KimiKiss: Volume 1    by Taro Shinonome Order:  USA  Can TOKYOPOP, 2009 (2009) Paperback     Reviewed by Ricki Marking-Camuto I have heard of dating sims, but I have never played one. Therefore, I knew nothing of Kimi Kiss, the PS2 dating sim on which this manga series is based. However, this did not stop me from eventually enjoying this cute romantic comedy. Kouchi, who has never had a girlfriend, wants to be popular with the girls, so he jumps at the chance to learn from his old childhood friend Mao. Mao is pretty, with a great personality and some feminine wiles, so Kouchi is delighted when he finally gets to kiss her. Kouchi is hoping to learn how to be a great boyfriend so he can please the girl on whom he has a crush. But when he tell Mao who that is, will her heart be crushed? The problem I had getting into this first volume of KimiKiss was the mild fanservice in the first chapter and then some more in the next three. If not for this, KimiKiss would be a lovely romantic tale that would appeal more to females – in fact, Shinonome's art seems closer to typical shojo than shonen. However, the fanservice is aimed at guys, who, admittedly, would be the ones for whom the dating sim was created, and this just had a jarring effect on the story. Once I got over this, the story was very sweet – well, at least until the bonus story where there was once again some mild fanservice. The thing I liked best about KimiKiss is that each volume will focus on a different girl. Even though Kouchi and Mao's story ended when this volume did, it was nice to know that there would be more tales of love to follow. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Teens books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews