Title: Honey Hunt Vol 1
Author: Miki Aihara
Publisher: Viz
ISBN: 9781421523477
May Contain Spoilers
Yura is a quiet and shy high school student whose famous, but mostly absent from her life, parents overshadow her life. She’s lonely and afraid to open up to others, for fear that they are only interested in her mother, an actress, or her father, a composer. When her world comes crashing down around her, she vows to get revenge. Will she be able to overcome her submissive nature and make it big in the high profile world of celebrities? In order to get back at her parents, she needs to learn how to be tough, because only becoming a bigger star than her mother will satisfy her.
Once again, Miki Aihara delivers a story about a passive, meek girl who is buffeted by the events unfolding around her. This time, it’s Yura’s cold and indifferent mother who is manipulating events, as well as three handsome guys. Mizorogi, Yura’s agent, is calling the shots in her new career, while Haruka and Q-ta are two rising musicians who are suddenly courting her attention. In her goal to get back at her mother by becoming an actress, Yura is greeted with scorn because of her looks and her submissive nature. Her mother mocks her ambitions, and the men in her life are only interested in seeing her find success for their own ends.
Haruka and Q-ta have her caught up in a game of tug of war, and the shy girl is confused by their attention. Q-ta is a huge fan of her father, and he impulsively asks her to marry him so he can be closer to his idol. Little does he know that both of Yura’s parents have almost a zero presence in her life. Instead of being charmed by Q-ta’s attentions, she’s hurt because, like most people, he only notices her because of who her parents are. He’s not interested in who she is; in fact, he hasn’t even bothered to find out her name! Haruka is only interested in getting back at Q-ta, and when he sees that the rival musician is interested in Yura, he decides to steal her from the competition. Nobody ever seems to care about Yura for her own accomplishments or cares to get to know who she really is, and that’s sad. The girl has my complete sympathy.
Her mother’s dismissal of her abilities just caps a lifelong pattern of neglect, though she puts forth an impression that she’s a wonderful mother and wife. When her husband is caught cheating on her, and when Yura catches her in a dalliance with a boy she likes, the careful image she’s presented to the media is about to blow up in her face. Or is it? When she wins an acting award, she’s able to deftly turn public opinion back in her favor. She’s cold, conniving, and the perfect villainess because she is so much more powerful than Yura. I don’t see how the inexperienced girl is ever going to be able to compete with her mother on equal footing.
Honey Hunt delivered an entertaining read, set in a world of pop idols and acting. Yura is way out of her element, and it’s going to be interesting to see her deal with jealousy and attempts to sabotage her budding career. Will she be able to overcome the obstacles in her path, or will they destroy her?
Grade: B
Review copy provided by Viz
