Grade 8 Up–Fourteen-year-old Naka, an aspiring model, has a perfect body and beautiful, silken hair, but when she gets nervous, her face takes on a horrible expression reminiscent of a criminal. Never landing a job, she is dubbed Longshot. On the other hand, Umi is a top model who is awarded all the best jobs and earns the admiration of all those around her. When Naka finds one of Umi's personal appointment cards, she discovers a startling secret–Umi is really a boy. To protect his secret, he gets Naka modeling jobs and the two form a unique relationship. This gender-bending shojo tale relies heavily on slapstick and light romance to drive the plot. The art, typical manga fare, offers its readers many chibi (or deformed) characters to convey the overall mood. There is a decent amount of angst between Naka and Umi, and a will they or won't they sense of wonder about their relationship. Teen girls may be interested in this silly, bubbly title and its take on fashion and gender roles, even if it is somewhat lacking in substance. It will most likely fare well in libraries with a strong demand for shojo manga.–Jennifer Feigelman, Goshen Public Library and Historical Society, NY
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