Strawberry 100%

The story follows Junpei Manaka, a student and aspiring filmmaker, throughout his school years and his relationships with several girls. During middle school, he encounters a mysterious girl on the school rooftop but only recalls her strawberry-patterned underwear before she disappears. He discovers a notebook left behind, which belongs to Aya Toujou, a plain-looking but talented writer. The two bond over their shared passion for storytelling and filmmaking.

Believing Tsukasa Nishino, the most popular girl in school, might be the rooftop girl, Junpei impulsively asks her out while exercising on a chin-up bar. Though he later realizes she is not the mystery girl, they continue dating. After enrolling at Izumizaka High School, Junpei learns that Aya has declined admission to the prestigious Oumi Academy to attend the same school as him—and that she was the girl from the rooftop.

Initially critics expressed concern that Strawberry 100% would be a traditional harem comedy. Carlo Santos of Anime News Network (ANN) complained that Volume 1 quickly descended into "typical boy's romance fodder." Response to the characters was more enthusiastic. com praised Volume 1 for developing "several effective, organic characters and relationships, along with a believable story and setting".

Praise for the characters continued with the release of subsequent volumes, and worries that Strawberry 100% would be a traditional harem comedy abated. E. Sparrow of IGN Comics remarked "Strawberry 100% is a harem manga of the highest caliber, and it has all the trappings of a good harem manga: Plenty of fan service, excellent artwork, and in those rarest of cases, a compelling storyline." Comic Book Bin's Leroy Douresseaux, discussing Volume 8, enjoyed the excellent characters, and commented: "Strawberry 100% is a high school comedy/drama for everyone who loves the drama of high school love."