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Reviewed by Ysabet Reinhardt MacFarlane Here's the thing about Love*Com: I always enjoy reading it, and that's a really nice thing to be able to say about a series. But on the flip side, once I've finished a volume I don't necessarily have the feeling that I'd want to revisit it. Volume 14 made me laugh, and it was fun to see the characters again, but it was absolutely overflowing with misunderstandings, which doesn't tend to be something I like. The obstacle Risa and Ôtani have to overcome this time is nominally Risa's grandfather's resistance to their relationship--he took an immediate dislike to Ôtani, apparently on the basis of nothing more than Ôtani's height. Grandpa thinks nothing at all of doing everything he can to interfere with their romance and have some fun along the way, and apparently he has cash to burn, because the tactic he chooses is hiring a beautiful older woman to feign interest in Ôtani and draw his attention away from Risa. He even admits it to Risa, who immediately tells Ôtani what's going on...only to discover that Ôtani refuses to believe the worst of Hitomi, the woman who's been conveniently crossing paths with him. And here we run into the real obstacle our heroes face, which is their ongoing inability to deal with this kind of situation without distrust or annoyance. They're making progress and genuinely care about each other, but Ôtani's assumption that Risa's simply lost her mind and Risa's inability to trust that Ôtani really isn't likely to fool around on her are real problems. They're perfectly believable problems, though--just being presented against a larger-than-life comedic backdrop. Sometimes that combination works better for me than others, and I personally didn't find this storyline did much for me. But even at the worst of times, I still find Ôtani and Risa's escapades fun to read about. As is often the case, the supporting cast are one of the highlights in this volume. Nobu and Nakao don't have a whole lot to do this time out other than mercilessly tease Ôtani for his refusal to understand why Risa's upset with him, but they have so much fun doing it. Review copy provided by VIZ Media. Interested in writing for MangaLife? We're always looking for talented reviewers and columnists, so drop us a line! Charles Webb Editor-in-Chief, MangaLife.com |
1 September 2010
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