It's really cute...too cute, but I like it
It has some really funny moments and some slightly emotional ones
I really hope Sachie and Rakuto end up together, but I still need to read the rest of the series ( )

Great series, typical shojo, but still fun. The Asagi clan members are hilarious ( )

First reviewed on A Weebish Book Blog

Manga is one of my most expensive obsessions, so when I spotted the first four volumes of WILD ONES at my local used bookstore for only $2.70 a piece I greedily snatched them up. I’d never heard of Kiyo Fujimara’s works, but I knew from the synopsis they’d be right up my alley. I love anything to do with the Yakuza (Japanese organized crime) and this one did not disappoint.

Sachie Wakamura’s mother passes away and leaves Sachie homeless—or so she thinks. Her estranged grandfather shows up and before she knows it, she’s the precious granddaughter of Razo Asagi, the Yazuka Boss of the Asagi clan! Her life receives a drastic makeover. To make things even more uncomfortable, she’s been assigned a beautiful and very flirty new bodyguard who keeps calling her “princess” and is so flamboyantly loyal she can’t trust a word he says. Or can she?

Rakuto: You are a precious princess. I’m prepared to give my life, if that’s what it takes.

/Sachie angrily stomps up to Rakuto and chucks her book bag at his head, narrowly missing hitting him in the face./

Sachi: Don’t say things so lightly! There are people who wanted to live but had their lives taken from them. If you’re prepared to give up your life, then you should devote it to living to the fullest instead!

Rakuto Igarashi, said bodyguard with a not-so-easy job, was an interesting guy. He’s the least Yakuza-esque of the bunch, but he’s also the most passionate about his job. The others are plenty passionate, but you get what you see when it comes to the others in the clan. You know exactly who they are the moment you spot the gaudy getup. Rakuto is the wild card (pun unintended). He looks like more like Student Council President (he is) than Yakuza member. And he’ll do anything to keep his princess safe.

If you think the Yakuza are scary…you ain’t seen Sachie the vigilante. She’s a scary gal when she spots others doing wrong—or someone in need of help. Sachie was a wonderfully developed character for shojo manga. There are many different facets to her personality. She’s both independent and strong, shy and hesitant. I liked her more than I thought I would. She’s not one to allow others to fight her battles for her – which lands her into some intense situations.

There is just something so refreshing about the Asagi clan – a fierce loyalty and deep respect of the boss that you just don’t see often in American culture. It’s familial and comforting. I love this clan of overgrown henchmen! Yeah, they’re technically bad guys, but if anything, WILD ONES has shown that you can find good in anyone and nothing is as black and white as it appears.

If you’ve read much shojo manga, you’ll realize it very rarely surprises you. It sticks to a few different formulas when it comes to plot and character development. It’s very character driven and thin plot-wise — reality will never get in the way of a happily-ever-after.

This book was a very surprising emotional whirlwind. It had me laughing my ass off, melting from adorableness, and sniffling from heartbreak. The plot might not be the most original, but it was so clever and memorable I can’t wait to binge read the rest of the series. Kiyo Fujimara has a new fan and I can’t wait to read more! ( )

I enjoyed this first volume, but there are already signs that the series probably won't be able to sustain itself very well for the 10 volumes I think it lasts. If Sachie weren't so blind, and if Rakuto weren't so averse to speaking about his true feelings, this series could have easily ended in one or two volumes. From what I could tell, Sachie's grandfather probably wouldn't mind if Sachie and Rakuto started dating – in fact, my current theory is that Sachie's grandfather is hoping they'll start dating. The other yakuza members would throw a fit, but they'd eventually be okay with it, too, as long as Sachie made it clear that Rakuto made her happy. There doesn't seem to be any obstacles keeping Rakuto and Sachie apart that they don't create themselves.

