A rival appears for Akira’s attention!
Creative Staff
Writer/Artist: Wataru Mizukami
Translation: Jamie Jacobs
What They Say
Sachiko remains hopelessly and one-sidedly in love with her stepbrother, Akira. But now she must compete with an overeager guy to be Akira’s assistant – not to mention contending with a spoiled little princess from Karuizawa and a ghost with a particular fondness for glasses!
The Review!
Content:
Enter Tomoya. He’s a fresh-faced new employee at Bar Masumi, who’s actually there to get Akira’s attention! Please note that that is Akira’s attention not his affections that he wants. However, that’s difficult to tell as this male character treats Sachiko much the way a female rival would, even going so far as to outdo Sachiko in making Akira a bento for cherry blossom viewing. Of course, Sachiko creates a disaster in her efforts to compete, and Akira has to bail her out. Interestingly, despite making a spectacle of Sachiko’s bad points, Tomoya shows hints of recognizing and falling for Sachiko’s appeal (which I have yet to figure out for myself).
As a new regular for the series, Tomoya features in the second and third chapters of this volume, but he fades to the backdrop as the three go on an outing to Tomoya’s rich relative’s house. Yet even without his interference, Sachiko proves time and again what an idiot she is. In Chapter 8, she gets jealous of a spoiled little girl who monopolizes Akira’s attention, and in Chapter 9, when Sachiko finally gets a sick Akira all to herself, she ruins the opportunity by being the worst nurse imaginable. Her unbridled (and often destructive) exuberance and unswerving dedication to Akira are supposed to be her good points, but I just find it tiresome
In Summary:
Mizukami-sensei introduces Tomoya as a new regular male character for this series. However, it’s still the same stupid Sachiko and the same aloof Akira. As such, there’s no progress in terms of their relationship, and the three chapters of this manga are simply more displays of Sachiko’s ineptness.
Extras include the 36-page bonus manga Pretty-Boy Hater, which also falls along the lines of a plain-girl-and-hot-guy romance.
Content Grade: C
Art Grade: B-
Packaging Grade: B+
Text/Translation Grade: B
Age Rating: 13+
Released By: Del Rey Manga
Release Date: July 27th, 2010
MSRP: $10.99