Manga
Eugene Cheng of EX reviewed the Dark Horse edition, which contained only the Miss China chapters, and praised the series for its beautiful art, unique style, and delightful characters within a charming story. Cheng commended Kenji Tsuruta's artwork and his skillful use of scenery, perspective, and contrast, ultimately declaring the series one of the best manga available in America at the time.[14] Manga critic Jason Thompson noted that the detailed artwork lived up to the series' name, creating a sweet, unresolved love story reminiscent of Kozue Amano's work, such as Aqua and Aria, where characters often pause to admire the scenery. Thompson described the Miss China stories as enjoyable but slight, lacking a definitive ending.[32] Kevin Pezzano of SciFi.com found Tsuruta's artwork breathtaking, with incredibly detailed yet clear linework, but considered the story inferior, somewhat unclear, and ultimately forgettable. Pezzano criticized the frequent fanservice, noting that panty shots sometimes seemed more numerous than story panels, and concluded that readers should appreciate the art and concepts while overlooking Miss China's exaggerated accent.[33] Mariela Ortiz, also writing for SciFi.com, similarly praised the painstakingly detailed artwork, which required more than just reading to understand the story. While Ortiz also noted the fanservice, she considered it an expected element of the genre.[33]
In a review of the complete manga, Mario Vuk of Splash Comics appreciated the series' anthological format and highlighted Tsuruta's use of hatching, which gave the art a classic appearance.[34] He found the artwork very appealing and rich in detail,[35] and deemed the overall work a beautiful piece with classic charm and a moderate amount of comedy.[36] Conversely, Andrés Accorsi of Comiqueando acknowledged Tsuruta's artwork as the main feature but identified significant flaws in the scripts. Accorsi felt the conflicts lacked dramatic force and that Tsuruta wasted many pages on inconsequential scenes, concluding that the series became entangled in ridiculous, whimsical, and poorly resolved situations.[37]
Miss China's Ring
Christopher Macdonald of Anime News Network (ANN) described the OVA as unique, very weird, and very fun. He noted that Tsuruta's original character designs and artwork were nicely complemented by good animation, and recommended it to those seeking a short, heartwarming story devoid of heavy material, though he cautioned that viewers seeking a strong, complicated plot would likely be disappointed.[38] Mariela Ortiz of SciFi.com observed that the characters, particularly Miss China with her accent and fighting skills, came off as stereotypical, though she noted this did not detract from the story. Ortiz called the OVA a funny and heartwarming tale.[39] Shu-Chun Lin, also for SciFi.com, deemed it a lovely and cute love story that was very enjoyable and entertaining despite its simplicity.[39]
Mike Toole of Anime Jump described the OVA as a nice break from typical action and comedy fare but found it surprisingly insubstantial, wishing for more narrative depth.[40] Chris Beveridge of AnimeOnDVD praised the animation, noting several nice sequences, and stated he enjoyed the show immensely, recommending it to those looking for something off the beaten path.[41]
