Books I Read In 2022 (and by read I mean actually liked)
Library Wars: Love & War, Vol. 6 by Kiiro Yumi
When the snowflakes… are replaced by flower petals… a fresh breeze comes blowing in.
⭐⭐⭐⭐(4.25 STARS)
Spoilers Below!!!
Oh, goody, the inevitable Valentine’s Day volume.
I actually love Valentine’s Day subplots and I wish they weren’t only obligatory in Shojo. You get some really cute scenes of your favourite ship, but there are also some other pretty fun moments.
Plain chocolate, but chocolate from a girl nonetheless! - I love when Iku’s mean to the boys on the force. And honestly, valid, because it’s not like each guy on the force returned the favour on White Day. Trust me, I would remember.
She really should’ve anticipated Genda eating all the chocolates. (This is just typical Chief Genda behaviour that we all just have to accept.)
Shibazaki and Tezuka rejecting chocolates from people in the same place with only a shrub between them is honestly the best way to start their love story. (I love how he not only clocked that she was using that forced smile she’s perfected with Mr. Asahina, but he was also able to tell when she started genuinely smiling at him. That’s romance!)
Holy shit, maybe I need to re-read this volume more because Iku and Dojo’s scene in the snow is probably my favourite so far. I know everybody always loses their shit when it comes to rain scenes, myself included, but there’s just something so magical and romantic about the first snow of the year! On top of that, the way Dojo leaned down to eat the chocolate that Iku was embarrassed to give to him had no right to feel as intimate as it did.
Onto the A-plot of this volume: Shibazaki.
I forgot that we got her story this early on. Moreover, we got more of her friendship with Iku, but mostly, I was just happy to see her POV. Being in Shibazaki’s head was such a fun experience because it allowed us to see how the librarians and higher-ups operate, which is something we rarely get to see, so it was a nice change of pace. I also just found it so fascinating to see how she analyzes people (Mr. Eto was really cool because he’s a new character, so it’s almost like we were introduced to him through Shibazaki.) Shibazaki has a good read on almost everyone, so it’s no surprise that she understands Iku’s nature as well. Someone who’s so oblivious to anything concerning herself, but equally as perceptive when it comes to others. (Which is something readers caught onto pretty early on, but it’s nice to feel validated.)
I TOTALLY REMEMBER SHIBAZAKI’S BACKSTORY!!! It makes a lot of sense for her character. She’s always got a good read on people, she knows everything about everyone, and she’s also friendly with pretty much everyone on base… yet you can tell she’s guarded because she’s closest to Iku, who’s blunt and doesn’t give a fuck about what others think of her. It’s interesting because I feel like Iku’s someone who’s been called brash and rude her whole life, similar to Shibazaki but for different reasons. It speaks to their core values and personalities that while Iku taught herself not to care, Shibazaki made sure that she’s only perceived how she wants to be. (It’s still insane that other girls didn’t want to be friends with her because she didn’t want to go out with someone she doesn’t like and also said to butt out of her dating life.)
You know… Kasahara… I’ve never met anyone like you. You’re so honest, open… and lovable. You’re nothing… like me. So why did I open up like that? As if… I had total faith in Kasahara, letting her see me be vulnerable. It’s not like me at all. After all these years, I found someone I actually want to be friends with.
I have a special place in my heart for Iku and Shibazaki’s friendship. Iku is just so fiercely protective of the people she loves, and I think the way she protects Shibazaki is what causes her to realize that Iku’s not just some immature kid. I loved seeing her tell the other librarians to back off because she saw how much Shibazaki was struggling to do so herself. Even if she doesn’t know the whole story, she stepped in anyway because that’s her best-friend. I’m so happy they’re roommates because their scenes together are some of my favourites. I loved their hug! Also, this moment: “If you don’t want to, just say so.” - I don’t think Iku realizes how much her words and actions truly mean to Shibazaki.
(Since we’re talking about friendship, I just wanted to really quickly add that I love how close Marie has become with Iku and Shibazaki; the three of them have such a wonderful dynamic and I do think that if I remember correctly, we get to see a fair bit of it.)
Diya’s random thoughts in no particular order:
Shibazaki’s fondness for Mr. Asahina being a result of his similarities to Iku hurts because I remember what this asshole does.
Book burning is a tough topic, especially because if you really look into it, the way it’s depicted in this series isn’t as far off from reality as you would expect. (The media is being censored nowadays, and with more and more books being banned, we’re not far from people resorting to book burning.)
Tezuka’s smile being blindingly perfect is canon.
