Title: Just A Girl Volume(s): 2 Author(s): Tomoko Taniguchi Format: Unflipped; Right-to-Left Publisher: CPM Press MSRP: $9.99 Genre(s): Romance Rated: Teen (13+)

One of the main reasons I hear from people on why they prefer shoujo over shounen is that shoujo manga series are usually full of "melodramatic conflicts." This fact is hard to debate when you consider that several of the most popular shoujo's like "Kare Kano," "Fruits Basket," and "Boys Over Flowers," are all series that are ripe with conflicts. From melodrama, to misunderstandings, to relationship problems, to family issues, the most succesful shoujo series usually contain heavy doses of melodramatic moments and elements. Keep in mind this is not a bad thing, because with shoujo, the more melodrama there is to be found, the more enjoyable the series seems to be. With that said, it may come as a shock to find out that the biggest draw of Tomoko Taniguchi's "Just A Girl" series is that the series isn't really melodramatic at all. There are problems, and there are conflicts, but everything about them are minor issues, and situations get resolved withen pages of them starting (sometimes panels).

The story of "Just A Girl" revolves around a girl named Erica, who is out of high school and ready to live an independant life away from her parents. The only problem is that Erica doesn't really know anyone in this area, and the only friends she has are her stuffed animals and a lifelong friend who happens to be a boy named Minoruji. Then one day, she meets a pretty girl named Rene, and decides that she wants to be friends with her. Despite the fact that Rene doesn't seem to want to be friends with Erica, Erica persists, and before you know it, they become friends and find they have a lot in common. And this is all I really want to talk about when it comes to the story. While there is more to the story then two girls becoming friends, "Just A Girl" is quite short (only two volumes long), and I don't want to describe the series to a point where there's nothing left for you to read for yourself. Lets just say that like most shoujo, there are conflicts in "Just A Girl." Conflicts include love triangles, misunderstandings, and sometimes just being in the wrong place at the wrong time. The nice thing about the problems in "Just A Girl" is the way the characters deal with the problems.

There have been tons of shoujo series I've read where the only thing driving the story forward are conflicts, and when the conflicts appear the author normally has no idea how to handel the situation then to have the characters act like complete morons and stretch a problem out for many volumes when the situation could be solved if everyone would talk like a normal human being for five minutes. In this series there are a couple of misunderstandings, but instead of stretching out the misunderstanding with one of the characters acting like its the end of the world, the author will normally have someone in this series go up to said person and ask that person about what she/he just saw. I can not tell you how shocking and satifying it was to see problems in this book get tackled head on with good old fashioned communication, instead of the way things are usually done in shoujo. Some people may question whether or not a series can stay interesting when conflicts don't last too long, but this series prove that it can. Since all the characters are smart enough to do the most logical thing, we find ourselves getting attached to these chatacters, as all the characters end up being extremely likable and fun to read about. This is not to say that "Just A Girl" is without its problems of course. One of the biggest things you'll notice is that this is a short series, with a mere two books to enjoy before the whole thing is over. Sometimes being short is good, but in this case you feel like you just get to know these characters when you have to leave them.

Also, while the artwork is cute and vibrant, the author draws most of these characters looking much younger then they are really supposed to be, and it is a little jarring at times to see people who look like they're fourteen going to college, working, and getting into mature relationships. This is in no way to suggest that "Just A Girl" is for mature readers (it's actually probably suitable for people of all ages), it's just kind of, I don't know...weird. Then there is the fact that while "Just A Girl" is a very enjoyable series, it's not nessicarly a revolutionary one, nor are you really missing out on anything if you choose to never read it. However these problems are small potatoes when you look at the whole picture. "Just A Girl" may not be essential reading, but every now and then it is nice to read a sophiticated manga that relies more on heart then cheap story twists to get the reader interested in the characters lives. This is exactly where "Just A Girl" makes its mark: There is nothing extreme or big going on in the series, and the fact that there is nothing big or extreme in the series makes the series worth reading. "Just A Girl" is a nice, simple, sweet story that is easy to get caught up in. And lets be honest folks, there aren't nearly enough series like this that don't require big things to grap your attention. While I can't recomend "Just A Girl" as anything more then a short, fun, sweet little romp, it's something that is definetly worth getting if that is exactly what you are looking for in a manga series.

- -Review By Kevin T. Rodriguez- -