THE REVIEWS
I feel like a salesman haha...but here goes the reviews I'll be adding as I receive from some of the people who bought the doujinshi :D This might as well be where I can get some inspiration from XD This is just from people who took the time to write more indepth review :D If you would like to send one, please feel free to!
Letter 1
I received the package yesterday, and I have to say that it was worth every penny. ^_^ I was pleasantly surprised by all the little extras you added to my order - the giveaway, the little Butterfly image, and so forth - and very much appreciate your generosity.
I absolutely adored the doujinshi itself. Your artwork is fantastic, all simplicity and sweeping gestures and easy lines. It's beautiful, and I enjoyed everything from expressions to backgrounds to details. One thing I especially liked were Hikaru's earrings; I had the lovely (and slightly ecchi) thought of Haruhi playing with them - using her tongue. XD Perhaps when they're a little further into the relationship, and Haruhi would actually consider doing that. :X
I also loved the front cover image, and got the impression that the paint (and its effect) showed the softness of the two characters' relationship. The blue outlining their eyes really drew me into the picture, perhaps because I think of blue as the sky - so they see each other as one another's sky.
Last but not least, I love the story. Haruhi's stunning awareness into the difference between all her friends, particularly Hikaru, plays so well off of his own ineptitude (sorry, Hika-chan! ^^;;;) Yet he's gentle with her, as if she could be broken - or break him! They make a good couple, and I like seeing Hikaru force himself to grow up. It's got great pacing, taking their friendship and slowly encouraging it to move into a romance. I'm really enjoying myself, as you can tell. ^_^
If/When you ever decide to continue Growing Up, I would gladly purchase the rest of the series. It's well worth it for such a professional piece of artwork. Thank you again!
Yours truly,
Kristin
Letter 2
Let me start by saying that this doujinshi is presented in such an excellent, professional manner. The outside cover is so sleek, and the printed quality of the lineart inside is so high! And it was such a great choice to choose a type of binding that lets the reader bend the pages without damaging the book. That’s a great plus for a reader like me.
The story itself was a joy to read through. You've captured the characters personalities so well. Of course, Hikaru was flawless. His inner monologues and ever-cute blush moments reflected his soft side while you still managed to portray his silly side. And I cannot forget the vulnerable side that hates to part with his brother. You characterized him SO well that I was forgetting that I was reading a fan-manga. There really aren’t that many people that can pull that off, so you score big points with the story and characters. Kaoru's inclusion was so sweet and really showed his maturity. I was very glad to read his part. The story itself was executed so well~ You shine in the storytelling department. <3
Your art is so charming and well done. It was so infused with the Ouran spirit, but with the added flair of your awesome style. Probably my most favorite part of your art is how detailed the expressions are. I was amazed (and jealous!) at how you easily drew hard-to-capture emotions. They were so well done that my sister caught me unknowingly imitating each character’s expression as I passed them on each page. I only do that with manga and novels I really love… Both the inking and toning were very well done. Though, what really caught my eye was the paneling and bubble placement. Again, it was so professional! Every little scene and piece of dialogue moved so smoothly. (After noticing how well everything was placed, I went on a “study this doujin’s panels!” session. It really helped me learn quite a few things. I bet no one else did that~!)
Honestly, it's hard for me to say much about the art because it really appealed to me and I simply liked it so much. And it's difficult for me to describe something I really like… Let me just say that I loved goggling at it randomly for long periods of time.
There were two scenes that I really liked. One was the part when the twin servants tied up Hikaru and left him outside Haruhi’s door. The comedy there… XD It just made me laugh. It was very Ouran-esque. The second one was the final scene with Haruhi, particularly the parts where she asked if Hikaru was going to kiss her hand and ESPECIALLY the part where Hikaru grinned. It was just…too cute… I really couldn't help walking around with a grin after that. It put a smile on my face for the rest of the day.
Whenever I buy a manga, the first thing I do is flip to the back and see if there are any sketches, notes, or other miscellaneous extras. When I found that yours had four pages of extras, I was really tickled. <3 I feel that including sketches gave the doujinshi a more “complete” feel, like “Ah, what a great read! Oh wait, there’s more~!” I’d like to thank you so much for including those pages. I would love to see even more pages of extras in part two.
I’m so happy that I got a taste of your comic art. I would purchase another doujin or original manga from you in a heartbeat. Thank you so much for creating it! I'm really looking forward to part two~ Good luck with everything and again, thank you so much for sharing such a cute, Hikaru-blushing Ouran fan-comic! You’ve just snagged another die-hard gem2niki fan~
Gladyfaith
Letter 3
I'm glad you inform you that I have received my doujinshi. =] I thought it was very good and enjoyed it a lot. I'm looking forward to another! I was also very excited to find a free give away and I'd like to thank you very much for it. X3 Again, thank you for the doujinshi, I loooved it!