The situation with the article is tough. Freedom of speech vs. privacy laws is a highly debated topic, and I think it always will be. But I appreciated that very necessary friendly reminder from Dojo to Iku that the article was not a personal slight to the Library Force and everything they stand for. She has a job to do as well, and theirs is to make sure she can. It’s a small scene, but it has a big impact because one of Iku’s main struggles and an ongoing theme throughout the series is how everything isn’t black and white. Every cause, no matter how noble, is going to have its flaws and require compromises that question the very values that you’re fighting for in the first place.
We deserved more of Chief Genda and Miss Orikuchi!
Oh my god, I thought Iku got shot! Thank god it was a misdirect and she just ran into a door face-first. (Poor baby, they’re all asshole for laughing at her.)
Omigosh, I forgot one of the kids from Vol. 3 made a reappearance! Taiga and Ginga’s story was kind of hard for me, as are most moments where an older sibling accidentally snaps at their younger sibling without meaning to. It’s truly the worst feeling in the world. (I just know the guilt was all-consuming, especially when he realized Ginga could be in real danger.)
We deserved to see all three of Iku’s big brothers so they could bully Dojo! Her roughhousing with her brothers explains so much about her. She really gives ‘only girl in a family full of boys’ vibes.
Is it really a Library Wars volume if you don’t have Iku risk her life to save a child, and then Dojo risk his to save hers?
I feel like Iku should’ve guessed by now that Tezuka’s just a rich kid.
Oh, I fully remember this bonus manga though, it was so funny! Don’t worry, Tezuka, you’re not alone. Demon!Komaki haunts my nightmares too. (Both he and Iku learned a valuable lesson that day.)
“You have an excellent body, sir.” - That’s an insane thing to say, Iku! (That extra bonus manga with Iku’s secret admirer was a necessity.)
Books I Read In 2022 (and by read I mean actually liked)
Library Wars: Love & War, Vol. 5 by Kiiro Yumi
I keep telling you. This is what I want to do!
⭐⭐⭐(2.75 STARS)
Spoilers Below!!!
It actually pains me to rate a Library Wars volume so low, especially since it's my most re-read one. (And by most re-read, I do mean that I would just skip to the bonus manga because that’s what salvaged it for me.)
“You’ve overcome your shyness… so you could become my hero.” - I would’ve liked this more if their relationship didn’t creep me the fuck out.
Unfortunately, even this series wasn’t spared from a weird age gap relationship. Marie and Komaki’s relationship is weird as fuck. They acknowledge the age gap, yes, but not the fact that this is a grown man in his late twenties going for a girl who quite literally just turned eighteen.
“Who knows? Sometimes that doesn’t stop a grown-up man” was an insane line choice, and having Dojo flashback to when he met teenage Iku was even crazier because those are completely different situations. Another absolutely wild line was what Komaki said to Marie when they came to rescue him: “I can’t see you as a child anymore. What am I going to do?” (Am I the weird one here? Does no one else see what’s wrong with this?)
Things I actually liked about this volume:
Iku’s dad having her back for the first time ever is still one of the most iconic moments of the entire series.
Marie as a character! She is adorable and I love the friendship she develops with Iku and Shibazaki. I also love how she tells off those officers for their ignorance. How dare they use her disability, which they knew nothing about, as an excuse to torture Komaki?!
The fact that Iku was the one who caught on to how Marie and Komaki felt about each other. (I love how she’s perceptive about everyone’s feelings but her own… and also Dojo’s.)
I like how we get small appearances and anecdotes about Tezuka’s brother before he finally shows up, because the build-up pays off in the end since he’s such a vital character. (Tezuka only calling him because he wants to help Komaki… You just know that’s a tense family dynamic.)
IkuxDojo Quotes/Moments which I desperately clung to so I wouldn’t have to think about Marie and Komaki:
“Next time you take off crying, hide someplace an emotional girl is more likely to hide.” - I’m convinced this man looked everywhere for her before he caved and Shibazaki for help. (You’re pathetic, Dojo, and also kind of an asshole… I unfortunately like that about you now.)
“What happened to the menstrual cramps so terrible you couldn’t get out of bed?!” // “I lied. I was picking Marie up!” - Literally just them arguing like an old married couple throughout this entire volume, in front of everyone.
The bonus mangas did a lot of the heavy lifting in this one, especially the second one because it truly lives in my head rent-free. I only have this volume to read the bonus mangas, I’m not even joking.
