Save Me! Lollipop - Mamotte! Lollipop

Written and Drawn by: Michiyo Kikuta
Published by: Kodansha

The story revolves around Nina Yamada, a junior high student who accidentally swallows the Crystal Pearl thinking it was candy. The pearl is the goal of a magic exam where the students must retrieve it to pass and become professional wizards. But since Nina has swallowed the pearl, she is now the target. Fortunately for Nina, two of the examinees(Zero & Ichii) decide to protect her from the other students while they work on a potion to extract the pearl from Nina.

Nina Yamada


Nina is a seventh grade girl who dreams about finding a strong, kind, and cool boy who'll protect her from danger. Basically, her own "knight in shining armor". Nina has an aggressive character, though she is also a caring, child-like, sweet teenager most of the time. She doesn't take insults very well.

Zero & Ichii


Zero and Ichii are two wizards who have partnered up in order to take the magic exam to become professional wizards. Zero is the same age as Nina. Zero has aqua blue hair and has a very rude and cocky personality, often shown clashing with Nina. He owns little tolerance and is highly rebellious towards those who get in his in way. Zero is a particularly an impatient person and has an extremely short temper.

Ichii is 2 years older than Nina and Zero. He is also depicted as a kind and gentle-natured boy. He is also exceedingly polite and mature, thus making him a gentleman. He had a rough past, but opened up more ever since the day that he met Zero.

This manga has also been made into an anime which can be watched online via Hulu.

Thoughts/Review:

This manga is perfect for first-time readers, it's a great introduction for young girl's looking to get into the manga stream. It has an easy-to-follow storyline and the characters have pretty common personality types. Reactions included. The artwork is darling and I love how this story has the "magical girl" feel to it, without the main female character actually having magical abilities. It's a nice little twist on a classic plot line. It also has the feel of a princess story without all the hooha of a fairytale, it features a modern time period and believable complications. This manga is short and sweet, but also gives the characters a good bit of background. Which also helps in making the story more heartfelt and emotional.

Overall, it's a nice 7 volume long manga with a nice twist on an old story and some new characters mixed in with the old. If you like "magical girl" themed stories, then be sure to give Mamotte! Lollipop a try!

On a side note:

This particular manga also has a sequel called Modotte! Mamotte! Lollipop; which roughly translates into "Come Back! Protect me! Lollipop." This story continues where the other left off and follows Nina, Zero, and Ichii on their final adventure.

I don't want to give too much away, but I will say that the boys end up returning to the human world and are once again reunited with Nina. They're a bit older now, it being about a year later and the emotions fly when Zero and Nina are-...

;D

I'll stop there, but the plot is still quite consistent with that of the first manga.
Modotte! Mamotte! Lollipop is not yet available for purchase in the US, I will go against my better judgement and tell you that it is available to read online through MangaFox.

Please note that by posting this link I am not in anyway condoning the use of online manga-viewing sites over reading the actual books. I, myself am an avid supporter of the Japanese to English publishers and prefer purchasing the manga when it is available in-store. It is my belief that if we purchase our manga from local bookstores and publishers and show our support to them by doing so that they will in-turn continue to publish and manufacture English manga for our enjoyment here in the US. So please, support our bookstores and manga publishing companies so that we may enjoy our manga together for many years to come!

(n_n)
<3