unique and rather fitting giving each character's unique persona. Unfortunately another weak area is perhaps the soundtrack. The opening is catchy and adorable, but during the course of the series there are a few scenes with background music that just seem utterly out of place in an almost comedic sense. 

Overall, the series has enough merits to warrant it being a good shoujo anime. This certainly is not for everyone, it's not about a sweet couple that fall in love gradually—it's about two characters who are so entirely human that they are flawed and utterly unlikeable, but as a result of which, happen to be highly entertaining together.

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