The first one was about Iku trying to capture a photo of Tezuka smiling, because she just has to see it for herself. It was really funny and just so wholesome! It was incredibly in-character of Iku and Tezuka to instinctively leap into oncoming traffic to save a little girl. And then you had Iku being so in awe of seeing him smile that she completely dropped her plans to photograph him. Iku is a stronger woman than I am because I would not have been able to survive both Tezuka and Dojo smiling at me consecutively. (Sidenote, how did she get those other pictures of him though? The one of him brushing his teeth feels impossible. Shibazaki’s right, she’s definitely got a talent there.)
“There were so many threats for me to neutralize.” - Dojo really is my favourite dumb dumb
The second one is simply iconic. It’s so iconic that I forgot it was a bonus manga and not an actual part of the story. Main protagonist who’s unfamiliar with traditional feminine styles turns into a princess when she has no other choice but to wear the pretty dress, but she still manages an epic takedown anyway - gotta be one of my favourite micro-tropes. (Poor baby has no idea how gorgeous she is!) Also, paying for the ruined dress is the least that sleazy novelist could do. Dojo should’ve held him up for Iku to use as a punching bag.
Books I Read In 2022 (and by read I mean actually liked)
Library Wars: Love & War, Vol. 4 by Kiiro Yumi
Courage comes naturally to her.
⭐⭐⭐⭐(4.5 STARS)
Spoilers Below!!!
This was the first time we focused on Dojo’s POV. I think while everyone could guess pretty early on that Dojo was Iku’s prince and that he had some pretty complicated feelings about that, we still hadn’t had the opportunity to see that day from his eyes. The first thing he noticed about Iku was how stupidly brave she is, and that’s all it took for Dojo’s first instinct to be to save her. Maybe it was just because he wanted to do the right thing, or maybe it’s because he saw the same heroic spirit that he has inside of her; there are a lot of interpretations of what exactly Dojo’s motivations were, and from what I’ve seen, most people tend to theorize that Dojo was romantically interested in Iku from that day in the library five years ago but I strongly disagree with that. I like to think that Dojo just needed the right push to step in, and a young girl getting shoved around by grown men did the trick.
You showed up, carrying with you all the passion I had discarded.
Another reason why I was glad to see Dojo’s side of the story was because, up until this point, we as readers had no idea what the aftermath of that situation was for him. Obviously, he was in trouble, but the fact that his actions caused such drastic problems within the Library Force helps put his distaste for that day into perspective. He worked so hard to rid himself of whatever qualities caused him to help Iku, and then suddenly she’s in front of him, a mirror of his past self. Moreover, she chose a job where she’s actively putting her life on the line because of him. Every time he sees Iku, his emotions are fucked because he’s guilty and angry and ashamed all at once. I always understood that all Dojo wanted to do was protect Iku, but without getting his point of view, it was difficult not to dislike him for his actions.
I also loved the scene of the team hanging out together after, just because it’s nice to see the rest of the force outside of missions and it makes for fresh dynamics. It was also a necessary reminder that Iku is probably only in her early twenties and even something as simple as going out for drinks is a whole new experience for her. My favourite part though wasn’t Dojo saving her from those assholes she got caught up with. It was actually seeing the rest of her team have her back, like, the glint in their eyes as they stood behind Iku and Dojo scared me.
“Isn’t it a bit sad… that I can’t be myself with my own parents?”
Me reading about three Shojo heroines with mommy issues in the same month? More likely than you’d think.
I don’t think Iku’s mom is a bad person. Don’t get me wrong, it’s incredibly fucked up for her to make Iku feel bad for not being the type of daughter that she wants, aka just being herself. However, despite being very critical, she doesn’t seem cruel to me. My understanding is that she cares more about Iku’s safety than her job not being perceived as feminine. My point is that their relationship is complex, but I don’t think it’s toxic in the way, for example, Hime’s relationship with her mom was in Voice Over. Despite their issues, I do believe that there is still genuine love there, and because I do remember the resolution of their said issues, I’ll say I’m happy with how their relationship turns out.
I still remember everything about Iku’s parents, specifically her dad’s conversation with Dojo. Iku has such a rough relationship with her mom that her dad almost seems like an extension of her mother, or even just an afterthought. He’s almost like a bystander in this mother-daughter relationship, so it makes sense that he’d notice Iku subtly pushing them away because if she can’t be herself around her parents, why would she want to be around them in the first place? And because he noticed her pulling away, he started to pay more attention. Her dad is proud of her accomplishments, but still wants to make sure that she’s safe, and even he can tell from her letters alone that Iku would be safest with Dojo. Despite their distance, he knows his daughter. Dojo’s words definitely gave him some perspective, which only encouraged him to support Iku in whatever way he could.
I also want to add that I think Iku definitely gets her emotional, romantic side from her mother, if her reaction to hearing about Iku’s prince is anything to go by. I think her more introspective side comes from her father, for some reason, his conversation with Dojo reminded me of Iku’s more serious scenes where she’s reflecting on her feelings or a particular situation.
