By Banri Hidaka. Released in Japan by Hakusensha, serialized in the magazine Hana to Yume. Released in North America by Tokyopop.
This review contains spoilers.
Those who’ve read my Twitter account or my Livejournal know that I’ve become an uber-fan of Banri Hidaka, author not only of this title but also CMX’s I Hate You More Than Anyone! and Tears of a Lamb, which also ran in Hana to Yume. However, as I am trying to be a real life blogger now, I will avoid using the word SQUEE! in this review. Mostly.
Volume 7 opens where Volume 6 left off, at Arisaka’s birthday party. Sadly, we find out he’s a lightweight when it comes to drinking, which puts the kibosh on any romance that might happen. But then, you knew that going in. Certain types of shoujo manga have to be read in a certain way. You can’t expect a fast pace. V.B. Rose ended up being 14 volumes total in Japan, and this is only the halfway point.
What this means is there’s a lot of wheel spinning in this volume. Ageha has no real experience at being in love, as her classmates point out. She’s having difficulty realizing whether this is love or admiration, as well as separating work from love (she is in love with her boss, after all). And Arisaka isn’t helping either, waffling as he’s still upset over his last breakup. It really doesn’t help that the ex-girlfriend is working with both of them, of course. Or is a deadpan whose emotions are impossible to read.
Actually, compared to Kazuha and Senko in IHYMTA!, Ageha is fairly sedate. At least most of her angst is internalized. By the way, for those who are unaware, much of Hidaka’s work is crossed over with each other, and there are multiple cameos. One of Ageha’s classmates, for example, was seen before in a short series she wrote in 1996. Luckily, she has gotten much better at making the cameos non-dependent. If you recognise Minatsu, then you get a bonus. If you don’t, it’s not a big deal.
Luckily, there is Nagare, who is determined to be the one thing driving the plot. And thank God, as he’s forcing Arisaka to stop being such a wuss. Nagare is clearly meant to be the closest thing this title has to a ‘villain’ character, but I can’t help but sympathize with him. He knows he’s already fallen into the ‘I see you like a little brother’ category, and that Ageha is falling for Arisaka fast. So he has to be blunter. And at least this time he’s actually confessing, as opposed to trying to undermine her relationship with Arisaka like last time. (OK, he still does that a bit.)
Hidaka’s art has also greatly improved from her earlier series, and her facial expressions are particularly a joy. Be it Ageha’s light blushes, Arisaka’s frustrated rage, or everyone else’s super-deformed grins, they’re just fun to look at. And, of course, we have the fashion. There’s less of that in this volume, but we do get a nice scene of them planning their next dress, and seeing how it’s coming along. As well as Ageha’s cute outfits. And as always, I love the eyes on Mamoru and Nagare. Hidaka seems to like ‘bedroom eye’ characters (The Honjo family in IHYMTA! are another example), and it appeals to me personally. I think it makes Mamoru sexier.
Overall, an excellent volume. Not much develops plot-wise, beyond explaining Kana and Nagare’s confession, but I expect that the latter will be what drives Volume 8.
