Absolute Boyfriend/Zettai Kareshi Mini Review (manga)
September 17th, 2007 by Lianne
PG-16 for sexual content and some robotic and un-robotic nudity; official series website
Yuu Watase’s recent romantic comedy for the older ladies was a staple in Viz’s Shoujo Beat magazine until all 6 volumes played themselves out. Absolute Boyfriend is a mild satire on the whole “love robot” genre, this time having a lonely teenage girl order a hot teenage boy (robot) over the Internet. Although the story buys into itself too much, and even though the main character and her human love interest are really lame, this series makes some excellent fun of both female sexuality and the EXTREME STUPIDITY OF THE LOVE ROBOT GENRE. Is it really that hot when your toy boyfriend starts sparking when you try to make out? However, in classic Yuu Watase style, the greatness of her good parts is sadly balanced out by the crappiness of her bad parts: the robot is the only likeable character, and over time the plot feels like one-shot sex gags that don’t go anywhere. There’s a lot of good in here, but there’s also a lot to roll your eyes at.
Update: The manga’s ending has been known to make legions of grown women cry, so it’s not as superficial a story as it starts out as. And the first few episodes I’ve seen of the live-action drama, although quite different from the manga in a lot of ways (the heroine is in her 20s instead of a teenager, and her human love interest is completely different), is very good. I’ve heard people write it off because of the changes from the manga, but please. This manga was very flawed to begin with. A little change can be a good thing – give the drama a try.
Educated Impression: Worth a try if you’re patient, over 16, and don’t hate Yuu Watase. (Lianne)
Tried it – gave up!
I own all six volumes of Absolute Bofriend because I’m patient, over 16, and like Yuu Watase. Volume 1-3 were great. But it got really obscure after that. I liked the way Watase ended the manga. And the recent live-action is enjoyable.
Eh. I’m patient, and definitely mature enough to get the whole “parody of love-robots” thing. But to me it didn’t seem enough like a parody, and just a cliche-filled story of one of Yuu Watase’s few lackluster heroines. Don’t get me wrong; I love Watase-sama’s work (especially on Ceres, Alice 19, and the early volumes of Imadoki) and all, but I just couldn’t get into AB. Perhaps the reason I didn’t catch the irony first time around was because I was reading it in SB, where it was presented not as a laugh at the robot-lover genre, but as pure sparkle-eyed sincerity.
The live action drama was amazing! It was witty and charming, I think more than the manga was. It was different than a lot of shoujo type drama where you can predict the ending by the first chapter. Must see it’s hilarious
Absolute Boyfriend is the very first manga I ever read in my life and just like a first love, I will never forget it. It will always be my favorite, because it was my first. Incidentally, I happen to be part of the legion of grown women who cried at the end…hehe…(sobbed myself to sleep if I remember correctly)…Now I’m totally hooked on manga and anime (not sure if it’s a good thing though) (^o^)…and love ALL of Yuu Watase’s works…
This was one of the mangas that really did Yuu Watase in, at least for me. yes, i cried at the end, angrily, and yes i hate yuu watase. i tried reading Ceres after Absolute Boyfriend, and that really just bumped her off the bus. the tolerable manga-ka bus.
Yuu Watase is more a tragedy writer than anything else, and her female characters get more and more the same; minor to major love conflicts, resulting between a light-haired man and a dark-haired man. let me tell you something, the light-haired man usually wins.
I’m pretty sure Fushigi Yuugi: Mysterious Play had a happy ending though. I don’t know, i never read it. Currently I am attempting to finish up the last manga that I will ever read by Yuu Watase; Fushigi Yuugi Genbu Kaiden, and only because i’m too far in to wade out of it now. I at least have to know how it ends right? Even though I know she probably dies from tuberculosis. yeah, that’s right, tuberculosis. god. sometimes, I just…nevermind.
ha! I wouldn’t cry over a doll. I was hoping something would happen to Night in order for her to be able to be with Soshi; a real person.
I LOVE ABSOLUTE BOYFRIEND. !!!! Even if i knew from the start that they could never be together. I love it so much even if its a tragic ending
My favorite of all manga but it sucks that when I want to read it again ( cause i borrowed it from mt bff) and its not in any libray