Other things I loved (and also some random thoughts because why not):
I like how this is the start of them showing that Iku is actually smart and has good ideas. A lot of her intelligence gets overshadowed by how naive and almost clueless she tends to be, so this was a necessary reminder to the readers that there’s so much more to her as a character. I also like that we got to see more of Iku’s backstory to kind of just see where her personality and insecurities stem from. It adds a lot more depth to her character, and you get to see what shaped her beyond Dojo saving her five years ago.
Okay, but like, why couldn’t General Inamine have taken off his prosthetic leg earlier? They would’ve been found ages ago if he had.
I like the implications of the fact that even though the library force can technically be considered as military, they’re actively working against the government, so they don’t trust anyone affiliated with the government - like the police (because fuck the police).
Genda is all kinds of unhinged because his first plan of action being to purchase the building where Iku and the general are held is objectively insane.
Courage comes naturally to her. - I honestly can’t think of a better way to describe Iku. (Why else would an unarmed rookie confront a criminal with a knife? Or rush in alone to stop the MBC’s raid… or run into the middle of a gunfight? And she never looks back.)
Have I mentioned how much I love Genda? Because of course he put Iku on Dojo’s team on purpose! And I love how he was teasing Dojo about being all protective over her when they went out for drinks because it’s usually only Komaki who’s mean to him like that.
This is such a weird parallel to notice, and I don’t know if this was intentional at all, but there was panel at the bottom of the first page of Ch. 16 where you have chibi versions of Iku, Dojo, Komaki and Tezuka by a persimmon tree; while Iku and Dojo are still trying to get their hands on some persimmons, Komaki and Tezuka are already walking away with theirs as Tezuka looks back at the duo curiously. Similarly, after the Library Force saves Iku and the general, Tezuka wants to go make sure that Iku’s alright, but Komaki stops him by saying “That’s someone else’s job” and drags him away (which obviously leaves him confused). The scenes probably aren’t even that similar, but I’ve re-read this particular volume so many times, I’m actually amazed that I can still find new details to point out.
Big fan of the IkuxDojo hug!!! (I’m trying to figure out how to frame that specific page and hang it on my wall.)
Komaki avoiding Iku’s parents because he can’t lie is objectively funny, especially when we see later on how he ended up sitting right by them when they went out for lunch. Also, this quote is very important to me. “I get it, Kasahara. You’re not keeping a secret because you are afraid. You want to show them the real you but you don’t know how.”
I loved the bonus manga with the puppy! The way it glared at Dojo killed me. The best part was the puppy also being named Iku, so we could officially get puppies named Iku.
Books I Read In 2022 (and by read I mean actually liked)
Library Wars: Love & War, Vol. 3 by Kiiro Yumi
"I, Iku Kasahara, will commit to the assigned task and give it my 100 percent best!"
⭐⭐⭐(3.5 STARS)
Spoilers Below!!!
I actually have vivid memories of the plot with the two boys in this volume. This isn’t even one of the ones I reach for whenever I randomly want to re-read the series, but I remembered quite a bit of the plot from the first half of this volume. (Although, I do not remember us meeting Miss Orikuchi this early on in the series!)
I actually think it says a lot about Iku’s values and further establishes how she will think with her heart first. If there’s one thing I know Iku’s always gonna do, it’s defend the kids. And if there’s one thing I know Dojo’s always gonna do, it’s defend Iku. The way Iku stood up to that awful PTA lady was incredible, and I love that Tezuka made that split-second decision to support her even though he initially didn’t love how Iku spoke out of turn. (Also, fuck that PTA lady, she’s gonna drop dead in two days mark my words.)
As for the plot question… I mean, shocker, the PTA is pro-censorship. Fork found in the kitchen.
I don’t remember the series ever fully delving into how different generations reacted to and fought for/against censorship, but given the content of this volume, it definitely would’ve been a valuable ongoing theme to stick with.
Now, that’s just the first half. The second half is where I get mad at Dojo again.
I fully understand what Dojo’s intentions were when he assigned Iku to security, but like Komaki said, he didn’t have to be such a fucking dick about it. Like, you know Dojo fucked up when Tezuka (who worships the ground he walks on and barely tolerates Iku on a good day) is speaking up for Iku and indirectly saying Dojo made a bad call.
Iku chasing after the team’s bus and yelling at Dojo was absolutely the appropriate reaction for her to have! What was she supposed to do, be grateful her instructor insulted her by saying she had “nothing to offer” while butting into her family situation, which she never asked him to do in the first place? I’m glad Iku stayed mad, but still did her job. (I don’t remember if she ever said thank you to him, but god I hope she didn’t!)