Even so, I found this volume appealing. There's not much here that lovers of shoujo romance haven't seen a million times before, except possibly the yakuza stuff that acts as background for everything, but then again the “criminals with hearts of gold” thing has been done before, too. “More of the same” isn't necessarily a bad thing, as long as you enjoy it and don't expect too much. This first volume hit some of the same notes I tend to enjoy in a lot of other shoujo manga.

There are the usual storylines in which the characters demonstrate that they have feelings for each other, even though they may not always be completely aware of those feelings. The bit with the girl who tried to steal Rakuto away, after essentially giving a guy friend of hers permission to do whatever he wanted to Sachie, is not unusual in shoujo manga – something similar popped up in Yuu Watase's Absolute Boyfriend. The “hero and heroine met and first fell in love when they were children, even though one of them no longer remembers this” storyline also pops up in manga a lot – Natsuki Takaya's Fruits Basket is a good example. Not everything that happens is something I can remember seeing in another manga, but the overall tone of this series feels, so far, like a lot of other stuff out there.

Rakuto is, of course, hot. He's also an outrageous flirt, who uses that as a mask for his true feelings. Sachie is the nice, ordinary girl who, at first, feels like she's completely out of her depth with her yakuza family, but there are plenty of signs that she's going to get along with them just fine. The only reason this works at all is because the dangerous side of yakuza life is either minimized or used to humorous effect. Anytime Sachie screams, the guys think there's a raid. The guys break a few of Rakuto's ribs as punishment for entering Sachie's mother's former room, but the beating isn't shown, and the only effect broken ribs seems to have on Rakuto is to make him collapse (after he intimidates the guy who was bothering her, of course). If anything, being wounded only makes him sexier, because it emphasizes just how much self-control he has and shows that he's willing to do what he has to for Sachie's sake.

At least, that's the reaction I think Fujiwara was going for. I couldn't help but think that it was unnecessary for Rakuto to take that beating. Did he really believe that Sachie's grandfather would punish her for making an honest mistake? Or that, if he punished her, it would be something worse than maybe being grounded? Sachie's grandfather's household is generally presented as a happy, family-like sort of place, but then there are things that make me wonder, like Sachie remembering her mother saying that her father (Sachie's grandfather) scared her, or the possibility that Rakuto believed that Sachie might be physically punished for accidentally entering her mother's old room.

Overall, as long as I just took this as a light romantic comedy, I liked this manga. I don't know that it'll have the staying power for 10 volumes, but I guess I'm going to find out, because I own several more volumes of this. Here's hoping that Fujiwara brings in some actual romantic obstacles. And also, here's hoping that she eventually starts drawing Sachie consistently. I'm a sucker for clean lines and good use of screentone, both of which this manga has, but Fujiwara doesn't always seem to be able to get Sachie's proportions right. In some panels, she looks like the 15-year-old she's supposed to be, and in other panels she looks like a child with a bobble head and scrawny body. Then there's the first time Sachie and Rakuto met in this volume – in that scene, both Sachie and Rakuto have enormous right hands.

If I were to give this a grade, I'd probably give it a C. It's definitely not bad, and those who are newbies to the world of shoujo manga may enjoy it, but if you read as much shoujo manga as I do it's not really anything spectacular.

Extras:

Author sidebars, which actually include a bit of information relating the manga but still manage not to be terribly memorable; 2 pages of cultural notes (not much info, but still helpful); a few short, funny little comics starring the Wild Ones characters.

(Original review, with read-alikes and watch-alikes, posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.) ( )

When Sachie's mother dies, she goes to live with her grandfather and a house full of yakuza. One really cute young guy is assigned to be her bodyguard. A rather enviable thing for her. What makes this series so much fun is a combination of the beautiful art of Kiyo Fujiwara and the fabulous personalities of the characters. The yakuza are surprisingly lovable; Sachie is cute, drools at the mention of food and stands up for those in need; Azuma is really good at dealing with children and loves well; Rakuto is perfect and sarcastic on the surface, but entirely steadfast and loving below.

I remember being really caught up in this one. I loved the relationships and the artwork. There was a nice balance between humor and melodrama. ( )