With time running out as the National Test looms, the girls decide to have a study camp…in Okinawa. Yeah, that sounds conducive to studying.
Creative Staff
Story/Art: MIKAGE
Translation/Adaptation: Ajino Hirami
What They Say
Nanako and the prep school crew are off to Okinawa for some much-needed rest and relaxation… I mean, for training camp! Surprisingly, Anko has selected a very nice hotel with delicious food and comfortable rooms, perfect for… intense studying. But even though Anko’s being more hard nosed about the girls’ studying than she ever has been before… that’s still not saying much. There are still plenty of diversions and distractions to be enjoyed in the Okinawan sunshine! Let’s just hope the girls don’t regret it when it’s time for their entrance exams!
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
The group’s preparations for their Okinawa trip are picking up into gear and even Nanako can’t resist them as she becomes engaged in them despite herself. With the talk going on there is no way Kozue can miss it, though she is certain that a game is being played on her as ronin have no time to go on vacation. When she finds out Akane is going Kozue finds she can’t say “no” herself even though she is also obsessing about the upcoming tests. This impulse to agree because of Akane is quickly picked up by Shino who falls in love with Kozue…well, at least falls in love with how she thinks she can use the girl to separate Akane and Nanako.
The time on the trip won’t be all fun though as Anko has been handed the task of making sure that studying takes priority, though perhaps the most important lesson she gives is on the proper application of sunscreen. As the girls spend time doing things away from just studying bonds may grow deeper, though those left behind at home will find they have some work to do as well. Will the girls come back recharged or will the time away affect their output? One thing is for sure, they will sure stand out among other ronin (and teachers) which may lead to some bitter, bitter feelings upon returning.
My experience with Ichiroh! Has not really been the best. I read through the first volume after getting it and the second through a studio sale and found it wanting. The characters seemed to be rather shallow archetypes at best and stereotypes at worst thrown together in a rather haphazard function designed just to trigger those already interested in those types of characters. I was so disinterested I didn’t even read the second volume and it has been lost somewhere in the stacks of bookshelves as I didn’t feel a need to track it down to give the series a second chance. Fast forward to volume 4 and the manga’s presence being neglected in a review pile made me feel sad for it and decide I’d give it another chance.
My second experience with the title was a bit better than the first as now the characters felt at least like they had the weight of some history behind them that they lacked before but it is still a mixed bag. Many of the characters feel almost as shallow as they did with the first go round in many areas though at least this time around the characters felt a bit bigger than just a basic outline of character traits cynically made to pander to certain types of fans. It still isn’t a title I could blanket recommend to someone, or even necessarily will have me scrambling to find that missing volume on my shelves let alone the one volume I don’t own but I have spent time in less enjoyable fashions than I spent reading this. In the end it is still a title that doesn’t excite me, but I admit I have taken a bit of a liking to this group of college hopefuls, though the translating decisions do seem to have hurt more than helped some of the time.
In Summary
The fourth volume of Ichiroh! gives an excuse for taking the girls out of their regular environment and allows for spending time being more like people and less like obsessed students (not that Akane passes for an obsessed student really well anyway). It allows not just for swimsuit shots but also gives the girls a chance to just breathe as characters which is sorely needed after my experience with the first volume of the series. It still isn’t great, but it is better than the initial volume in the series.
Content Grade: C
Art Grade: B-
Packaging Grade: A-
Text/Translation Grade: C-
Age Rating: 16+
Released By: Yen Press
Release Date: February 22nd, 2011
MSRP: $11.99
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