Nisekoi: False Love Volume 25 manga review…
Bringing a harem manga to a satisfying conclusion can be a tricky business. Any romantic finale runs the risk of alienating all those readers who want the main character to end up with their favourite choice of partner, rather than the author’s. Take the final volume of manga rom-com Nisekoi, where Raku Ichijo – the reluctant teenage heir to a yakuza syndicate – must finally choose between his two love interests.
Will he pick mobster’s daughter Chitoge Kirisaki? Initially forced to pretend to be in love to keep the peace between rival gangs, the series has seen them fall for each other for real. Or will he select Kosaki Onodera, the sweet candy-making girl whom he has had a crush on for a decade? The decision may hinge on the contents of the locket that our hero has held onto for so long, but new feelings might sway Raku in another direction at the very end.
Depending on whether you’re Team Chitoge or Team Kosaki, you may feel let down by Nisekoi’s ending. What you won’t be able to fault is the overall quality of the storytelling that has kept this series going, nor its characters, nor the artwork. In addition to the central love triangle, the sub-stories charting the romances of the minor characters are also handled well. Nisekoi has been fun, charming and not too filled with fanservice – well, except for the lengths that Chitoge’s bodyguard Tsugumi has to go to prove she is actually a girl, that is! Reviewed by Ian Wolf
INFO
Credits: Naoshi Komi
Publisher: Viz Media
Release Date: Out Now
Price: £6.99
Rating: 13+
© Naoshi Komi 2011
I adore series with love triangles, but I’m always afraid of how the series is going to chose to end things. Usually I end up being pretty happy, or at least content with the ending, but some part of me always wishes they could all be together (I love ot3s too much). One series that I’m reading right now, The Greatest Wolf Of My Life, has the same kind of dynamic. It’s about an average girl, a kpop star and a famous webtoon artist. I’m really enjoying this series so far because it’s kind of reversed from the typical harem that you see, and because the series is manging to keep things interesting without relying too much on drama.