Comics / Manga

Ugly Duckling's Love Revolution

By Chris Zimmerman
August 21, 2010 - 10:37

Based on a dating game from GungHo Online Entertainment, Ugly Duckling’s Love Revolution is exactly what one would expect of a series whose plot stems from a game similar to the Sims; choppy and unsatisfying. Considering its main purpose is to flesh out a plot in a game that isn’t beholden to one, there isn’t really much here that can hold reader’s attentions.

Perhaps it would be a misnomer to suggest there is no plot. It’s just totally uninteresting. The series follows an overweight school student Hitomi, as she struggles to lose weight after becoming hooked on sweets. Fortunately for her, she attends a school full of gorgeous guys whose sole purpose seems to fall in line with helping Hitomi to achieve her goal of regaining her once cute physic.

It’s hard to imagine that Hitomi was ever cute given the way she is drawn. The artist went out of their way to make sure she was grotesque, giving her a pudgy nose, beady little eyes, and a bulbous body. While I’m sure this was done for laughs, it’s hard to take the character seriously looking the way she does. This is only made worse by the fact that she is the central character meant to carry the series. Luckily, her portrayal isn’t limited to her physical appearance, as she does prove to be more likable as the volume progresses, forgoing the sweets when necessary.

There isn’t much in the way of depth when it comes to the supporting cast. Chances are their back stories are given more focus in the game but given that this is a manga based on a game that hasn’t reached US shores, it falls upon the volume to introduce audiences to the characters, rather than relying on fans that probably have never heard of the game. Readers in Japan who have access to the game are more apt to know of the source material but those in the states might want to skip this one in favor of something with more substance.

Rating: 5 /10

Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12