I.Love.Nosatsu.Junkie.

How many have read this manga? So far I've read volumes 1-2, and have kept up with the Japanese chapters starting from chapter 40.  It's the manga-ka's first work, so I can understand how it doesn't really have big climaxes for each part of the story (of a saga or something like that). Like the manga-ka said in one of her side bars in volume 1...she's just drawing and writing what comes to her mind. To me, it doesn't seem to have a true plot.

However, that doesn't stop me from reading and liking it! Wahoo~! This story is full of funny stuff and junk (in a good way). Umi is this crossdressing 15-year old boy (current age in the Japanese chapters) who is known as a girl model. Naka is a fellow model who has the freakiest smile in the world and finds out about Umi's real gender. Therefore, Umi takes Naka as his underling "slave"  to keep her quiet. He's rude, a sexual harrasser, a demon, but a times, a caring person.

People who have read along the Tokyopop versions are now aware of the photographer named Tsutsumi. He started out as 17-years of age, but is now 18 in the Japanese plot. He's a smart and calm guy who straight out loves starwberries (a total mess-up according to his overall attitude). Fans wonder if it is this guy who will become Umi's love rival over Naka. It sometimes seems that way, but trust me, Tsutsumi will only ever see Naka as a friend. However, Naka strangely enough looks a lot like Tsutsumi's ex-girlfriend. But overall, his real love still lies in his ex-girlfriend (she happens to appear in volume 2). In one of the most recent chapters (chapter 66), he confesses his love (again ^^) to her and kisses her, hugs her, blah, blah.

Also...in the most recent Japanese story, Umi has started to think about becoming a male model. He knows that he's reaching the point where he won't be able to get very much further as a girl model. He askes Tsutsumi for his advice. Naka has also started a job with another male model named Yusa. Umi sees the kind of interaction that those two have as male and female models, not female and female like Umi and Naka were.  Face it, he's jealous.  *Oh my...*

Yusa is a mystery. He's hot, that's for sure (a real pretty boy). However, he seems cold towards people. He hates Naka because she's real good at standing up for not only herself, but for others (how weird is that). He's seemed to have a hard life, but Naka is suddenly there to shine in on him. He also doesn't want to be a model. He actually wants to be a make-up artist for models. Naka allows him to put make-up on her (and boy does she look absolutely gorgeous after his job is done, and I'm sure Umi agreed with me when he saw her). Awwww. So there's the series' love rival right there!  Naka has seemed to take an extra care for him. (Uh-oh, what're you gonna do, Umi?)