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Reviewed by Ysabet Reinhardt MacFarlane Like the first volume, volume 2 of St. Dragon Girl is very episodic, with each of the four chapters standing almost entirely alone. Despite the constant reiteration (in the text as well as the back cover copy) that Momoka and Ryuga use their respective skills as a martial artist and a magic master to fight together, they almost never actually team up in any meaningful way. Instead, Momoka does things on her own when she feels like she can't talk to Ryuga (which happens regularly, for a variety of reasons), which means that the chapters follow a predictable pattern of Momoka getting involved in whatever's going on, her not talking to him about it, and the two of them still both winding up involved in the story's resolution. The individual plots are fun despite the recurring pattern, and they cover a fairly wide variety of material, but I wish the author would stop having each and every story make it painfully obvious that Ryuga knows how Momoka feels about him and having Momoka constantly react as if she can't possibly let him know. It's also clear that Ryuga likes her and is just messing with her, which gets old pretty fast. The central plot point of Momoka being possessed by the dragon spirit Ryuga called up is surprisingly irrelevant so far; the dragon makes appearances from time to time, but it always seems more like a nod to the fact that she's possessed rather than being particularly necessary. Hopefully the creator will do more with this as the series progresses. My verdict is basically unchanged since volume one: St. Dragon Girl is entertaining and has some good points, but it's also frustrating. Still, a lot of series take a while to get warmed up, so there's still potential here. This volume includes a bonus story, a bonus feature about the creator's work process, 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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