[.ca] Hot Gimmick, Volume 1 (ISBN 1591162149)

Hot Gimmick - Great Stuff:
First thing's first: I'm not really big on the whole romance/drama genre. Granted, I like romance within a plot, but as long as that plot also consists of clashing swords, firing guns, explosive magic, and/or a large dose of kicking and punching. Hot Gimmick has none of these things. So why am I...so...addicted...to it?? The answer lies within the characters. They are down-to-earth, real people with down-to-earth real problems, complicated and yet sensible at the same time. (Well...sensible most of the time, at least.) I know you've probably heard that statement said a hundred times over before, but I really believe it. I personally can relate to Hatsumi and some of her problems, and therefore the overall tone of the manga gives you a sense of...reality, even though you are just reading a manga. Then again, I've never really become a slave to my neighbor bully. Nor has one of my childhood friends returned as a very handsome model and practically comes to live next door. That is just a preview into the life of the mild Hatsumi, who very much indeed finds herself being blackmailed by her neighbor Ryoki, and has to be at his beck and call. It's a good thing that Azusa's come back to protect Hastumi from Ryoki's "bullying", and look pretty while doing it. So is this a romance in the making between Hatsumi and model Azusa? Hmm. Guess we'll have to wait and see. I can't stress how addicting this premise itself can be. This, combined with humor throughout, makes for a greatly interesting read. The artwork is very clean and not sketchy at all, and I found it very appealing. Hot Gimmick is suited for the 16+ range, mostly just because of the open discussions of sex and whatnot. In any case, I'm really enjoying this series. And I believe that anyone who finds this type of manga interesting should at least give Hot Gimmick a look.

This is one of the best:
I wasn't sure about reading this at first because a couple of people were saying they wouldn't reccomend it to any1 under 16 and I am 13. So I decided I wsn't going to read it. But then, I saw it in my bookstore and had time to kill so I began reading it and I became addicted. So if you think you shouldn't read it, think again. This book is about a girl named Hatsumi who has never went out with any1 (Which of course makes her a virgin). Then her sister, Akane, who has went out with tons of guys and is only fourteen. She doesn't get her period and so she asks Hatsumi to go out and get her a pregnancy test. So Hatsumi, embarrassed and disgusted, hurries out and get's it. She makes it through the store and bumps into Ryoki, her childhood bully. He sees the pregnancy test and asks her if she pregnant. Then with a slip of the tongue, she accidently tells him her sister is the one who could be possiblely pregnant. So she begs him not to tell his mom, who have her whole family ignored by everyone. He's says, sure, as long she becomes his slave. So she agrees and Azusa comes, her childhood best friend and old big time crush. She begins to fall in love with Azusa and Ryoki has other plans. I've only read 1-4 of the books and so far there hasn't been anything in the them that a thirteen year old can't read...So far...

A Great Read ^_^:
Having lately sifted through manga that are poorly drawn but well written, well written but poorly drawn - all the while wanting to throw them across the room - Hot Gimmick is a breath of fresh air. The story is a (surprisingly) engaging shojo (girl's manga) that pushes all the right buttons... it's romantic without being sappy and tame, and the art is so good that it seamlessly blends into the story. Of course there are the requisite bishounen (hot guys) but they are rounded characters and not simply two-dimensional objects of affection. The female characters are not always the idealized, virginal girls that frequent other shojo like a bad stench... they are sexual, and thereby more believable (to me, anyway). And, from what I've read online about future volumes, this manga will get more and more interesting from here on out. Yay! It's manga like this that keeps me Otaku!

frustrated:
this manga sickened me. don't get me wrong, i read the whole thing and thought it had the potential to be kind of romantic, but it ended up being a story about unhealthy obsesstion and relationship abuse. i understand that love is a passionate affair of swirling emotions and non-sensical actions and what not, but there is a fine line between a healthy realtionship and an unhealthy relationship, and HG is an example of the latter. Hatsumi was treated with no repect by ryoki and was refered to, and considered a slave (which has the potential to be interesting, but was just exploitation in this instance), a dog, and a piece of luggage. she was also admitedly afraid of ryoki throughout the entire story and because of his insistance, began believing that she was stupid and worthless. this is not love. and i understand that ryoki's childhood was in some way deficient and may be the cause of his actions and thoughts, but its not ok just to accept that as an excuse for his behaviour. one of the cool things about stories is watching the characters develop into new people by learning some life lesson. Hatsumi did not grow, and neither did ryoki. this was an example of an emotionally abusive (and sometimes physically abusive) relationship that was applaued by friends and family. They show movies in high school warning kids about this kind of thing because it is wrong and all people, no matter their gender, should be treated with the dignity and respect they deserve as a human being. i shudder to think that this is socially acceptable and hope that no young girl gets a hold of it.

Stellar!:
I have never become so addicted to a manga series in such a short period of time. Honestly. I've been reading manga for a decade, and in that time, this is the only series to draw me in so quickly. I can't properly put this into words, but I highly recommend the series to anyone, for the wonderful characters and compelling story.