I finally finished another series. Things are finally calming down so I can read again.That being said, Special A was a very enjoyable series. It was sweet and easy going. Definitely a series to read when needing an easy, light hearted read.
Special A is about a girl who wants to beat a boy. Her whole life she has always come in second place with him being first. In every competition they have, he wins. Grades, he wins. Sports, he wins. Everything, he wins. He affectionately calls her, "Ms. No. 2." The rest of the series is about her finally realizing that he likes her and that she loves him. There is a mix of other characters, mainly in this SA class, and their romantic relations too.
My biggest critique is the plot. There isn't much of an over arching theme or story over the whole series. There are lots of jumps from this person to that person and their feelings and romantic moments, but it doesn't have a strong plot. Even the idea of constantly wanting to beat Takashima at any challenge is put on the back burner for major portions of the series. There are also plot points that seem very similar to other series that I've read, such as Maid-Sama or Ouran High School Host Club. Wealthy guy and poor girl with class differences, flights across the world to "save" the boy, etc. It seems to be a trend from books published in the later 2000's.
I very much enjoy the characters here. SA has some very different characters than other series I've read. They have a few more jealousies from Takashima and Arika, Hikari is willing to get dirty and can take care of herself as well as look and act feminine, the family unit of the twins and Ryu was sweet, and Tadashi's obnoxious yet still genuine kindness is nice to see. The other side characters have their own personalities which are very much different from one another and others from different series--which I seem to be comparing to a lot. I like them as characters, but there is much character progression or arch to their own stories... It is very much about being/falling in love. They are fun characters to have and make for fun moments, but overall they are kind of flat.
I think I prefer the anime to the manga on this one, which is weird to say. The anime doesn't go as far in the series, but because of that the lack of character development in the manga as well as the basic beginning arch. And that was fine. I was content with it as it ended with a complete story.
I'd read this a book series again if I was wanting something super light that I didn't have to think to much. Enjoyable but not the best.
