May Contain Spoilers

From Amazon:

I knew that Kousuke was trouble right from the very start. Now he’s vowed revenge on me and broken my friend’s heart. Why can’t she give up on him? He’s played her for a fool! Why can’t more hosts be like you?  Why’s he such a tool? Be mine!

I am so glad that the “Kousuke is a big jerk” story arc wraps up in this volume.  It’s not that I wasn’t enjoying it, it’s just that it was getting old and starting to play on too many clichés.  I found myself getting more and more irritated with Asuka, both for not believing Ryoko and for allowing herself to be played so easily by Kousuke.  Asuka’s dismissal of both Ryoko’s advice and her friendship just didn’t ring true for me, and it made me question why I ever liked Asuka to begin with.  If they were BFF, I hope it would take more than a hot guy spewing cheesy lines to destroy their friendship.  It was especially irritating because Kousuke’s real target was Ryunosuke, who couldn’t have cared a fig about his rival.  If this episode taught me anything, it’s that Ryoko can really be a big sap,too! 

The rest of the volume was more enjoyable, as Ryunosuke’s dad makes a surprise appearance.  Followed quickly by an unannounced visit from his mom.  To say that his parents are unusual is a vast understatement, and Ryoko is quickly sucked into a very awkward situation.  Ryunosuke’s parents get along like oil and water, and they can’t even put aside their differences for the duration of their visit.  With an ice princess mom and a vagabond dad, it’s easy to see why Ryunosuke has developed an aloof personality.  His parental units are more than a handful, and they must have just sucked the life out of him when he was younger.  No wonder he’s so self reliant; if he had to depend on them for anything, especially a little cooperation, he would be doomed to disappointment.

Though light on substance, I am enjoying this storyline much better than the last.  There are some nice comedic touches, and the tone is breezier and more fun.  Now I’m curious to see how much trouble his feuding, meddling parents will make for Ryunosuke and Ryoko.  If they ever thought that they were going to get some snuggle time together, I fear that they are going to be sadly mistaken.  While not ground breaking, the entertainment value is now on an upward tick.

Grade: B

Review copy provided by publisher

This entry was posted on July 30, 2010 at 6:06 am. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

Posted in Drama High School Manga Reviews Romance Viz by Julie 1 Comment