Synopsis:
Love Song is a collection of four short stories by shoujo artist Keiko Nishi. The first story, "Love Song", is about a girl who knows only physical violence as a way of expressing her love. The second story, "Jewels of the Seaside", is about three sisters who fall for the same guy. The third story, "The Signal Goes Blink Blink", is about a young man who is often ostracized and bullied by his peers. Later, it is discovered that he possesses wondrous healing powers. The last story, "The Skin of Her Heart", is about a girl who seems to be trapped in the perpetual routine which is her life.

Review:
Curiosity was what propelled me to purchase my copy of Love Song. I love reading manga short stories, and I wanted material other than Ms. Rumiko Takahashi's works.

I found Love Song to be refreshingly different and relaxing, the kind of reading I'd want to do while lounging on a lazy afternoon. It doesn't have swords or sorcery, it's basically good old-fashioned story-telling coupled with lovely, uncluttered art. These stories make you think and feel, with characters who are as real as the next person.

The treatment is quite mature, but not in the sense that it'd contain sexual or other explicit stuff. Rather, the maturity pertains to the emotional level these stories possess. There's also a nice sprinkling of light moments and comical situations. Love Song is truly a unique manga experience, which can be likened to reading a novel. I wouldn't recommend it for those who are looking for action and excitement though... this just isn't that kind of manga.

Miscellanies:
I don't believe any of Ms. Nishi's works have been animated.

Sample Panels

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