Manga Maniac Cafe For the Geek in all of us

Title:  Love*Com Vol 4

Author:  Aya Nakahara

Publisher:  VIZ

ISBN:  9781421515380

May Contain Spoilers

Things aren’t easy for Risa Koizumi.  Besides being the tallest girl in her class, she’s realized that she’s in love with Ôtani, the shortest guy in her class!  Once bitter enemies, she learns that love has a funny sense of irony.  Now Risa is trying to confess her newly discovered feelings to Ôtani, but he’s just too dense to understand!  Why did she have to fall in love with not only the shortest guy, but also the dumbest one as well?

This series just keeps getting better.   Risa finally comes to accept that she’s fallen hard for Ôtani, and learns that cluing him in isn’t as easy as it should be.  In fact, Ôtani is a bit of a dimwit, and when Risa confesses her feelings to him, complete with romantic fireworks glittering in the background, he just laughs it off.  Poor Risa!  She’s so distraught because Ôtani doesn’t even really consider her a girl.  Aya Nakahara does a great job portraying Risa’s confusion and heartbreak.  Here’s a girl in love with a guy who doesn’t even entertain the slightest thought that they could ever be a couple.

Risa’s friends rally around her, trying to help her and Ôtani hook up.  Too bad he’s so dumb!  Like the reader, they, too are amazed at how slow he is.  This was starting to get frustrating, as it’s difficult to believe anyone could be so dense, but given the bantering tone of their relationship, it’s understandable that he didn’t get it.  After he does, Risa is left to worry that their Hanshin-Kyojin relationship will be replaced with…nothing.  Will her declaration bring a new depth to their friendship, or will it bring it to an end?  It’s pretty funny that Ôtani and Risa don’t have a problem enjoying  each other’s company and can act naturally with one another, right up until Risa tells him that she likes him.  Now I’m curious to see how this new phase of awkwardness will be handled – how can they possibly go back to being the comedic duo they once were, knowing how Risa feels?

Grade: A-

Rated for Teen

Review copy provided by VIZ