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Reviewed by Ysabet Reinhardt MacFarlane Short-Tempered Melancholic is a one-volume anthology of Arina Tanemura's short manga stories, including two installments of the titular "Short-Tempered Melancholic" and her debut manga, "The Style of the Second Love", which dates back to 1996. The two "Short-Tempered Melancholic" stories are the only ones in the collection with any kind of fantasy or action element: their heroine, Kajika, is a kunoichi (female ninja) whose grandfather wants her to keep her abilities secret, as well as protecting their family's legendary weapon. But Kajika's "secret" is no such thing, as she's incapable of holding back when she could be helping someone. Unfortunately for her, it seems like the guy she's interested in thinks ninja skills are unladylike, so she may have to choose whether to pursue love or her duties to her family. The remaining three stories ("This Love is Nonfiction", "Rainy Afternoons Are for Romantic Heroines", and "The Style of the Second Love") are more typical high school romances, all from the perspectives of the female leads as they either pursue or are pursued by love. These are very slice-of-life stories about mistaken identity, falling for the wrong guy, and finding love in unexpected places. Tanemura's distinctive art style, which doesn't seem to have changed much since her debut, is cute, flowery, and full of background details. None of the stories are long enough to make me feel deeply invested in the outcomes (I usually need at least a volume or two), and there aren't any shocking plot twists or revelations, but the stand-alone romances are sweet and fun to read and "Short-Tempered Melancholic" is a lighthearted take on the usual high school ninja/martial artist concept. Short-Tempered Melancholic includes a page of translation notes. Review copy provided by VIZ Media. Other Arina Tanemura titles from VIZ include The Gentlemen's Alliance †, Full Moon, I.O.N., and Time Stranger Kyoko. 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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