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Title: B.O.D.Y. Vol 2

Author:  Ao Mimori

Publisher: Viz

ISBN:  9781421518039

May Contain Spoilers

Ryoko is in way over her head.  She’s in love with Ryunosuke, studious bookworm by day and studly ladies’ man at night.  Ryu works at a host club, and makes money hanging out with the ladies.  When Ryoko feels threatened by the thought of Ryu dating countless women, she decides that she can’t take it anymore and that she doesn’t mean anything to him.  Will Ryoko’s jealousy put an end to their budding relationship?

I am finding it hard to embrace this series.  I don’t care for the premise very much, finding it beyond the realm of believability, even after engaging my powers of suspension of belief.  Ryunosuke is made out to be a killer stud muffin, one who makes the ladies stoop to kidnapping just to steal another kiss from him.  As the kidnappee, Ryoko is suddenly confronted with the realization that while Ryu was her first kiss, he’s engaged in many, many kisses before her.  He’s probably engaged in much lustier activities, and the thought just tears her apart. 

Now, I can fully sympathize with Ryoko and her feelings of insecurity.  It’s when she tells Ryu that they are finished and dumps him that the problems arise.  Being a classy kind of guy, he gracefully accepts her brush off.  Then Ryoko is tormented by how readily he accepted their breakup, and she wants to get back together again.  Part of the intrigue of the first volume was how easily Ryunosuke played his mind games on Ryoko.  It doesn’t work as well in this volume, unfortunately, and it just made Ryoko look indecisive and even a little spoiled.

After accepting that he’s a host, Ryoko has a bigger issue to deal with.  Ryu decides to put his life as a ladies’ man behind him, but Ryoko kind of screws up his valiant plans.  Running into his employer by mistake, she makes a deal with Jin, the president of Club B.  If Ryoko can reel in 1 million yen in one month working for him as a hostess, he’ll let Ryu quit his job.  So begins Ryoko’s career doing exactly the same thing that almost caused her and Ryunosuke to break up in the first place.  This turn of events was not only disappointing and predictable, but too far-fetched as well.  Setting aside Ryoko’s suitability or lack thereof to be a hostess, her chance meeting with the president, someone who Ryu hasn’t met in all the time he’s worked for Club B, was just too wildly convenient.  I’m not even going to comment on how Ryoko thought it would be ok for her to sneak around and keep it a secret that she was doing the same thing that she had condemned him for doing.

Though I was disappointed by the turn of events in the second volume of B.O.D.Y. I did like the addition of Jin to the cast.  He’s scheming and calculating, and is certain to cause all sorts of trouble for Ryoko and Ryunosuke.  I just wish that he had aimed for something a little more original for his first attempt at sabotaging their relationship.  The art is crisp and attractive, and even if Ryoko doesn’t come across as the brightest girl in shoujo-land, I’m curious enough to see what kind of hold Jin has on Ryunosuke to follow the series for a few more volumes.

Grade: C+

Review copy provided by Viz