Is Beauty Pop Worth Reading? Review & Where to Read
Quick Answer
It's a fun, easy read if you want a light hairstyling-themed shoujo rom-com, but don't expect much beyond a pleasant afternoon.
Quick Verdict
“Cute premise, competent execution, nothing that lingers after you close the last volume.”
Best for: Readers who want a breezy, low-stakes shoujo romance with a hairstyling hook and a spunky, competent heroine.
Not for: Readers who want a story with real narrative ambition or a romance with genuine obstacles.
- Type
- Manga
- Genres
- School Life, Romance
- Status
- Completed
- This review
- Minor Spoilers
- Author
- Kiyoko Arai
- Publisher
- Shogakukan (Ciao)
- Platform
- VIZ Media
| Quick facts | |
|---|---|
| Format | Manga (shōjo), 10 volumes |
| Run | completed |
| Community score | MangaUpdates 8.5 |
| Where to read | VIZ — official |
Overview
Kiri Koshiba has no formal training, but she can fix anyone's bad haircut with whatever's on hand — a talent she's mostly used to help out around her family's barbershop. That skill gets her noticed by the Scissors Project, her school's elite, all-boy hairstyling team, who aren't thrilled to discover their new recruit is a girl with better instincts than most of them.
Beauty Pop runs on that setup: a competent heroine proving herself in a space that doesn't want her, wrapped around a slow-building romance with the team's reluctant leader.
What it does well
Kiri is the reason this works as well as it does. She's not a passive shoujo lead waiting to be rescued — she's good at her craft, confident about it, and the manga lets her actually solve problems with scissors and a comb rather than just talking about how talented she is. The hairstyling scenes give the book a specific identity that a lot of generic school-romance manga don't bother with, and there's a real underdog satisfaction in watching her win over a clique that assumed she couldn't hang.
The central romance benefits from that same grounding — it develops through shared work and mutual respect rather than a single big gesture, which keeps the early volumes feeling earned rather than convenient.
Where it falls short
Once the novelty of the hairstyling premise settles in, the plot leans on fairly standard shoujo beats: jealous rivals, minor misunderstandings, a slow-burn romance that takes its time for reasons that aren't always clear. The Scissors Project's other members and rival teams stay mostly functional rather than becoming characters worth remembering on their own, and the story doesn't push much past its basic structure even as it goes on.
It's a pleasant read, but not one that surprises you much past the first couple of volumes.
Verdict
Beauty Pop is a solid, easy shoujo romance carried by a likable, skilled heroine and a hook that's more specific than most school-set rom-coms. It won't stick with you the way the genre's best entries do, but as a light, competently told comfort read, it does the job.
Strengths & Weaknesses
Strengths
- Kiri is a genuinely likable, competent lead — her talent isn't a fluke or a gimmick, and watching her actually work on hair is more fun than the average shoujo hobby premise.
- The hairstyling scenes have real specificity, giving the manga a hook that's distinct from typical school-romance setups.
- Kiri holding her own against a boys'-only clique through sheer skill rather than personality alone gives the early volumes a satisfying underdog angle.
Weaknesses
- The romantic conflicts lean on standard shoujo misunderstandings and jealousy rather than anything that feels specific to these characters.
- The Scissors Project's rivals and side drama rarely rise above functional, and the plot doesn't push much past the basic will-they-won't-they structure.
- The pacing loses some energy in the middle volumes once the novelty of the hairstyling hook settles into a routine.
Similar Titles
Similar lighthearted, service-industry-flavored shoujo rom-com energy.
Comparable pace and tone if you want another breezy, low-stakes shoujo romance.
Shares the school-club framing and a heroine who earns her place in a boys'-only group through skill and nerve.
Where to Read Officially
| Platform | Format | Pricing | Region notes | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| VIZ Media | Print & digital volumes | Paid | Region availability varies | Open |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Beauty Pop finished?
Yes, the main series runs 10 volumes and wraps up completely.
Is there a sequel?
Yes, Beauty Pop Stage 2 continues the story after a gap, though it's a separate, later release.
Where can I read Beauty Pop in English?
VIZ Media publishes the full 10-volume series under its Shojo Beat imprint, in both print and digital.
