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I apologize for the late review! I only bought the February issue in mid-March, unfortunately. I have to go back soon for 3 and 4! Here’s what went on in February:

Maki Youko, creator of Ai Shiteru ze Baby, is starting a new series called Taranta Ranta (does anyone have any idea what this means?). Yay! I’m surprised that Star Blacks ended so soon, though. Anyway, it appears that the Ribon editors told her, “Don’t try anything remotely original for awhile--go back to love triangles and school life.” But since this is Maki Youko, we can expect great art and a gripping plot about love triangles.

The main character of Taranta Ranta is named Hikaru. She misses her dead brother and speaks to him in her mind as she begins her first day of high school. Here she has many ordinary adventures. She becomes fast friends with a girl named Nene, who lets nothing stand in her way and pushes Hikaru to kiss her new crush, Michiya, who reminds her of her brother. (Is this healthy?) He lets her kiss him, which as it turns out is not a good sign. He predictably turns out to be a jerk, whose personality is nothing like Hikaru’s brother’s. Also, Nene is a shoplifter. When Hikaru understandably gets upset about this, Nene gets angry at her and tells her to find another friend. Let’s recap: At the beginning of the chapter, Hikaru acquires one (1) friend and one (1) crush, and near the end of the chapter, she loses (1) friend and one (1) crush and is back where she started. I’m looking forward to the next chapter.

One of Michiya’s more sympathetic friends, who’s been looking disgruntled at Michiya and Hikaru’s adventures throughout the whole chapter, stops to talk to Hikaru. He advises her “Don’t fall in love so easily,” which is the best advice I’ve heard all day and would like to tell a lot of other Ribon characters. However, judging from her facial expression at the end of the chapter as she watches him leave, she’s already failed to follow his suggestion. Presumably this guy is a better option, though. I’d like to note that, despite being only one chapter (that I’ve read), this series has lots of bishounen. Yay!

Meanwhile, Choco Mimi continues to be the cutest thing ever, and Animal Yokochouhas yet another color cover page, probably since it’s now an anime.

Back in Haruta Nana’s Love Berrish (and if anyone knows what language “berrish” is from, or if its just a hybrid English word, please let me know), main character Yuuya thinks that her love interest Azusa and her friend Ame have something romantic going on. Ame tells her they aren’t dating or anything, but there’s still half a chapter to fill, so Yuuya keeps worrying. Finally, Ame promises to explain everything.
Sakai Mayu’s Rockin’ Heaven has its second chapter, in which Sawa insists that her unmotivated class participate in a school competition. The slackers’ ringleader, Ran, sets the condition that if Sawa sews all the numbers onto the backs of the basketball uniforms they use, he’ll have the class participate. Needless to say, Sawa accepts.

Shinshi Doumei Cross has a cute and lovingly detailed cover of Haine and Shizumasa. (Shizumasa B, nisemono, I‘m guessing.) Haine is upset because she had a falling-out with Shizumasa and has now quit the Platinums. Also, the school newspaper (why are Ribon school journalists always opportunistic annoyances?) has a picture of her and Shizumasa A (honmono) kissing on the front page. Fortunately, she and Maguri have an unlikely alliance, and he defends her. Shizumasa A (honmono) is sick in bed, angsting and/or plotting.

Matsumoto Natsumi, whose new series is Alice kara Magic, still loves plaid. This chapter, Arisu has to save her friend Ayano, who has absorbed a piece of jewelry and is experiencing weightlessness and personality changes.

In Hoikuen e Ikou! the main character Kokoa and her beloved Mahiro go on dates with the wrong people, i.e., not each other. Five little kids secret themselves in the back of Takamizawa-kun’s car, intending to stop his and Kokoa’s date. Small children instinctively know who should be dating who. Needless to say, sneaking around after Kokoa wasn’t a good idea on the part of the children, and so at one point Kokoa has to make a spectacular leap to save one of them from a car.

Let’s see…in Ageha 100% Rin bravely applies makeup, but Ageha’s magic does not work. Then she gets a call from her mother saying she should come to New York.

Rest assured that other things happen, but I feel that’s a pretty good summary for now. I won’t cover every single series.