I gotta be honest though, I would not want to be in Dojo’s shoes right now. He did all that fuckery to protect her, only for her to abducted?! Insane behaviour on the author’s part actually.
My Favourite Moments:
Dojo’s face every time Komaki tries to start shit by talking about Iku and Tezuka’s relationship is priceless.
“Don’t conspire with the suspects!” - Not gonna lie, I would’ve done the same thing as Iku. (I mean, I’m too chicken shit to get myself in trouble to get involved, but the sentiment is there.)
I think the scene where Iku breaks down after she sees that Dojo was hurt protecting her is so underrated. (Especially because Tezuka and Komaki, mostly Tezuka, ruin the moment by barging in with more ice for Dojo.)
Honestly, Tezuka’s crash out over Iku not knowing about the Odawara Memorial is so valid, like, I felt this quote in my soul: “And she’s the same rank as I am and gets paid as much as I do.”
Details that were put in there for me specifically:
I don’t know if there’s a name for that first image on the title page, but I love that it’s Iku and Shibazaki!
Tezuke.exe always stops working when Iku and Dojo are involved. His often one-sided competition with Iku is peak youngest child behaviour.
“If it had been you in that bookstore… I wouldn’t be where I am today!” - I genuinely don’t believe that any other form of dramatic irony will ever top what Shojo manga and anime manage to pull off. It’s so stupid, but it’s so fun!
I need more outtakes of the two boys struggling to prepare their survey and speech because working with both Iku and Dojo sounds like a nightmare.
I love Chief Genda! Not only did he make Dojo’s entire bus ride miserable, but he also shoved him aside and spilled everything to Miss Orikuchi about how mad Iku was at Dojo.
“If it had been Kasahara… that bullet would have missed her leg. Did that just cross your mind?” // “You were thinking Kasahara would have been much lighter?” - Komaki being a shit to Dojo mid-battle has got to be one of the most unhinged things he’s ever done.
I love the second bonus manga just because it’s fun to see the characters out and about, just to see what they do off base.
Books I Read In 2022 (and by read I mean actually liked)
Library Wars: Love & War, Vol. 2 by Kiiro Yumi
That... was the first time that Instructor Dojo... told me it was okay to be me.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
SPOILERS BELOW!!!
This volume was a huge improvement from the previous one, which makes sense since with the first one, you’re still getting a feel for the characters and the world that they’re in.
The scariest part about this world that Kiiro Yumi has created is that it’s not some dystopian fantasy. I said this about Vol. 1 as well, but I truly believe that this is something that, unfortunately, could easily occur in any country with a corrupt government (and many countries have corrupt governments, that’s just the reality of the world). To have libraries be the last line of defence in a way for uncensored materials, and then even that be infiltrated by those that are pro-censorship, is probably the worst thing that I can imagine, and from what I remember about this series, it only gets worse. The fact that one of the laws in the Library Freedom Act is “Libraries have the freedom to circulate materials in their collections” is so apocalyptic to me. I mean, honestly, all the articles are just things that I could never fathom, and that’s absolutely me speaking from a place of immense privilege of having access to libraries and a lack of censorship where I live (to a certain degree at least).
I hate that even Iku wasn’t spared from the Shojo female lead curse of being completely clueless about most situations. Thank god it was Shibazaki who found she knew nothing about the Hino Nightmare, Dojo would’ve flipped the fuck out (and rightfully so). Gotta admire her work ethic though, it’s refreshing to see how quick she is to correct her mistakes and learn from them, because it shows a significant amount of growth when you compare it to her attitude in Vol. 1.
Actually, I wouldn’t say Iku has grown on me as a character, because she’s always been very dear to me; I wouldn’t have criticized her the way that I had in Vol. 1 otherwise. Flaws make for a complex character, and Iku wouldn’t be as compelling as she is if she wasn’t an arrogant hothead with a hero complex and an inability to stop seeing everything in black and white. It makes her such a frustrating main character at times, but when you combine that with her empathetic nature, it’s incredibly difficult not to be endeared by her. We see this when she’s researching the Hino Nightmare and her biggest takeaway from that is how it affected Commander Inamine. Every tragedy is personal to her. This is so cheesy, but Iku at her core is a good person, and that’s how she sees the world around. Yes, it’s an incredibly naive point of view that I personally don’t agree with, but it’s the best part of her as the heroine of this story.
Another crucial part of this series, and this volume specifically, is Iku and Tezuka’s dynamic with not only each other, but with Dojo as well.
