Honey Hunt

Honey Hunt (ハニーハント) is a shōjo manga series written by Miki Aihara, originally published in Japan by Shogakukan. The series began serialization in the manga magazine Cheese! in December 2006, with the first tankoban released June 26, 2007, and the latest (volume 6) on December 24, 2009.

Honey Hunt is licensed for English language release in North America by Viz Media. It premiered in Viz's monthly manga anthology Shojo Beat in the September 2008 issue. . The first volume was released on April 7, 2009.

Plot
Quiet and unassuming Yura Onozuka lives in the shadow of her famous celebrity parents: Yukari Shiraki, a beautiful and talented actress, and Takayuki Onozuka, the first Japanese composer to win an Academy Award. When her mother coldly announces that she and Yura's father are getting divorced, and Yura learns that her mother has been sleeping with her best friend and crush, Yura feels abandoned and left alone by everyone around her.

Yura decides to become an actress with the goal of becoming a better actress than her mother so that she can show everyone that she is worth something as an individual, and not be judged a disappointment because she is continuously compared to her celebrity parents. Keiichi Mizorogi, a professional manager formerly employed by her father, scouts her to be an actress and aids her in her quest. Yura gradually develops the confidence to land the lead role in an upcoming television drama series. Along the way, Yura also gains the interest of two rising male idols - composer Q-Ta Minamitani, who first meets Yura when she is running away from her hotel during her parents divorce, and his twin brother Haruka Minamitani, a member of popular band Knights and the male lead of the drama Yura will star in.

Characters

 * Yura Onozuka (小野塚 ゆら)
 * The protagonist of series, Yura Onozuka is a quiet and unassuming person, who is a high schooler in her third year, and is a blood type A. She lives in the shadow of her famous celebrity parents: Yukari Shiraki, a beautiful and talented actress, and Takayuki Onozuka, the first Japanese composer to win an Academy Award. She is used to people trying to get close to her because of her famous parents. She is betrayed by her neighbor, best friend, and first love, Shinsuke, who she thought was the only one on her side, when she learns he is sleeping with her mother. With some help from others she decides to embark into the entertainment industry to get back at her mother. As Yura follows through with her journey as an actress, it is then when her before-unknown potential becomes evident.


 * Yukari Shiraki (白木 紫)
 * Yukari is Yura's mother, a beautiful and talented actress. But her beauty is only skin deep as shown throughout the series. She is never at home and is very selfish. On all of her interviews she lies and says that she and Yura are close and spend much time together, when in reality she is a cold and distant parent. While her husband was having an affair she was having one of her own with Yura's neighbor, Shinsuke (who Yura had a crush on). She and her husband were only together for the sake of their careers and their images,they didn't love each other. The two of them even agreed on a rule with each other that they would stay married as long as they hide their own adulterous affairs. After she decided to divorce Takayuki, however, it is shown that she has no intentions of taking care of Yura. She is blood type A.


 * Keiichi Mizorogi (溝呂木 恵一)
 * Keiichi Mizorogi is Yura's manager, who used to manage her father. He is a blood type AB. He is young, but he knows what he's doing as a manager. He knows show business like the back of his hand, and has the big production company,"Baisho Entertainment", behind him. While at the same time he's the president of the "Meteorite Productions". He has managed many award-winning celebrities, such as Yura's father. Because of his vast knowledge of the show-biz world, he knows exactly what he needs to do to have his talents go to the top. Yura likes to call him "Shachou", meaning "Boss". Throughout the manga during chapter 15-16 it is some what shown that he has feelings for Yura. He denies it himself but really does seem to care for Yura.


