Can a manga be sweet enough to make your teeth hurt … yes. Choco Mimi volume 1 from Viz is just such a manga. It skews young in its audience and art direction and, oddly enough, will feel familiar to fans of the older Garfield comic collections. So first up, the story then art that Konami Sonoda created …
Choco and her best friend Mimi are eight graders. They have all the world changing issues which face those of their age. What clothes to wear, which trends to follow, how to pursue that boy you like but can’t admit to liking and of course how to just get by in class. These two friends grow together along with their teacher Mr. Take, Chiffon, Mimi’s dog and two boys. Mumu is a quirky, fashion conscious boy while Ando is the cool, don’t really care type who just happens to be growing closer with Choco. The four together enjoy the seasons, festivals and each others company and everyone enjoys a good time.
Ok, so the story is young, I said that before. This is part of the VizKids line and from that aspect the story is perfect. It is not set into huge chapters and instead reads like four and five panel US comics strips, thus the Garfield reference. There is no major story thread, just kids enjoying each others company. The art reflects the audience as these are very kiddie looking characters and the fashion sense is over the top. This is the only area of caution as I could see some more conservative parents not wanting their kids to dress in this manner, but hey, those kids won’t be reading manga right? So the art and story is very kid friendly but what sets Choco Mimi apart? The extras.
This book is filled with fashion tips, cut outs that readers can color and decorate as well as recipes and a guide to one specific bear toy. Choco Mimi feels like a scrap book collection of so much sweetness that little girls will just eat it up. Fun characters, fun experiences and tons of extras make Choco Mimi the perfect book for that young fashionista in your family.
Choco and her best friend Mimi are eight graders. They have all the world changing issues which face those of their age. What clothes to wear, which trends to follow, how to pursue that boy you like but can’t admit to liking and of course how to just get by in class. These two friends grow together along with their teacher Mr. Take, Chiffon, Mimi’s dog and two boys. Mumu is a quirky, fashion conscious boy while Ando is the cool, don’t really care type who just happens to be growing closer with Choco. The four together enjoy the seasons, festivals and each others company and everyone enjoys a good time.
Ok, so the story is young, I said that before. This is part of the VizKids line and from that aspect the story is perfect. It is not set into huge chapters and instead reads like four and five panel US comics strips, thus the Garfield reference. There is no major story thread, just kids enjoying each others company. The art reflects the audience as these are very kiddie looking characters and the fashion sense is over the top. This is the only area of caution as I could see some more conservative parents not wanting their kids to dress in this manner, but hey, those kids won’t be reading manga right? So the art and story is very kid friendly but what sets Choco Mimi apart? The extras.
This book is filled with fashion tips, cut outs that readers can color and decorate as well as recipes and a guide to one specific bear toy. Choco Mimi feels like a scrap book collection of so much sweetness that little girls will just eat it up. Fun characters, fun experiences and tons of extras make Choco Mimi the perfect book for that young fashionista in your family.
