Kiss all the witches.
Creative Staff:
Story/Art: Miki Yoshikawa
Translation: David Rhie
Lettering: Sara Linsley
Editing: Ajani Oloye
Kodansha Comics edition cover design: Phil Balsman
What They Say:
Yamada has managed to find the seventh witch and protect Shiraishi, but the final witch’s memory-erasing powers have a troubling effect on the Supernatural Studies Club. Facing a world where his friends don’t remember him, Yamada and Tamaki discover that to solve their problems, they need to go back to the basics: kissing! Using his duplication powers and the help of a few unlikely allies, Yamada may be able to restore what he’s lost…but his plans to outwit the seventh witch’s power don’t go unnoticed by the crafty Student Council.
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers)
No one remembers Yamada still, Shiraishi is heartbroken, and Odagiri might—just might—wanna help out Yamada in whatever scheme he’s boiling up with Tamaki. Odagiri, of course, also doesn’t remember Yamada. But to get Yamada to her side, she has to use the charm power…which backfires on her and then she is charmed.
This cancels out the seventh witch’s power because Odagiri is now under another witch power: her own by way of Yamada. This digs really into Odagiri’s own insecurities as well, as someone who could never find friends of her own to hang with, it seems. Her power reflects that in that she forces people to follow her, but she has to do what she wants to do with her own skills. No witch powers allowed, because then who really did the heavy lifting, the powers or you? Yamada opens everyone’s eyes to their weakest parts, in a way, but also allows them to overcome those weaknesses. Odagiri is stronger for knowing who she is.
The volume also points out a fear Shiraishi’s: being left alone. She only studies, and thus appears unapproachable. She has somewhat the same issue Odagiri has of an outcast. But while Odagiri wants people to follow her, fawn over her, and love her, Shiraishi wants none of that. She wants the love of one, and she looks up to the power of one. She desires someone else (Yamada), specifically his powers to influence people by his own good nature.
But with Odagiri’s memory back, the Student Council can’t let them be, and has the seventh witch work her magic again and erase Odagiri’s memory. …Except she can’t. Apparently the seventh witch’s memory wipes only work once on each person. Instead, in what is a work of pretty good comedy, the Student Council warns of a serial kisser—a male student who goes around asking women to kiss him. Which is exactly what Yamada does because he’s an idiot.
Yamada may be making some headway though. Shiraishi seems to have not forgotten her feelings for Yamada, even if she’s forgotten Yamada. She’s even willing to let Yamada kiss her! After an entire volume of talking, him attempting it one other time inexplicably (see former Yamada is an idiot comment), and Shiraishi turning him down because…she loves someone else. That’s basically where it ends, of course.
Oh, also Odagiri seems to have found a secret and important room in the Student Council that may or may not be some transmutation circle to bring back Ed and Al’s mom. Or maybe it’s a special ceremony to bring back everyone’s memories, whatever.
There’s also a cute little one shot about the devil, who is an elementary school teacher. But none of the kids believe he is until they accidently set fire to his house / school storage building or something. He’s a sweet dude. But he’s also the devil.
In Summary:
Yamada-kun is still a really enjoyable manga. These characters are more than their joke-y personalities let on, which is obvious enough, but it’s always great to see in execution. It’s also obvious Yamada is such a great dude that he affects so much of the school life that his mere non-existence causes the very mayhem he worked so hard to quell to rise right back up.
Content Grade: A-
Art Grade: B+
Packaging Grade: B
Text/Translation Grade: B-
Age Rating: 16+
Released By: Kodansha Comics
Release Date: July 26, 2016
MSRP: $10.99