Their beef will never stop being funny to me, especially because Tezuka insists that she’s such a child, but by being antagonistic towards her, he also ends up behaving like a brat when that is just not his character at all. (Like in that scene where Dojo says as an instructor, he has a responsibility to his subordinates… but then he had to be all Dojo about it and say, “Especially when they’re as potentially dangerous as you two are!” And you see Tezuka flinch when Dojo says “you two” because he hates that he and Iku are seen as equals or even similar in Dojo’s eyes.)
I remember it taking a long time for them to genuinely be friend, but I like seeing their development nonetheless, which mostly stems from Tezuka growing to understand and respect Iku, and her returning that respect because respect is always something that should go both ways. A significant shift in their dynamic was clear when Iku asked Tezuka to back her up so she could get the pack, and her trusting him is what led Tezuka to actually trust her judgment for the first time ever. (“Don’t get shot!” - Tezuka has such a way with words, real comforting.)
“I know we are both trying to reach the same shoulders.” - The TezukaxIkuxDojo dynamic is much more interesting the way it was written than it would’ve been if the author went the typical love triangle route. Their bonus manga was especially funny because Iku is simultaneously a part of The Dojo Fan Club and his biggest hater.
I also love that scene with the three of them when they’re all cleaning because it emphasizes how Iku’s gut reaction is to save anyone she can, and Dojo’s is to always save Iku. Same with when Iku puts herself in harm's way as usual to get the books back, and Dojo steps in because there is not a single ounce of self-preservation in Iku Kasahara.
Other moments that stuck out to me:
Shibazaki is truly the smartest of them all, she doesn’t spare anyone. She barely knows Tezuka, and shut him down impressively. Dojo is technically her superior in a way, and yet she’s absolutely fucking with him and she’s actually my hero for that. (It’s a cage match between me and Iku for who loves Shibazaki the most.) She fully clocked the vibes between Iku and Dojo from day one and made it her mission to get them together in her own devious way.
I love Iku and Dojo really are perfect for each other, because they’ll say or do something nice, and then cut the other person’s ego down in half. “I… forgot you even existed, Instructor Dojo” was an insane thing to say after the man just saved your life, Iku.
I’m obviously a fake fan because I completely forgot that Tezuka asks Iku out after that scene where they’re involved in an attack. (“WHAT KIND OF JOKE IS THAT, SPIKY?” would’ve been my reaction too, Iku was so real for that, he really caught her off guard.)
Moments that further establish how, like I said before, Iku always sees everything as black and white, and is definitely not one to read between the lines.
Like with the Board of Education backing the library because like Komaki said, they have the same end goal even though they have opposing intentions.
Her getting confronted by the media is a nightmare for everyone, that girl has never met a filter in her entire life.
Iku’s reaction to finding out that Dojo turned Shibazaki was priceless. “What man says no to that? She is gorgeous! Unbelievable.” - Same Iku, same. (I genuinely believe this lowered Iku’s opinion of Dojo, like, she was offended for Shibazaki.)
The little bonus sides of Iku’s secret admirer are always a fun treat!
Books I Read In 2022 (and by read I mean actually liked)
Library Wars: Love & War, Vol. 1 by Kiiro Yumi
“If she can’t take it, she can quit.”
⭐⭐⭐(3 STARS)
I think I'll start with my favourite part of this series, which I still adore and will always love, and that is its concept. I've had so many people tell me that something like this would never happen, there is no way that the government would start banning different forms of media and it would get to a point where we need to get soldiers involved, this is so ridiculous, blah blah blah. To me, hearing people say stuff like this, is actually the ridiculous part. Obviously, this is a work of fiction, but it doesn't stray far enough away from reality for me to find it ridiculous or impossible. People have fought wars for the right to speak and to read books in their mother tongue - just look at any Language Movement. There are countries that have banned billion-dollar films, animated films, from being released in their country because of a 10-second scene featuring a gay couple. There are many countries where films are dominated by a censor board. Banned books exist pretty much everywhere around the world. Just last week, I went into a bookstore and the first thing I saw on display were banned books, and because this series had still been on my mind I couldn't help but think of living in the world of Library Wars and how this bookstore would've been demolished by the MBC. I don't care how silly this sounds to people, the central plot of this series is something that I will always be attached to and I don't like that people dismiss it because it's part of a romance series for teens. Get over yourself.
That being said, I haven't read this book in years, which is insane because I love this series, but this first volume is not as amazing as I remember it. Don't get me wrong, I still had fun with the book, but there were a lot of times where I was like "oh I don't like this... and I don't remember it either."
