Mountain high. Mt. Monkey!Thanks to animemiz’s article, I finished reading Saruyama. I’m not a big manga reader myself, but I loved this manga. The concept is wonderful. A royal princess ends up with a proletarian boy! Something that never happens in reality, i.e., 3-D.
Haruna Aizawa is a transfer student, used to live a life of ojosama. Because of her father’s political scandal, she lost all her friends from her previous school including her boyfriend, and found herself quite lonely in a new school environment. High and low. From heaven to hell. Sooner or later, everyone finds out that she was a daughter of a corrupt politician. Well, of course, it’s all over the news, 24 hour cable news like CNN and C-Span.
Haruna is an extremely good looking girl that every guy dreams to date, but pretty sulky and even detached, cynical on anything, calling her school “Mt. Monkey.” An ex-ojosama wasn’t happy at all. Yet, surprisingly she ends up with Macharu, aka “little monkey,” that’s how he’s called by his classmates, far from an alpha male type, a jester of the class, gets teased around by everyone, a lowest of monkey hierarchy, a fool employed by royal court, unsophisticated simpleton, can’t talk anything deep. But Haruna ends up with him!
Now, why was Macharu able to date her? Well, she was in the lowest point in her life. She lost all her respect for her father, almost reminds me of Muneo Suzuki. So her family is in crisis and her school life too. But in time like these, Macharu’s innocent stupidity, his natural silliness made her laugh. And he has a smile that accepts everything, even her dark past. Yes, his smile is very therapeutic. And his caring heart exudes when he lent his umbrella to her on rainy day…
And why did girls become really supportive? At first girls were pretty harsh on Haruna because she wasn’t friendly and diplomatic, and moreover, Atsu, the alpha male, locked his eye on her, so that made girls really jealous. But after they found out Haruna’s been with Macharu, they suddenly became supportive. That was really a laughable moment. If Haruna ended up with Atsu, she would’ve been shunned by the entire female population. Oh man, what could’ve happened to her in lady’s room…it’s too scary to imagine. Yes, they rather see Haruna go out with Macharu, so the threat would be gone, therefore girls are all happy.
The only thing I don’t like about this manga, it just took them too long for the birds and bees. It was unimaginable back in the 70s. The world is impermanent. You know, we only got a very limited time till 2012. 12/12/2012, exactly two years from today! Why wait that long? Just get to the point!
Ah, after reading this manga, I always carry an umbrella in my trunk. But here is California, it hardly rains. So, my romantic opportunity is very thin. Can’t dance to Singing In The Rain. Should I move to Cherbourg?
Ah, girls, why are they so cute? How I wish to hold her hand, hanging out around a big X-mas tree at the square at night. Yet, no one agrees to… Don’t they realize they need a good hearted boy in time like these since the Lehman shock? Yes, I’m an indigo child, 17 years old at heart, and that makes me a natural jester, the Joker is me. Yes, indeed I’m therapeutic like Macharu.
Right now America is moving toward ownership society again since the latest election, and ownership is all about risk management, right? Dating a little monkey is the least risky thing to do. I am the least risky guy to date. I’m a wholehearted earnest person. They don’t have to worry about skating on thin ice. They’re not gonna lose any girlfriends. You don’t lose anything from dating me. I’m always free. I’m the freest guy on earth. There is no competition around me, yet I’m young and nubile, so why don’t they just go ahead and date me? It’s time for eco-love (more economical aspects, etc, house-date, going dutch, different from Western eco-romance, more ecological aspects). That’s the message I want to convey to 3-D girls as Xmas holiday gift.
Otherwise, I have to remain in 2-D, being a moetical jester…
Interesting comparison MLM.. ^_^
Well this was definitely also a surprise attraction for me.. so I ended up also throwing it several years late onto my GMGG list..
I am really glad that you enjoyed the story, though what I didn’t mentioned in the review I wrote before is that take shoujo with a grain of salt.. there are quite a few predictable component, but definitely want happened to the couple int he latter part of the series was a bit of a surprise for me.
Hmm an indigo child aye?
@animemiz
Thank you for the comment!
Yes, I really enjoyed it. Thanks for introducing that manga. A story from girl’s perspective was really interesting, extremely cute, very ecstatic indeed. Yes, the latter part was a little off. Didn’t her father lose status?
The title is pretty good, Mt. Monkey, she only calls her school like that, but to me, 3-D itself is Mt. Monkey.
Yes, indigo child. A wholehearted boy, seeking for girl’s afffection, i.e., skinship…
Well the father as for most fallen politicians might want to be regaining status.. so to say.. and if there is such a relationship.. good for parental approval then.
Well, I wish her father was put in prison for corruption charge like Duke Cunningham, so the relationship wouldn’t be that troublesome. Too bad he still believes like Nixon that “I’m not a crook.” Of course, I’m fully aware that wouldn’t make manga interesting enough to read… 🙂