Shikimori's Not Just a Cutie, Volume 1, by Keigo Maki is a manga style graphic novel. Shikimori seems like the perfect girlfriend: cute, fun to be around, sweet when she wants to be... but she has a cool dark side that comes out under the right circumstances. And her boyfriend Izumi loves to be around when that happens! 
Shikimori's Not Just a Cutie is av graphic novel that is well done, but left me wanting something more. It is a well drawn and written story of high school sweethearts. They are both nice, attractive, and generally well liked by their peers. Izumi is a bit of a klutz, and bad things tend to happen to him, but Shikimori is usually there to save the day with quick reflexes and a steely eyed look. Both think they like the other more, and spend a good deal of time trying to say or do the right thing to make the other happy, without going overboard. However, the description and a few moments in the story had me expecting some great reveal that she is really a spy or superhero, or something and that just did not pan out. So Shikimori is special because she is a girl that can be cute and cool, strong and nice. Hate to tell you, most girls, most people are more than one thing and the fact that a girl is more than cute should not be earth shattering, it should be fairly expected. Had the story just been described as a day in the life, high school sweetheart story, then it would have been a sweet, fun read about two teens trying to find their way together. Hinting that there is more and then failing to deliver or waiting for the second (or later) volume to give more than super subtle hints simply leaves readers frustrated. 
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