Awkwardness abounds in more ways than one
Creative Staff
Story/Art: Go Ikeyamada
Translation/Adaptation: Tomo Kimura
What They Say
The Kobayashi twins, Megumu and Mitsuru, were named after historical figures, but only Megumu has grown up with a taste for history. So when Mitsuru is in danger of losing his weekends to extra history classes, he convinces his sister to swap clothes with him and ace his tests! After all, how hard can it be for them to play each other? Chiharu Uesgui’s devious ploy to use Megumu against Aoi has only brought the lovebirds closer together. And it’s also given Megumu an intriguing glimpse into Uesugi’s past with her boyfriend. Can she figure out how their friendship went sour before Uesugi tries something even worse?!
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
Following off from last time, Aoi is left panicking while looking for his girlfriend, while Chiharu is hanging out over her sleeping body. She wakes up, though, and the situation awkwardly seems to come to a close… when she accidently knocks over a case containing a ton of pills and a picture of Chiharu and Aoi being super chummy. And in reaction… Chiharu threatens to rape her. Disturbing as that is, he actually gets off with just being told off for what he said, which seems kind of light. Oh, and the two strike a deal where Megumu will keep Chiharu’s secret while he will keep Aoi’s. It’s a giant bundle of awkwardness that seems to sweep a rape threat (or perhaps I should say rape attempt) under the rug far too easily, but despite that despicableness it does at least give an interesting hint towards the past shared between Chiharu and Aoi. Oh, and we also end on a rather charming reunion between Aoi and Chiharu, where they touchingly just say “screw the consequences” and embrace one another directly.
Next up the focus shifts to Mitsuru and Azusa, with the old “girl creates a lunch for the guy she likes” cliché, with Azusa of course having trouble conveying her emotions. It’s pretty darn by the books, but Azusa’s awkward grumpiness comes across really well, adding some definite charm to the proceedings. Anyway, the plot continues on as Azusa grapples with her feelings, and the pervert makes another appearance. Azusa gives chase this time, but she in turn accidentally gets knocked down the stairs, forcing Mitsuru to save her. He gets hurt in the process, though, and she forces him away despite her feelings, not wanting him caught in the crossfire. And in the end, Azusa tries to catch the pervert herself… only to find out that there are a whole gaggle of them! It’s a great reveal, as everyone involved is caught off guard, even the stalkers! On top of that, Mitsuru jumps into the fray, and the two team up in a simply brilliant attack to ward off and punish these creeps, which makes for an absolutely brilliant ordeal.
Finally, the volume concludes with some confessions that will shake the course of the series. Just how will the twins react in the face of these reveals, and just what where will the confrontation between Aoi and Chiharu lead?
In Summary
This time around, we’re given a volume with a mix of greatness and a little bit of awkwardness. To get the bad out of the way, Chiharu pushes things WAY too far this time around, and the book doesn’t seem to recognize the gravity of the matter. It’s very uncomfortable and could certainly ruin your view on the character, which is a big shame. Aoi and Megumu do get a very well done scene, but the rest of their plot is a tad mediocre. On the other hand, the plot with Azusa and Mitsuru hits all the right notes, making for a bundle of fantastic scenes. It’s touching, hilarious, and even thrilling at times, making for a brilliant little love story with some serious pay off. So in the end, there is some stuff holding the book back, but it’s absolutely worth overcoming that to get to all the goodness contained within.
Content Grade: A-
Art Grade: B
Packaging Grade: A-
Text/Translation Grade: A-
Age Rating: 13+
Released By: Viz Media
Release Date: August 2nd, 2016
MSRP: $9.99
