Megami no Libra

Before I started reading this manga, written by Sakou Watari, I was pretty excited. The art really looked good, and after reading the synopsis, I got interested in it. What you can read in it is that this is a story about Yuuki Tsumire and her life after her mother passed because of an illness. Her mother taught her to fight all the troubles, that life brings, with a smile on her face. She will do exactly that, after moving into the house of her relatives, who are rich and cold and who disowned her kindhearted mother when she became pregnant.

Now, I was never a fan of naive, weak and maybe a bit stupid heroine that you can find in so many manga. This one is no exception. Tsumire is just that but, when you think a bit more profound about her situation, you cannot not feel a bit bad for her. No one should ever stay without any parents/siblings and be alone. Her small world, that was consistent of her and her mother, and a few friends, suddenly crumbled by her mother’s death.

But that wasn’t the only thing that happens. She will get to know her mother’s family and the reason why she never knew about them. Suddenly, she will be a part of a rich family, where they accepted her but yet none of them like her. She’s alone in a huge house, she has to change a school and, without even knowing, she will become a means for various people to achieve they goals and their dreams, where Tsumire’s life and wish make no part.

The worst is, she will instantly fall in love with the first person who shows her a little bit of kindness (like a 16 years old orphan doesn’t deserve any), where she will, in order to “save” that person, no matter what, even accept a miai. She will throw away all of her future, and enter the arranged marriage they prepared for her, only because she wants to be next that person and because she thinks it’s the right way and the only thing she can do (and what about thinking of yourself and your whole life that comes and that will be changed by that foolish decision?) She’s just a lost lamb between the wolves, which has no experience to fight back, no means either, with a real need of a guardian who has only her interest in his/her mind.

Still, I do find her annoying, with her curiosity and wish to meddle in so many situations where she shouldn’t. She is bothersome and makes you think didn’t she learn from her mother to act properly/normal (although normal is different for different people). Not to mention, she will do something that her mother never would. I didn’t like the development of Tsumire’s character, which went from “I am naive and all I can do is blush because of my crush” through “now I have so many “wise” thinks to say” to “I can do everything, I’m a business woman at age of 20”.

The guy she likes…he’s supposed to be an adult and do his job. He saw how she felt but did nothing about it. He even played her little game. Then suddenly, he is having some second thoughts but even then, it isn’t something clear and defined but something half baked that puts her in even worse position.

I was pleasantly surprised by the attitude of her miai partner. He was an egoist and only thinking of himself, because of some personal reasons, but he really changed into a very reasonable person, who will really support Tsumire.

A part from very nice art, this manga didn’t make me enjoy it much. It’s really predictable and full of clichés.