Manga Hilarious, Heartbreaking And Enjoyable
Riiko can't land a guy. At all. And her childhood friend Soushi doesn't pop up on her rader. So when a really eccentric salesman tells her he can give her the perfect boyfriend, Riiko practically jumps on the idea.
So the Magical Boyfriend is delivered and is just like she imagined. Obviously, because she chose his personality.
It's a shoujo manga, but with a lot of comedy added into it and ultimately brings about a Love Triangle when Soushi finally steps up and admits he loves Riiko and will not simply let Night have her.
But despite being heavy on comedy, and unfortunately a short stint of a subplot of a Bitch in Sheep's Clothing which I personally could do without, the manga is surprisingly heartbreaking and tearjerky. When more serious chapters arrive and Riiko questions her reason on why she wants a boyfriend and exactly What Measure Is a Non-Human?, the emotional aspects are still very well done.
And I'll be honest, the final chapter still turns me into a waterfall. Part of the ending is something akin to a Win By Default in my eyes, but for the most part, the ending is just a huge tearjerker and you likely will cry.
I still highly recommend reading the manga, if it's just for the comedy and the increasing absurdity of it, including Fourth Wall Jokes.
Manga Sweet, but not revolutionary.
Absolute Boyfriend is a shoujo through and through. We start with your typical normal high school girl. She’s decently pretty, but she just can’t seem to land herself a man. She laments her bad luck when, suddenly, the perfect man drops into her lap!
Sound a little familiar? Well, no one said Absolute Boyfriend was original. It’s your typical Magical Girlfriend series with a Gender Flip. It’s a little like Twilight if you replaced vampires with robots and werewolves with standoffish high school boys.
Some of the story elements (such as the intergalactic space salesman) push Willing Suspensionof Disbelief, but it’s over all a fairly decent story. The manga is well drawn and the writing is actually pretty funny. Also, unlike Twilight, the story ends with the reader feeling like the protagonist made the right choice. She could have had an idealized dream, but she chooses humanity instead. This choice makes her infinitely more relatable in my eyes. She will always fondly remember the dream relationship she had, but she realizes that relationships with real people are what are really fulfilling. Although the ending is bittersweet, the reader comes away feeling like Riiko made the right decision.
If you’re looking for something deep and revolutionary, look elsewhere. However, if you’re looking for a light manga with a sweet message, Absolute Boyfriend is the manga for you. The art is a pleasure to look at, the jokes are pretty funny, and the ultimate message is a good one. Even though it's not revolutionary, it's worth reading.