Shojo manga explores a plethora of situations one normally wouldn't find themselves in when it comes to romance. Love triangles, misunderstandings, rivals and unrequited love are just some of the topics covered, usually in an everyday setting, though magical settings are also common.
They offer an escape for readers, usually with the idea of marriage being the end-goal for their OTPs. But what about a series that begins with a wedding instead of ending with one? V.B.Rose, also written as Velvet Blue Rose, does just that as an adorable love story set in a small bridal shop where brides' dreams come true.
V.B.Rose follows high-schooler and bag-maker Ageha Shiroi, who joins her older sister Hibari as she goes to buy a wedding dress from Velvet Blue Rose. Despite the happy occasion, Ageha is furious because of the circumstances: Hibari is pregnant out of wedlock and marrying a man Ageha doesn't deem as "good enough" for her perfect older sister. She and her fiancee were already planning on getting married, but the pregnancy has pushed the schedule up.
Hibari is excited about becoming a wife and mother and sharing this experience with Ageha, but the latter is initially resistant to everything because it shatters her vision of her "perfect" older sister. Her anger at the situation causes her to be tossed out of the consultation by the store's owner, but she goes back later to apologize.
After an accident leaves one of the two employees of V.B. Rose, Mitsuya Kuromine, with an injured hand, Ageha beings working part-time under owner Yukari Arisaka to help make Hibari's dress before the wedding in a month. As she works at the bridal shop, she begins developing feelings for Yukari, who also begins falling in love with Ageha. Neither are well-versed in love, so they don't confess to each other initially.
Adding on to her conflicted emotions, her best friend's younger brother Nagare Sagashita is also in love with Ageha and tries to come between her and Yukari several times. V.B. Rose explores how people view those they love, feelings of abandonment and what it means to truly love someone. It also shows the work that goes into designing and creating custom wedding dresses, featuring several beautiful designs throughout the story.
V.B. Rose was created in 2004 by Banri Hidaka and published in Hakusensha's Hana to Yume until 2009, spanning 14 volumes and 83 chapters. It was fairly well received despite being one of many lesser-known titles published through TokyoPop in the U.S., but was criticized for falling into some romance manga cliches. Hidaka has worked on other shojo series like I Hate You More Than Anyone, but V.B.Rose is her most highly rated work on Goodreads. As of the time of writing, V.B. Rose isn't featured on any manga apps for digital reading, but can be found for around $6 on Amazon.
