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May Contain Spoilers

Everyone thinks 16-year-old Ryoko has weird taste in guys because she can’t stop drooling over Ryu, the strong silent type who sits next to her in class. When she discovers he works for a host club–where women actually pay men to date them–will she finally wise up? Only thing’s for sure in B.O.D.Y.–you can’t put a price on love!

Dear Valentine, That host who says that you’re the man is telling you a lie.You know that I’m your biggest fan and not some creepy guy.He wants to ruin your career and I don’t think it’s cool.But I’ve got my own troubles, dear:I’m flunking out of school!

I have to admit that I find B.O.D.Y. a very uneven read.  I liked the first volume the best, but felt that things got bogged down during the whole host club/Jin altercation.  This fourth volume seemed a lot more solid, and the situations were more compelling for me.  Ryoko is dealing with mind games again, this time with the new kid in town, Kousuke.  Kousuke is a year younger, and he has his sights set on Ryunosuke.  After initially pretending to idolize Ryoko’s boyfriend, his true colors are exposed after Ryoko gets some weird vibes from him.  She unwisely throws down a gauntlet, and he responds by targeting one of her friends.  Despite her best efforts to make Asuka see that Kousuke is just using her, she can’t make her friend see the truth.

The resulting friction between the two young women kept me glued to the book.  Kousuke thinks he’s a smooth operator, and he gloats remorselessly as Ryoko falls for his tricks, one after another.  Ryoko’s attempts to reason with Asuka are clearly going to end in disaster, but she just can’t keep quiet about her misgivings.  Instead of saving Asuka from heartbreak, she is only driving her more firmly into Kousuke’s devious clutches.  Because of her preoccupation with Kousuke, she is also leaving herself open to a major miscommunication with Ryunosuke.

I enjoyed the turbulent emotions rumbling through this installment of B.O.D.Y. and am eagerly anticipating diving into Volume 5.  The characters are all easy to sympathize with, even the less than noble Kousuke, and I am curious to see where his machinations lead.  The art skillfully captures Ryoko’s confusion, and the plot is coming into its own.  Ao Mimori is cranking up the angst, and I wonder if Ryoko and Ryunosuke’s relationship will survive the game of cat and mouse they are now being forced to play.

Grade: B

Review copy provided by Viz