Beauty Pop

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"I'll help you add... a little magic."

Beauty Pop is a shoujo manga series by Kiyoko Arai published by Viz Media under their Shojo Beat label.

Kiri Koshiba lives out her days in peaceful lethargy, having fallen into an easy rhythm of working at her father's beauty shop and attending school. So calm are her days that she has no idea of the Scissors Project (alternately known as the "S.P."), a trio of popular boys who aspire to become the top name in Japan's makeover industry that frequently give the girls of their school makeovers... with exceptions. Any girl who lacks a properly balanced 'Beauty Factor' will be refused a makeover with no second chances to receive the prestigious honor of getting work done by the S.P. When Kanako, Kiri's best friend, tries to confess to one of the members, he rejects her while simultaneously accusing her of trying to bribe them into doing a Project on her and to Kiri, that makes it personal.

You see, Kiri's got a knack for bringing out the inner beauty of people and as she repeatedly trounces the Scissors Project by taking plain girls and transforming them into knockouts, the Scissors Project comes upon a decision:

They have to have her on their team.

Thus begins the saga of Kiri and the Scissors Project, climbing up the ladder of makeover excellence, one satisfied customer at a time.

Tropes used in Beauty Pop include:

• Accidental Pervert: Narumi, happens several times.
• Afraid of Blood: Kiri, ever since she accidently cut her mother's ear while giving her a haircut. It is severe enough for her mind to shut down and freeze her in place.
• Allergic to Love: Narumi bursts out in hives whenever women touch him due to the memories of the extreme repulsion he felt as a child when women would pat him and kiss his cheeks almost nonstop. For whatever reason, he doesn't seem affected when he touches women while doing their hair.
• Anime Hair: Whenever Kiri cuts a boy's hair, this is the outcome.
• Aoyama Panel Judge: During the competition at Narumi's dad's Beauty School.
• Beautiful All Along: A great majority of Kiri's clients have what would be considered not insignificant flaws such as being overweight, having nappy hair, wearing tons and tons of makeup, but after they've been under her scissors they come out looking as fine as can be.
• Bifauxnen: When Kiri is dressed as 'X', she has been mistaken for a male several times, likely due in no small part to her Pettanko body type and her fondness for baggy clothes.
• Big Eater: Kei loves his candy...
• Bishonen: A majority of the male cast, excluding Taro.
• Broken Pedestal: Ozawa as far as Narumi is concerned.
• Cannot Spit It Out: Narumi, once he realizes he likes/loves/has emotions besides irritation for Kiri.
• Catch Phrase: "Let me add some magic" and its variations ("I'll make some magic for you") as uttered by Kiri.
• Club President: Narumi, subverted since Ochiai is more of a leader than he is.
• Distant Finale: Ten years later.
• Even the Girls Want Her: Kiri, of course.
• Generation Xerox: The Koshiba and Narumi stylists, respectively.
• Genki Girl: Narumi's sister Chisami.
• The Glomp: Kiri is the target of glomps from her mother, Kanako, Iori, and Chisami.
• Harmless Villain: Those guys who 'kidnapped' Kanako and Chisami, who were terrified of Chisami's RAEG and who were handily dispatched.
  • Junna, after he gets locked in the storage room.
• High School Sweethearts: Everyone who hooks up in the main group... maybe even Chisami and Iori, though Chisami was in middle school while the others were already in high school.
• Happily Married: Emi and Seiji, Kiri's parents, despite their long-distance relationship (one in Japan, one in California). Post timeskip, one assumes that Seki and Kanako and Kiri and Narumi also count.
• Hopeless Suitor: Ochiai for Kiri, although he doesn't give up; possibly Billy for Kiri, but it's hard to say.
• Huge Guy, Tiny Girl: Seki (huge guy) and Kanako (tiny girl).
• I Am Not Right Handed: Kiri during the school festival.
