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Reviewed by Ysabet Reinhardt MacFarlane Monkey High! has been one of those wonderful series that completely took me by surprise with how endearing it is. I have to admit that most of the supporting cast made very little impression on me, but Haruna and Macharu made me smile right to the end of the series, which concludes with this volume. This is one of those great instances of the leads really balancing each other out, and of a relationship being allowed to really develop. As the series wraps up, the end of high school is on the horizon and, as is usually true for both fictional and real-life high school couples, Macharu and Haruna need to figure out where they and their relationship are headed. Being committed to each other and taking one big step in their relationship early in the volume is all well and good, but they're from very different social worlds, and Haruna's father has plans for her that don't involve marrying a shopkeeper's son. One of the things I like best about Monkey High! is that, while the characters have their share of misunderstandings (which rarely feel contrived), they actually talk out what's going on. In this case, once Macharu realizes that Haruna's father is making a determined effort at deciding her future, his typically impulsive response is to simply take her home with him. His family immediately takes her in, and the move gives both of them a chance to seriously think about where they're going. The way Akira writes the two of them is really quite lovely--at this point, they're both very sure that they want to be (and stay) together, so it's a pleasure to watch them figure out how they're each going to go about making sure that happens. There aren't a lot of surprises in this volume, but there are a lot of nice moments, and the story wraps up well--something that's usually a concern for me. (I tend to breathe a sigh of relief when I close the final volume of a series that has a decent ending, honestly, having been burned by unexpectedly dull or unpleasant endings too many times.) Volume 8 of Monkey High! includes the creator's comments on the series' end and a page of cultural/translation notes. 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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