 * Q-Ta Minamitani (南谷 Q太)
 * Q-Ta is a famous singer and composer for the band, Assha. His is a big fan of Takayuki Onozuka, Yura's father, and idolizes him. His real name is Kyuuta (久太); his nickname came from a meeting with Takayuki Onozuka, who mistakenly wrote "Q-ta" on an autograph when Q-Ta introduced himself. One of his songs, "Crystal", is the theme song for Yukari Shiraki's popular show The Moon's Waltz.  He is nineteen years old and attends Tokyo University. He is a blood type B.
 * Yura first meets Q-Ta in an elevator when she runs out of the hotel at which she was staying during her parents' divorce problems. When he finds out who Yura is, he tells her he wants to marry her so he can become her famous father's son-in-law, despite not actually liking Yura. Because of his supportive nature and kindness, Yura trusts him a lot. However, Q-Ta's feelings towards Yura are less certain, since Yura suspects he is using her as a way to get to her father.   Yura steadily grows fond of him and wants to know more about him.


 * Haruka Minamitani (南谷 遥 (ハルカ))
 * Haruka is the leading man in the drama Yura is to star in. But his first job and passion is music, as he is a member of the popular music group "KNIGHTS". He is Q-Ta's twin brother, but does not get along with his brother or being compared to Q-Ta.  He lives in his own apartment alone while Q-Ta lives with their parents.  His blood type is B.  Like Q-Ta, he takes a interest in Yura.
 * Yura initially encounters Haruka when Mizorogi takes her to several parties to avoid the media after Yura's outburst regarding her parents' divorce. Since she also met Q-Ta earlier that day, Yura feels that Haruka looks familiar, but does not learn why until she meets him again at her audition for the drama they are to star in.  Despite his rudeness towards her, Haruka supports Yura indirectly and is constantly amazed by her ability when she finds her confidence.  However, he becomes jealous when he notices how his brother is growing closer to Yura and tells her that Q-Ta's strong point is that he can manipulate things the way he wants to by emotional-blackmailing.  To encourage Yura's interest in him rather than Q-Ta, Haruka invites her one of his concerts with a promise to give her more information on Q-Ta.  However, despite earning Yura's admiration and respect, she is still more interested in Q-Ta.


 * Shinohara Nanase (篠原 七瀬)
 * Nanase is a friend and roomate of Yura's from her manager's place. He addresses Yura by "Yura-pon". He takes care of everything around Mizorogi's house, including housekeeping and cooking meals. At the same time he is studying to be a make-up artist and hair stylist at a technical school; he is the one who gives Yura her new look.  He is an old friend of Haruka and was a member of "KNIGHTS" before their debut.


 * Nishiwaki (西脇)
 * The director of the drama Yura will star in. While his first impression of her was unfavourable, she captures his interest with her honesty and sudden confidence during her auditions.  As a result, he chooses her to be Natsuki, the protagonist of his drama revolving around an udon noodle shop and its tie-in commercial, despite the fact she is the least experienced.  Nishiwaki has a great deal of faith in Yura's abilities and finds her ingenuity remarkable, but is aware that her career is still delicate and that she can be overshadowed by her parents' fame.


 * Takayuki Onozuka (小野塚 孝行)
 * Yura's father, the first Japanese composer to win an Academy Award. He currently lives in New York with his mistress and their family.  Yura's mother suggests that he is has little interest in his daughter and is unlikely to care for her after their divorce.  Despite being apparently distant from her father, Yura recalls how he would play the piano as she woke up in the morning.  After Yura chooses to become an actress, she receives an ultimatum from her father through Mizorogi stating that if she does not achieve success within a year, Yura will move to New York to join her father.

Reception
Eva Volin of ICv2 said of volume 1, "There isn't anything here that you wouldn't find in any average to above average shojo manga." She also said, though, that volume one is too early to give an accurate review of the series, saying, "While I can't call volume one a powerhouse introduction, it is an effective set-up for the series and I'll be looking for volume two to see where the story goes." Anime News Network described the plot as "a transparent rip off" from Skip Beat!, but favorably compared Yura to Hatsumi of Hot Gimmick, a previous work by Aihara. Anime News Network applauds Aihara's restraint in the second volume, regarding her characterization to be improving. They especially enjoyed the addition to the cast of a rival to Yura's mother, saying it's rare to see an older woman in manga.