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Reviewed by Ysabet Reinhardt MacFarlane This new volume of S.A. is quite a lot easier to follow than the previous one (at least for a reader in my position, with these being the only two volumes I've read), something it manages by simply having fewer of the characters around. It centers mainly on Hikari's efforts to keep Kei's family from forcing him to leave their school and study abroad, although she's still incredibly unaware of her own feelings for him as anything but a rival. It's not terribly surprising that "rich boy's family tries to run his life" translates into an overt case of skeevy politicking/manipulation--one of the more disturbing trends in manga centering around wealthy high school kids--but it's a pretty flimsy attempt that could almost pass by unnoticed. Hikari's equally-typical cluelessness is strong enough that she barely notices it's happening, and the character assigned to carry it out has no interest in or taste for what he's supposed to do. Clearly there's no truly great, ruthless mastermind behind the scheme, unlike, say, the Domyoji family in Hana Yori Dango. There isn't a lot of suspense in here, which I partly attribute to Hikari's own lack of tension over...well, just about anything that happens. Whether she's being jerked around by Kei's family or targeted by jealous first-year students who covet her position in Special A, she takes it all so thoroughly in stride that it's hard to worry about her. But that's okay; she's more oblivious than I'd prefer, but she's also fairly likable. All in all, I stand by my assessment after reading volume 5: S.A. isn't a series I'd go out of my way for, personally, but it's a decent read. 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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