[Criticism] Master & Slave: an unconvincing one-shot!

Today, we take the manga reviews and we start with a shojo a little more mature than usual. This is a one-shot written by mangaka Hibiki Ai who returns with Master & Slave. Who is really the master and who is the slave? Be careful, the manga is aimed at an informed audience.

Master & Slave

Original title:  Sマスター☆Holic – S Master Holic

Alternative title: Master & Slave

Mangaka: Hibiki Ai

Genre: Romance – School – Erotic

Type: Shojo (+18 years)

French publisher: Soleil Manga

Japanese publisher: Shogakukan

Release date: October 11, 2017

Number of volumes published: 1 (France & Japan)

Status: Completed

Price: 6.99€

Synopsis

We must never insult the future because sometimes the wheel turns 180 ° and slaves can become the masters! The power play can then draw a young girl and a young man into a passionate relationship.

 

Kana is the star of her high school. Rich heiress of a family of jewelers, her arrogance and pride make her detestable to her comrades. Her life turns upside down when she learns of the sudden ruin of her parents, forcing her to give up all her comforts and especially her servant, Ko. She does not know that the worst is yet to come when she discovers that he has inherited a very large fortune. Having become the icon of the high school, Ko intends to assert his power over his former teacher…

 

Spring: Sun Manga

Master & slave

We follow here two characters who have a rather special relationship and that everything opposes. First of all, our heroine Kana Mazuzawa is considered an arrogant little princess with her superior air. She is the eldest of the family and future heiress of a large renowned jewelry store. Opposite, we have Kô a young man who works under her command as a servant-slave to her whims. But where it becomes interesting in this trivial relationship of dominant-dominated is when the roles are reversed.

One day, Kana's childhood friend Ko discovers that he is the hidden son of the great Niimi group. This could be a good step forward in the relationship of our two stuck lovers. However, the girl sees all her world crumble before her eyes, because her father has unfortunately gone bankrupt in the meantime … Our two protagonists then find themselves taking the place of the other to the delight of Kô who will be able to take revenge for the treatments suffered. Much to the chagrin of Kana who wonders what will happen to her now to her great despair!

A romance that struggles to express itself

Hibiki Ai, the author of this manga is well known to shojo fans (Teach Me Love is her) since she has been doing this job since 2007. Her register being mostly in shojo, sometimes she also ventures into more mature stories like this one. His pencil stroke is mastered, detailed although quite classic in his characters. The theme of the school is also present but still leads to some more serious questions.

The moralizing side is present but remains clumsy and too weakly exploited. The eroticism is there but just right. As for the scenario, it is without any surprise, lacking hook and we are far from surprised by the outcome of the story so predictable. The format of a volume allows us to have a good time without expecting too much, but we appreciate the mix sometimes SM of Kô and the candid innocence of Kana. Overall, this one-shot remains classic and far from original. However, the drawings are pleasant and without headache!

Master & Slave is a one-shot where the title makes sense with the master-servant relationship. If you like school and cat-and-mouse romances, you've come to the right place!

Before taking the plunge, a small extract is necessary.