Creative Staff
Story/Art: Io Sakisaka
Translation: JN Productions
English Adaptation: Ysabet MacFarlane
What They Say
Ren opens up to Ninako, and her feelings for him escalate to the point where she wants to risk everything to become his girlfriend. But when she realizes that doing so might jeopardize Ren’s friendship with Ando, will she go through with it?
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
Ninako and Ren continue to become closer, to the point that Ninako decides she’s finally ready to confess her love. This determination is sidetracked, though, when an excitable upperclassman named Toda appears to recruit cheerleaders from the first- and second-year classes, and Ninako and Ando end up getting forced into it. Furthermore, Ren announces to Ando that he’s in love with Ninako, a rather obvious fact that nonetheless throws his friend for a loop.
Unfortunately, things take a turn back towards the angst when Ando’s ex approaches Ninako and tells her that her love towards Ren is what broke the two’s best friendship. Ninako of course decides that, though the situations are totally different, she can’t possibly date Ren because it would ruin the friendship that Ren and Ando are rebuilding. The rest of the volume is spent with Ninako torn between her love and her “sacrifice” for Ren and Ando’s sake, as well as a parallel worry about performing the cheerleading well.
Interestingly enough, Toda is able to take a somewhat fun role, giving Ninako rough advice as someone detached. However, at the end of the volume Ren seems to be jealous and suspicious of him, so apparently even he can’t avoid being drawn into the angst.
In Summary
This volume is unfortunately the point at which Ren and Ninako’s inability to hook up despite a lack of proper obstacles has become impossibly strained. Though the book attempts to come up with a reason for Ninako to angst, it feels incredibly artificial and self-inflicted. In fact, she even drives herself further into the corner by the end of the volume, deciding that she can’t even talk to her friends about her super important problem, though fortunately that doesn’t seem to stick. Fortunately, there’s at least a little bit of fun to be had with this volume, as they introduce an odd character who manages to comment on things while remaining incredibly detached. It’s not much, but it at least takes away from the pity party the volume is comprised of a little. Hopefully the lovers will finally be able to get out of the rut and hook up, because their refusal to do so is only hurting the series at this point.
Content Grade: C+
Art Grade: B+
Package Rating: B+
Text/Translation Rating: B
Age Rating: 13+
Released by: Viz Books
Release Date: January 7th, 2014
MSRP: $9.99
