A new star in the genre of shoujo comedy, Obaka-chan Koigatari by Sato Zakuri starts off with a cliche but hilariously presented premise which soon takes a plot twist to become a spectacular love-polygon drama. The high ratio of early chapter jokes will keep the reader laughing from page to page, and before they know it the plot has already thickened, its depth pulling them in. Starring in Obaka is Sonodo Neiro, a heroine of the strong, stubborn, and violent (but not tsundere) variety. After being known as a delinquent with the reputation of "Kansai's strongest woman", Neiro transfer schools to Kantou region and decides tohave an image makeover. So she walks into the school and... punches the first guy she sees.

As a result of both her past and current idiocy, she get enrolled into a special class: except this one is for other socially unacceptable people, henceforth the baka class. Just as depression sets in and Neiro ponders about leaving for another school, she finds this super gorgeous princy guy napping in the courtyard and becomes a fan of him instantly. When dear Tokio, the man she punched returns for another challenge, he inadvertently triggers her temper yet again and gets another lashing, right in front of Prince Shin. Just as Neiro becomes worried about her image in front of Shin, he comments from the distance that "like those kind of girls... the strong ones". With such never-before-heard-of encouragement (since guys run away from her), Neiro finishes breaking Tokio's nose for a second time in the same chapter and decides that she wants to become Shin's girlfriend, even if the distance between them is worlds apart: he's in the Prince of the academically advanced class, talented and charming enough to have his own fanclub; meanwhile she's in the infamous baka class.

In the meantime, Neiro gets to discover who else is in the baka class. There's Tokio, the guy who received a broken nose from her, twice, and is just as much of a delinquent who lacks common sense; Nijika, the best-girl-friend whose fashionable and toys about with multiple boyfriends; Kenichi, the gay megane exhibitionist who supports her love love relationship; and Saburo, the guy so shy and quiet hearing him speak is like a school legend. The characters are quite archtypical and overdone by other series, but the way they interact is absolutely hilarious.

Of course, it doesn't take long for Neiro to find out that dear prince Shin-sama is actually not so princy and is simply using others to fulfill personal desires (amusement and otherwise). Just as Shin begins to uncover his true intentions, Tokio steps in and forms the other side of the main characters love triangle by developing a crush towards Neiro from those beatdown and reveals a serious side to him that's both shy and naive.

Thus marks the beginning of an epic journey for the sake of the cast's relationships. I wasn't quite expecting it from the start, but by the time I recognized this series for more than just its comedy, I was seriously attached to the character pairings.

I'm not the biggest fan of Zakuri's art style, mainly because it feels like she's not putting enough love into drawing the characters to her full potential. The images tend to feel hazy at times and the luster of the characters' features isn't quite consistent. But the style does grow on me, mostly since it fits the humorous actions of the characters quite well, and the way Zakuri is goofing off with it is simply hilarious.