Sarah
Letter 4
It was really funny, I like how Hikaru would go 'OOC Haruhi!' that made me laugh for a while lol and I liked the part when Hikaru was waiting in front of Haruhi's house that was cute~ hmmm....I also liked how deep it was, you know about the twins situation and how Haruhi is to them, how she's more than just a 'toy'. It all just seemed like something I would expect in the manga XD T^T but Hatori has yet to do it. lol I was expecting more, but it says 'to be continued...' so I'm hoping there's going to be a part two >w> and of course the art is awesome~ XD I like it when Hikaru blushes lol
Stephanie
Letter 5
-Yay for HikaxHaru! XD It is really something that lacks in the newest chapters so I am happy to be able to read a bit of HikaxHaru cute moments!
-It is great that you could keep everyone in character. Haruhi is as blunt as always and even if Hikaru isn't his mischevious character, I can easily picture him like that in the manga : confused and shy about his own feelings. Kaoru is thinking about growing apart as a necessity like he did before chapter 53 and even tricks Hikaru to separate him from him, it sounds so much like Kaoru ^^. You haven't really developped the other host club members but there is nothing shocking in whatever they do.
- Like you, I like HikaxHaru because it brings out a shy Hikaru. Seems like you worked quite a bit on Hikaru's expressions, because they are gorgeous : grinning Hikaru, Sd Hikaru and especially blushing Hikaru, confused Hikaru, Hikaru with a longing expression. I really like the expressions he has. I shipped HikaxHaru since chapter 3 in the manga, when he bited the cookie from Haruhi's mouth. At that time I saw him like a mischevious person which was confident on his look. I waited for such a character to truely care for her and be confused because of these unusual feelings (even though it might be cliché <_<).. In the manga he has indeed acknowledged he was in love with her but in your doujinshi he thinks deeply of his relationship with Haruhi, which is what I like , something I waited for in the manga ^^
-I really like the part where he is musing about his relationship with Haruhi, what she means to him, noticing that he doesn't consider her a toy anymore but an important person. I found this part really touching T_T and the best part of this doujinshi.
-Hikaru has hugged Haruhi quite a few times, nee? ^^ It is true that in the manga he "likes to touch her" but when I see your drawings, it seems more to me that he hugs her because she is really important to him, to acknowledge that she is by his sides (or am I imagining things? @_@) In the manga, it seems more casual to me....well it is just what I feel about it <_<. In the HikaxHaru fanfic I read, there were quite a few times where Hikaru hugged Haruhi like she was the most precious thing in the world and I have always wanted to see it ^^. They may not be lovers (at least yet) but in your doujinshi I could feel some feelings (am I making sense? @_@)
-I think you're doing well in the funny parts, with the dialog and the drawings associated to them.
-Honey's drawing was a bit weird on one page (but I don't really care anyway). There are some contrast in the drawings : Hikaru, Haruhi and Kyouya (I was surprised that you drew Kyouya this well) were better drawn than the others. But you draw them well, makes me wonder if you bought the Ouran sketch book.....
-Yay for a half naked Hikaru! ^^ (I know it isn't important but I LIKE it! I shouldn't be so superficial :$)
-Hikaru is well dressed too. I have always thought he would look good with several ear piercings ^^.
-This chapter is a good start, though I wonder if you have some plot in the following chapters (I didn't read the others yet) :/ Because I can't really guess where the story is going <_<. Or could it be that you will make Hikaru slowly aknowledge his feelings by spending time with Haruhi, and then once Kaoru returns Hikaru will be finished with his growing up and will be together with Haruhi? Hmmmmm......might work.... I have always thought that the most difficult thing in a fanfic was to have a well written plot and a nice ending. There is so much fics where the author doesn't know what to do once the main characters are together....
Anyway this fic isn't a disappointment at all as I enjoyed reading it as I would enjoy reading a good HikaxHaru fic, but with pics! It is indeed a bit expensive (1 chapter for 15$) , but I guess it can't be helped since you're drawing everything with your own hands, which must be quite time consumming. Anyway, I hope you will continue this doujinshi :)!
Maboroshi
Letter 6
I just got it today and it is beautiful! The packaging is just wonderful and really professional looking. I appreciate all the added bonuses you included. (Prints + Business Card).
The story is incredibly heartwarming!!! It was a delight to see the other hosts and the way they acted was very much in character. It really really made me miss watching the anime. I still follow the manga though and may I say, you mimic the genre and Hatori Bisco's style fairly well.
From the soft toning and pensive expressions to the speech bubbles and how you can distinguish Kyouya as the speaker (XD), it is evident that this doujinshi is prepared and handcrafted with loving attention by a dedicated fan.
As a non-HikaHaru shipper, I am especially pleased to see that the story is believable and stays true to the characters' nature. The very idea that you chose to leave off the story where it ended signals to me that you are careful not to rush things and provide your readers with a faulty story.
Laurianne