I remember Iku needing to grow up and develop for me to truly root for her beyond just being the main character, however, I completely blocked out just how arrogant she was. It's not her naivety that annoyed me, truly, it was her arrogance. I can appreciate her being confident in her abilities, but once it becomes obnoxious I'm over it, I have zero desire to empathize with a character.
I forgot what an asshole Tezuka was in the beginning, I swear he's a lot more chill in later novels, I refuse to even want to understand his perspective, he's unreasonably mean. (In another life, they would've absolutely been a thing, my dumb ass thought he was gonna be the second love interest when I first read this book, that is the only thing I remember.)
I also forgot about their wilderness survival thing, just literally no recollection whatsoever. In other parts of the book I was kind of like 'oh yeahhhhhh', but here I was like 'is this a new edition or something?'
At the end of the day, this book was fine. I'm pretty sure this first time I've re-read it so I'm shocked that I even recognized certain parts. I want to end off by saying that Iku and Dojo are my favourite height difference couple. I love couples with height differences, but theirs is definitely one of my all-time favourites. Poor Dojo trying to comfort her by patting her on the head and her just being like 'damn, you're really short'.
Books I Read In 2022 (and by read I mean actually liked)
Voice Over!: Seiyu Academy, Vol. 12 by Maki Minami
In love and dreams, I'm back at the starting line. I have no idea what happens next. I'll meet lots of people... fall in love... and keep my eyes on my dream.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐(4.75 STARS)
We’ve reached the end at last! I will forever be bitter that we will never get to see Hime and Senri’s romance explored the way that it is for other Shoujo manga couples, but this series was always more about the characters and their journeys trying to heal from the trauma and follow their dreams, so I guess I shouldn’t be too upset.
I think having Sakura Aoyama play such a huge role in the final volume was incredibly necessary as she’s played such a crucial role in both Hime and Senri’s lives. Sakura came into Hime’s life as a child when she really needed it. Despite all her faults, I would never claim that what she said to Hime that day wasn’t genuine or that I wish she weren’t Hime’s biggest inspiration. Hime’s dream is so noble in that she just wants to be able to inspire other kids the same way that Sakura Aoyama had inspired her. That, along with the additional details of her backstory that we learn and how it all goes back to her mother, is what made Hime being able to work with Sakura that much more emotional. And then ending it off with her playing all these different versions of her character, allowing her to use her naturally rough voice that she hates, impressing her idol. I love Hime so much and I’m so happy to see her fulfill her dream, not just as a voice actress, but her true dream of simply being able to brighten someone’s day, as we see at the very end.
Sidenote, Hime’s backstory is even sadder because of course her mom was a wannabe idol turned stage mom, she is never seeing the pearly gates. I will not be accepting this redemption arc that Maki Minami seems to be shoving down my throat for both these moms, fuck that and fuck them.
I also wanted to talk about Senri’s relationship with his mom because it seems that he’s moved on from seeking her love and is no longer letting his childhood experiences define his life. Like, agreeing to finally work on a project with his mom so that he can protect Shiro. Their first interaction killed me because Senri was just threatening his mom to keep her crazy away from the love of his life, as he should. (Her face was so funny, like, no hello how are you just stay the fuck away from me and also this up and coming actor, if anything happens to him because of you, you’re dead to me.)
You know what, I feel like I haven’t been mean to Sakura Aoyama in a hot minute, let’s talk about what a fucking weirdo she is. First of all, incredibly valid reaction from Yamada at her insane request to have Shiro, a minor, stay with her. Second of all, the way Hime described being compelled by Sakura’s acting actually sounded like something out of a horror movie. She was having a legit identity crisis and Sakura was being creepy as hell. (I do think Hime making that comparison between her and Senri as acting dictators is kind of ironic.)
I’m still wondering to this day what deal Yamada and Sakura made, because it was never explicitly stated. Speaking of Yamada though… I would read like twenty more volumes of him being the best dad ever because he really did become Hime’s dad. I fully sobbed when I saw the note he left for her - Forget goals! Just have fun to the end, dummy. Hime, please forget about your mother, she’s not worth it; you have such a good dad!
As for Hime and Senri… MY BABIES ARE MARRIED!!! I still remember the scream I let out when I got to that page for the first time ever. We didn’t get to see their full journey, but we saw the beginning and we know how it ends, and I guess I can live with that.
And holy shit, I vividly remember this scene of them on the hill and Hime rolling down and that’s how Senri finds out - but for some reason I always think it happens much earlier in the series instead of in the last volume. Anyway, I’ve always liked that there was never a ‘I know you’re Shiro’ type of conversation between them and it was left to the readers to infer what probably happened. I like to think that Hime understood that he figured it out when Senri told Shiro that he’ll be inviting Hime over to eat his omelettes and to me it’s just another example of how easily they’re able to understand each other.
