I think I really like this kind of portrayal about 'first love'. This obviously isn't first time the concept of 'first love' has been done and it surely won't be the last but I'm pretty sure that Strobe Edge is solely a 'first love' story in its purest, rawest form. The focus is 'first love' so Sakisaka-sensei does not throw in trivial things like rivalry or jealousy. Mayuka was not created as a character to be hated. She isn't a clingy/possessive, horrible person. She doesn't do anything hateful. You can't even hate her. In fact, there isn't anyone to hate in this because it isn't the point of the story. All ten of the volumes are completely on Ninako and her journey to finding love, what it really means to love and being strong enough to love someone in the deep depths of your heart even when they don't love you back. However, it isn't only Ninako's 'first love' story―it is also, Ren's, Mayuka's, Andou's and even the side characters have their 'first love' story.
From Dictionary.com,
strobe
noun. also called strobe light.
a lamp capable of producing an extremely short, brilliant burst of light, for synchronization with a camera having a high shutter speed, in order to photograph a rapidly moving object, as a bullet, for such a short duration that it will appear to be standing still.
Strobe Edge deals with many cases of 'first love'. It goes into the start of a growing first love between two individuals, into the falling of a once-great first love, the birth of a one-sided first love, into stunted first loves―this is practically the book of first love. It's painfully human in its execution. You watch the characters grow with their experiences with first love―whether they have experienced it or have just learned about it. These are characters that are completely endearing. They strive for their love, they fight for it, they learn to accept, to grow, to change―to become. This is the first love journey.
After reading this I felt like all I wanted to read was another series like Ao Haru Ride and it became slow in updating that I finally gave it the chance it deserved and really, I have probably reread the whole thing two more times and possibly will for many more times (and that is saying something since I have a hard time rereading anything―even my most adored favorites in manga or YA novels). I can't really get enough of the wistfulness I feel as I am reading it(or ing the feeling or reading it for that matter)―being enveloped in purely emotions and feelings. That, in itself is the most amazing, refreshing, gorgeous experience ever in reading shoujo. It is the reason I read shoujo.
The three things I enjoyed the most about Strobe Edge:
The bittersweet/ironic part about Ren's ex being so scared that he was going to 'fly away' from her while in reality, she was the one doing the flying. How utterly ironic
Also, how sometimes, love does die―how it doesn't last forever―no matter how great a relationship or how great a love. Things change―feelings change and not everything stays the same. It's not that the feelings don't exist anymore―just that they aren't as strong as before.
And last but not least, how it is to keep on loving someone even when they don't feel the same way. This takes great effort on anyone's part. It's painful but because it requires so much effort, it makes it all the more endearing and meaningful.
Strobe Edge begins as a seemingly ordinary shoujo with a matching ordinary heroine but get a few more pages in and maybe you'll see its charm because it is so much more than you ever imagined it to be capable of. Ninako is no ordinary heroine, Ren is no ordinary hero, Mayuka is no ordinary rival girlfriend, Andou is no ordinary playboy―it isn't what it all seems to be. It is anything but ordinary. In this, it will further prove that Sakisaka-sensei excels at bringing out the emotion and feelings in her manga.
This is the power of Sakisaka-sensei. This is her forte.
- As for the awkwardness someone mentioned, the awkwardness in Strobe Edge really isn't so much as awkward as it is realistic. Think about it. How can some instances in real life not be awkward? Painfully awkward even. So, in that sense, even though shoujomangaland is all sparkles and hearts, how is it possible to not have awkward moments?
