Print Review: VB Rose volumes 1-2

Review VB Rose volumes 1-2Written by WarpshadowRating very good

One think I find lacking in many shojo manga stories is a heroine with a bit of a life outside of whatever boy she is to fall in love with. It’s really nice that this manga isn’t lacking that.

Ageha Shiroi had always been close to her sister Hibari but all of that started to change when said sister got engaged. Since Ageha loved weddings in general she went along to the wedding dress shop but made a big scene and ended up injouring the hand of one of the workers there. Even though she was angry she didn’t want to ruin her sister’s big day and so she offered to work at the shop in order to make sure that her sister’s dress is finished on time. She shows that she has some skill with dress making and decides to stay on as a part time worker. What will become of her as she becomes more familiar with the two handsome men who work at the store?

I have said before that a way to tell if a shoujo manga is really good or not is to look at the lead female. Using this rubric I can say VB Rose is a very good manga as Ageha is one of the most well rounded shoujo leads that I have seen. From what I have seen of the rest of the cast the mangaka has enough skill to make them feel fully human as well. The manga doesn’t start out with a romantic plotline but those looking for one shouldn’t despair for one starts to develop organically in volume two. I am quite impressed with this manga’s art style as it is elegent when it needs to be but is otherwise clean and economical. Overall I found VB Rose to be an enjoyable read that is worth buying.