Absolute Boyfriend

Absolute Boyfriend

by Yuu Watase

Viz Media, 2006
ISBN 1421500167
191 pages

3.5 (out of 5) STARS

Plot Summary

Shy high school student Riko Izawa aches for a boyfriend but guys just won't look her way. Then one day she signs up for a three-day trial of a mysterious "lover figurine," and the next thing she knows, a cute naked guy is delivered to her doorstep--and he wants to be her boyfriend!Has Riko died and gone to heaven? The cute naked guy turns out to be smart, super nice, stylish and a gourmet chef. Plus, he looks like a million bucks.... Trouble is, that's about what he's going to cost Riko because she didn't return him in time! (www.goodreads.com)

Evaluation

Riiko is an interesting character. She really wants a boyfriend and orders one online. Though I don’t believe she thought a boyfriend would actually arrive. But what is so complex is that after all of Riiko’s longing for a boyfriend she keeps leaving him at home. She will keep home from school and then immediately leave. Also when Night (the name Riiko gives the absolute boyfriend) decides to enroll and attend the same school as Riiko, she tells him to pretend like they do not know each other. But then of course, Riiko gets jealous when all the girls start paying attention to Night because he is after all the absolute boyfriend.

Despite my annoyance with Riiko, I did actually enjoy this book. Absolute Boyfriend was the fifth manga book I have read for this assignment and it was definitely my favorite thus far. I enjoyed dreaming of my own absolute boyfriend. I also enjoyed the love triangle between Riiko, Night and Riiko’s neighbor Soshi. I found Night to be a very funny character. Most clients order these absolute boyfriends to be sex toys. So Night arrives naked and keeps taking his clothes off at inopportune times. This behavior makes Riiko very flustered and it is quite humorous.

I thought the art was fantastic. I have included a picture below of Riiko, Night and Soshi. Although this manga was drawn in black and white, seeing the picture in color makes me interested to read this in color. Usually I am mostly indifferent but I think I would enjoy this book in color.

Reviews

Cornog, M. (2006). Absolute Boyfriend. Library Journal, 131(15), 45.

A less positive review can be found at http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/absolute-boyfriend-gn-1.