Shinshi Doumei Cross



Ex-Yanki Genki Girl Haine Otomiya's tale is typical of a shoujo series. She fell in love with a young man, Shizumasa Togu, as a child, and after a certain point she decided to transfer to the prestigious school he attends and try to win his love. Much to her despair, however, he is unexpectedly cold to her and claims to not remember her.

She ends up joining the student council he heads, and becomes both his bodyguard and his fake lover, anyway. Over time he appears to warm up to her, and she befriends the other members of the student council as well. There are still many obstacles to be had to her and Shizumasa's romance, however - including the obligatory shoujo Love Dodecahedron, Shizumasa's strange and seemingly completely random changes of heart, and Haine's own family issues.

Shinshi Doumei Cross (or The Gentleman's Alliance, as it's known in English) is an 11-volume manga by Arina Tanemura (of Full Moon wo Sagashite fame), licensed by Viz Media and fully available in English. It's Tanemura's longest manga to date and is notable for being the first of her series to not include any Magical Girl elements at all.

This series provides examples of:

 * Absurdly Powerful Student Council
 * Arranged Marriage: However, he's still incredibly kind to her, and it's clear that he loves her very much.
 * The Beard: Takanari makes sure to maintain one of these at all times, so as to avoid the female population of his school jumping his bones. He had one in Maguri, has one intitially in Haine, and Komaki briefly poses as his fiancee.
 * The Beautiful Elite: The series is full of both handsome Bishounen and pretty girls.
 * Bertha in The Attic:
 * Beware the Nice Ones:
 * Big Screwed Up Family:
 * Bi the Way: Maora is attracted to both Haine and Maguri.
 * Ushio, too, ends up with Senri and is shown dating (and implied to be sleeping with) scores of boys - but the latter turns out to be a ploy for Haine's attention, who she's in love with. She even succeeds in guilting her into a (brief) relationship.
 * Black Comedy Rape: Sort of. Later, a distressed Haine tells Maora that she should have just told him she didn't want to, and he would have stopped. Maora then remarks that he wouldn't have stopped (with Haine) even if she had told him to.
 * Bodyguard Crush: Haine and Maguri for Takanari.
 * Cleaning Up Romantic Loose Ends: By the end of the series, almost everyone--including minor characters--have a relationship.
 * Clingy Jealous Girl: Haine and Maguri deliberately act this way towards Takanari, when Komaki introduces herself as his fiancee, in an attempt to break them up. Ushio and Komaki are also frequently seen jealous when Haine spends too much time with other people, but it's only romantic in Ushio's case (who takes it much farther).
 * Defrosting Ice Queen: Ushio, towards Senri and even Maora. She completely defrosts around Haine. Takanari can also be said to be a male example (for Haine).
 * Delinquent: Haine during her Yanki days.
 * The Ditz: Haine. Even Arina herself remarks that she's an idiot. But Arina says that's what she likes about her.
 * Does Not Like Men: Ushio claims this for a good part of the series.
 * Dropped a Bridget On Him: Haine - as are most readers, probably - is shocked to learn Maora's true gender. It causes her some angst the next chapter, as she worries that she might've offended Maora with her (over-)reaction to this revelation.
 * Elaborate University High: The Imperial Academy. (Even its name demonstrates this trope!)
 * Even the Girls Want Her: Haine.
 * Even the Guys Want Him: Takanari.
 * Hair Decorations: Haine, Komaki, and Maora.
 * Everyone Is Related: A vast majority of the entire extended cast is a member of the Togu, Otomiya or Kamiya family, the three of which are connected.
 * Heroic Bastard:
 * Hot for Student: Senri for Ushio. It takes some time for her to reciprocate.
 * Ill Girl:
 * Inter Class Romance: Haine is poor and Shizumasa is rich. Slightly inverted in that Haine is not poor in any real sense; she's just significantly less wealthy than Shizumasa. Still, it plays just as the trope is described.
 * Laser Guided Amnesia:
 * Long Haired Pretty Boy: Yukimitsu.
 * Love Bubbles
 * Love Dodecahedron
 * Love Triangle: What the love dodecahedron involving Haine,.
 * Luke I Am Your Father:
 * Malaproper: Haine, big time.
 * May December Romance: Ushio and Senri.
 * Oblivious to Love: Most every character is to at least one other's affections, though the two greatest are Takanari in regards to Maguri's feelings for him (who is open about them to every other character, but goes into Cannot Spit It Out mode around Takanari himself) and Maguri with Maora's (though it works out for them anyway).
 * Older Than They Look: Haine's teacher dresses in a bunny hood and often acts like a child, including having a crush on a cat.
 * Only Six Faces: In classic Arina Tanemura style.
 * Pair the Spares: Yep, pretty much everyone gets paired off in the ending. Kasuga suddenly crushing on Kiriaki is particularly random.
 * Paper Thin Disguise: The mailman looks almost exactly like male Maora - because he IS him. Haine and Maguri failing to discern his true identity is pretty hard to believe.
 * Deliberately invoked with the Warden Haine even remarks that his uniform is in the corner of the office.
 * Pimped Out Dress: Haine's dress for the dance.
 * Rapunzel Hair: Maika
 * Really Gets Around: Ushio.
 * Replacement Goldfish: Senri taking an interest in Ushio due to her looking like the woman he was once engaged to (Takanari and Shizumasa's mother, naturally) is maybe just a little creepy.
 * Romantic False Lead: Komaki, seemingly.
 * Second Love: And how!
 * She Cleans Up Nicely: Everyone is surprised when Kasuga shows up well-dressed to the hospital.
 * Straight Gay: Maguri.
 * Student Council President: /Shizumasa. The president is referred to as "Koutei" ("Emperor") at the school. Meanwhile, Komaki is the SCP for the middle school, with Kusame as her vice-president.
 * Stupid Sexy Flanders: Kasuga can even make a gay guy like Maguri blush.
 * Theme Naming: All major characters have 宮 (miya, ku/gu) in their surnames. This kanji means "royalty" or "palace" - fitting for their rich bearers.
 * Took a Level In Badass:
 * Also, when  in Chapter 46
 * Unwanted Harem: Takanari has this in THE ENTIRE FEMALE (and some of the male) BODY at school, to the extent where he claims homosexuality and maintains a fake lover at all times. Haine (initially) and Maguri count as being in it, too, though he never clues in to the latter's affections.
 * Haine also had one - as is lampshaded after Ushio's kiss, everyone in the student council sans Maguri had some degree of feelings for Haine at one point or another in the story. Shizumasa and Kusame do and did at one point, too.
 * When She Smiles: Ushio
 * Wholesome Crossdresser: Maora.
 * Yakuza: Maguri and his brother Yukimitsu are the sons of a Yakuza family.
 * Younger Than They Look: Based on their appearances and the dialogue, it's pretty difficult to believe that the main characters are only 15.
 * Zettai Ryouiki: Haine has a pretty nice ratio.
 * Younger Than They Look: Based on their appearances and the dialogue, it's pretty difficult to believe that the main characters are only 15.
 * Zettai Ryouiki: Haine has a pretty nice ratio.