For the most part, I was rather disbelieving when I heard some people claim that after reading so much manga, this still remained on their favorites list. Seriously-- thirteen chapters?

But I decided to give it a try. ...and almost dropped it.

You see, the first two chapters, I felt, had the romance going at breakneck speed. It was so sudden I seemed to be rolling my eyes at it already.

However, beyond that, Ai Hime's pace was pretty good, considering the bounds of -thirteen- chapters. It was enough to show the development of feelings, especially the girl's (Mao) without letting too much dead air hang around. I found their romance realistic and sweet, with a mixture of fear and restrainment.

Don't worry-- the art is absolutely amazing.

I will rate this a 7~

Ai Hime. Give it a try, especially if you are a fan of short shoujos.