Hayakawa Tomoko - The Wallflower, vol. 04-06 (Eng. trans.)

[oyceter]

I read these three volumes very far apart, so I've forgotten a lot.

Sunako and the four "beings of light" continue to live together, and Sunako's aunt randomly pops by or calls every so often and threatens the guys so the plot can move forward. I think she is the Kanzeon Bosatsu of the series, only sadly with less hermaphroditism and sarcasm. Also, Sunako's aunt hasn't read the book ahead of time.

All the incidents are one-shots, which probably contributes to my poor memory of them. I'd like more of an arc now that the series has hit vol. 6, especially since there are quite a few more coming. We did have a surprise visit from Sunako's past, along with a brief flashback to the guys' first days in the mansion, but those were played more for fun than for emotional depth.

I continue to love Sunako's weirdness, but the wacky hijinks of girls chasing after the four guys and the exaggerated reactions are getting a little boring without more characterization.

Comments

[kyuuketsukirui.livejournal.com]

I just finished vol. 4 myself last week and yeah, it's okay, but it's certainly not turning into a favorite series...

[oyceter]

*nods* Yeah... I want more plot!

[jinian.livejournal.com]

I think this one gets better too, though maybe not as awesome as Skip Beat. (I would know better how to judge whether you'll like future parts if I could figure out which chapter you were up to! Why can I not find this?)

[jinian.livejournal.com]

Aha -- you're only up to chapter 26. Give it at least one more volume; if it doesn't click, I will graciously allow you to quit. :)

[oyceter]

Ok! Sigh. I wish the library had more than three volumes...

[chomiji]

I had the same feeling about these. My 16-yr-old daughter loves them, so we have up to about vol. 10 lying about, but by vol. 5 I'd pretty much had enough.

Weirdly, I'm still enjoying Ouran High School Host Club, so I've been brooding over the differences between the two series. I doubt my conclusions will be very important in terms of manga literature in general, but at least I might be able to zero in on what I do and don't want out of manga myself.

[oyceter]

I've heard Ouran gets more more arc-y and has more character development later, so it's on my list... eventually.

[chomiji]

Well, if it's any help, most of my thoughts thus far are that in Ouran, despite a goofy over-the-top cartoonishness, there are real people somewhere inside the caricatures, and they interact as though they like each other and are actually getting to know and care about each other. Haruhi becomes "one of the gang" to some extent fairly early on, and gets in on some of the wacky schemes they construct, whereas Sunako seems to remain an object to the guys - as indeed, they are to her (the whole "Creature of Light" schtick) - at least up to where I abandoned the series.

[oyceter]

Yeah, I think that's the thing that's been bugging me. I don't mind that much for the other guys, but since Kyohei is the designated romantic interest, I'd like more Kyohei-Sunako moments... not near kisses or whatnot, but them actually talking, or bonding over knives, or whatnot.