I felt moved to write a review on Zettai Kareshi, because I thought it seemed very much a kind of predecessor/inspiration for another runaway hit series, titled 'Ouran High School Host Club'. What am I reading? Now I am done reading War and Peace, I'm pissing my time away reading teenage Japanese fiction...?
But onwards with the Zettai Kareshi discovery. 16 year old Riko Izawa has balls. She will actually ask guys to be her boyfriend, although they consistently reject her. Feeling utterly dejected and longing for love, she has an opportunity to trial an 'ideal lover' so her adventures start. Of course the robot is gorgeous, and being shojo, all kinds of romantic complications arise. Warning for parents, this is POISON for young girls. They will end up thinking young handsome too-good-to-be-true men are to be found just around the corner just waiting to rescue you.
In the end, Riko does fall in love in the robot, not because of his obvious 'lover' programming, but because of his attempts to become more human, which are much more endearing. She also realises the flesh and blood version Boy-Next-door who also loves her, is a bit of a hunk, too. Choices, choices. Don't worry it is a bitter sweet ending, that makes us all feel good about the world.
I think Zettai Kareshi is a predecessor for Ouran High School Host Club, because
1) The two male leads, Naito Tenjou (blond, a bit stupid, ridiculously handsome) has similar traits to Tamaki Suoh (blond, a bit stupid, ridiculously handsome).
The Flesh and blood rival Soushi Asamato is dark haired, megane (bespectacled), also ridiculously handsome, but more serious, just like Kyoya Ootori.
2) Cute little boy with kick ass abilities? Check out Yuki Shirasaki(tech genius) versus Honey sempai(martial arts demon)
Add the episodes from where Naito Tenjou, being so good looking that he is invited to work at the local 'Host Club' where he is astoundingly successful with the ladies. This is a great germ of an idea that blossoms plausibly into a full blown teenage host club at an exclusive private school in Japan ala Ouran.
Not just in characters, in terms of idealogy, too, Zettai Kareshi is a predecessor. Riiko, the female lead, is still a 16 year old idiot, who only wants to be loved and doesn't care much about exam grades or shaping a future (beyond being in love). Her parents are away for long periods and she feels lonely, so she thinks the answer is to have a boyfriend and be loved. By contrast, everyone at Ouran is not just ridiculously beautiful, they are all smart too. Haruhi, the female lead in Ouran, is a scholarship student who is set on becoming a lawyer. Kyoya is aiming for world domination. the Hitachin twins are genius at design. Even little Honey is going to create his toys conglomerate empire. So that's good propaganda (parent hat on again). It's arguable that love is the most important thing, but love without money is hard work, as we see in Zettai Kareshi, when Riiko can barely afford the 'maintenance costs' for her loverboy.
And here I return to my Shakespearean roots to recall what the Great Grandfather of romance had to say about the oldest of plots,
"The course of true love never did run smooth
...either it was different in blood,
... or misgraffed in respect of years
... or else it stood upon the choice of friends
...or if there were a sympathy in choice,war, death or sickness did
lay siege to it
...and ere a man hath power to say 'behold!'
the jaws of darkness do devour it up
So quick bright things do come to confusion."
If you want to be a writer, the theme of love and romance is always popular, enduring and global. It doesn't matter if you're a 15th century geezer writing for the Queen in England, or a 21st century mangaka in Japan. Even I, old cynic, ended up enchanted.
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