• Innocent Cohabitation: Billy staying with the Koshibas, though at first it's less innocent (because he's there to steal the Golden Scissors) but counts since it's not because of "that." Despite Billy making an early reference: "Living together" versus "staying in her house."
• It Doesn't Mean Anything: What Narumi says to Kiri a lot, particularly after the Accidental Kiss. Kiri, in all likelihood, didn't think it meant anything in the first place.
• I Want My Beloved to Be Happy: Ochiai... Though it doesn't mean he's going to give up.
• Large Ham: Minamoto.
• Long-Distance Relationship: Emi and Seiji, for most of the series anyway. Presumably Kiri and Narumi after Kiri leaves, at least until Narumi goes to California/Kiri comes back to Japan.
• Love Bubbles: Assorted characters get this while thinking about or talking to the object of their affections; Kiri gets this while she's "in the zone" and styling hair, and in one case while thinking about a 'high-class meal.'
• MacGuffin: The Golden Scissors, which belong to Seiji and then to Kiri.
• Makeover Montage: Quite obviously, the series is made of them.
• Meganekko: Kanako.
• Nerd Glasses: Ochiai.
• New Transfer Student: Always a rival or someone with a grudge against the leads.
• Odd Couple: Kiri and Narumi, eventually.
• Opposites Attract: Kiri and Narumi.
• Over-Enthusiastic Parents: Kiri's mom; Narumi's dad; Kiri's dad not so much, although he seems happy to go along with Emi's plans.
• Pair the Smart Ones: Averted, as everyone in the series is a genius of some kind. (Well, except Kanako and Taro...)
• The Rival: Both Narumis consider their Koshiba counterpart their rival; it's not certain if Kiri considers Narumi a rival, and Narumi's dad assumes that Seiji considered him the Unknown Rival until the very last chapter. Prior to that, Narumi's dad apparently became a Rival Turned Evil (or at least exceptionally ruthless and petty). Niida considers Narumi his rival because Narumi always bests him, and Junna considered Narumi his Arch Nemesis because Narumi's dad used to buy his wins.
• Romantic Two-Girl Friendship: Kiri and Kanako, big time.
• Savvy Guy, Energetic Girl: Gender-swapped: Narumi is both Hot-Blooded and prone to spazzing out, while Kiri is perpetually calm and could probably sleep her way through an earthquake.
• Screw the Rules, I Have Money: Narumi's father practically lives by this trope.
• Security Cling: Kiri does this to Narumi when we find out she's afraid of A: the dark and B: cockroaches (though possibly she was just startled by the second one).
• Serious Business: Hairstyling and salon duties in general.
• Shotacon: Most girls at school towards Kei.
• Slap Slap Kiss: The Distant Finale shows us that Chisami and Iori end up engaged, although their constant bickering stays the same.
• The Stoic: Kiri herself as well as Seiji, the latter in anything not involving Emi. Of course, both let the mask crack when they think no-one's looking.
• Sugar and Ice Personality: Kiri most of the time,though it's more a general indifference.
• Teen Genius: Kiri and everyone at SP, all natural-born geniuses at what they do, as well as most of the supporting cast and antagonists.
• Terrible Artist: Kiri. It's even an important plot point later on.
• Time to Unlock More True Potential: Kiri's dad teaches her special "super skills" from time to time.
• Tomboy: Kiri is very boyish; she's often mistaken for a boy when not in the school uniform.
• Tomboy and Girly Girl: Kiri and Kanako.
• Tsundere: Narumi is a male version to Kiri.
• Unwanted Harem: Kiri sort of ends up like this, with several boys competing for her, but she remains indifferent about it. Possibly to the point of being Oblivious to Love, since Kiri doesn't seem to fully understand that Narumi even likes her until he literally confesses at her bedside.
• When She Smiles: Due to short hair, no makeup, and dressing like a boy, Kiri's femininity usually only shows up - you guessed it! - when she smiles. People who are being helped by her or who are warming up to/crushing on her usually get helped along by one of Kiri's rare smiles.