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Reviewed by Ysabet Reinhardt MacFarlane Each time I read a volume of Otomen I'm surprised again by how endearing it is, but its over-the-top streak feels rather a lot stronger in volume 4 than it did in vol. 2, the last installment I reviewed. (In the spirit of full disclosure, I read vol. 4 without having read vol. 3, but then was able to find a copy of vol. 3 and get properly caught up. Still, having read them out of order probably has at least a minor effect on my impression.) The series is still very focused on Asuka and his ongoing efforts at hiding his too-feminine interests from most of the world, but while his relationship with Ryo is still a constant factor, this is the second volume in a row where one of the main storylines has had to do with Asuka meeting/discovering another otomen (first Hajime, the make-up artist, and now a boy with a passion for flowers), and it's also the second in a row which focuses quite a bit on some sort of competition between them, this time in the form of two beach bars' growing war for customers. I don't find those aspects as interesting as I do Asuka's developing romance with Ryo and their friendship with Juta, so it's no surprise that my favorite story in volume 4 has to do with Ryo's birthday, Asuka's plan to bake her a cake, and Ryo's father's unexpected interest in learning just the tiniest bit more about feminine things in order to try to make his daughter happier. It's not a deep storyline, but it's incredibly sweet. (Ryo's father takes his hardcore masculine-things-only! stance a bit far, but it's less cringe-inducing than Asuka's mother's need to keep Asuka from growing up into a transvestite like his father.) This is the kind of series that gives shoujo its fluffy, sugary reputation, but it's a good representation of that subset of the genre. For the most part I had fun with this volume although, like some other reviewers, I think I'd find Otomen more enjoyable still if it took the gender issues it raises a bit more seriously, or at least made those aspects a bit less ridiculous. I didn't think to check the credits on volume 3, but as of that volume or volume 4 the translator/adapter are different than in volume 2; that said, I didn't notice a significant difference in the scripts. Volume 4 of Otomen includes a one-page glossary of Japanese terms. 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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