All in all, I love how the series ended with everyone’s futures being briefly explained and the bonus comic of Senri actually inviting Hime over was a nice touch. Re-reading this series made me realize how it truly has a special place in my heart and I will never stop begging the universe for an anime.
Books I Read In 2022 (and by read I mean actually liked)
Voice Over!: Seiyu Academy, Vol. 11 by Maki Minami
Senri Kudo… is changing. And… I’m changing too.
⭐⭐⭐⭐(3.75 STARS)
I don’t think I loved this one as much as some of the previous ones just because of my irrational hatred of Mizuki, who’s on like every other page. I can’t stress this enough - I don’t care about Mizuki, stop trying to make me care about him. I do think his friendship with Shu is compelling and should’ve been focused on a little more if you’re gonna do a Mizuki-centric volume but that’s just me. Mizuki protecting Shu when they were kids and Shu spending the rest of their lives trying to return that favour - no wonder he puts up with Mizuki’s shit the way that he does. (Also, baby Shu and Mizuki are adorable, I deserved more flashbacks of them.)
“Last night was fun. Sorry to surprise you with my feelings, but it was all true.” - NOT A GOOD MORNING EMAIL MIZUKI WTF?!
Mizuki basically ambushing Hime with a date is insane behaviour, but I can’t say that I’m surprised. Him springing his feelings on her, causing her to spiral and start replaying every interaction she’s ever had with him… say it with me now: ‘if Mizuki has no haters it means I’ve been erased from existence because I would absolutely continue to hate him in the afterlife’.
Also, yes I hate the idea of Mizuki and Hime together, but their scene with the fireworks was really cute, especially when Mizuki actually says that he likes her - the way that Hime was drawn against a backdrop of fireworks and people, it’s so good, I can imagine exactly how this would play out in an anime.
My scattered thoughts on the HimexSenri (but mostly Hime) side of things.
Hime pulling off this dramatic ass entry just to give Shu his mic is so iconic of her. (Be nice to her now you asshole, we’re literally at the end of the series.)
“Why didn’t I fall for Mizuki?” - that really is such a good question because despite my own personal hatred for Mizuki, Hime had every reason and opportunity to fall for him, and she didn’t
“Just when work takes off… I get popular with boys too?!” - Oh Hime, it must be so tough to be you… Okay, all jokes aside, Hime deserved to kick the shit out of that asshole who was harassing her, but Senri scaring him shitless was good too. (You know what, I hope Mizuki gets wind of this because one thing I can always count on him for is to have Hime’s back.)
HE’S CARRYING HER HOME!!! OH SHIT, HE’S CARRYING HER HOME!!! (I want to know how Hime got away with hiding her living situation for so long.)
Nah hold me back I’m about to murder Hime’s mom. (Hime, sweetheart, you do not need that devil woman’s approval.)
Aw, he’s using Kazuma’s acting exercise on Hime.
Yamada is such an interesting character because sometimes I’m not even sure if I like him all that much. I started the volume calling him an asshole because what do you mean you’re tricking Hime into a job?! Then I ended off by saying he’s a good dad and I love him???
Not a bonus comic of Fujimori instantly figuring out that Hime is Shiro right after a Catherine’s Diary of her calling Senri an idiot for not figuring it out yet. (I like to imagine Hime and Fujimori are still close.)
Despite the Mizuki of it all, this volume was still enjoyable and obviously very significant for not only Hime and Senri’s relationship, but also the love triangle that’s not really a love triangle because Mizuki’s just been down bad for Hime this entire time while Hime and Senri have been trying to heal from their trauma and somehow become friends in the process.
Books I Read In 2022 (and by read I mean actually liked)
Voice Over!: Seiyu Academy, Vol. 10 by Maki Minami
And... I still didn't know... what my actions... had done to him.
⭐⭐⭐⭐(4.5 STARS)
I have so many thoughts. First and foremost, Mizuki Haruyama should hope and pray his ass off that he never runs into me because I will beat him with a hammer. More on that later.
Secondly, my sweet angel baby Senri is finally getting his due diligence because yes, this is Hime’s story, but he’s also the biggest part of it, so it’s his story as well. This volume is very special because it finally starts Senri and Hime’s story because thus far, we’ve seen Senri interact with Shiro while barely being aware of Hime’s existence. It’s also very crucial towards Senri’s arc of letting himself open up to people and start to make friends again because he’s been so alone for so long, that he’s convinced himself that’s enough - that’s what he deserves for whatever he’s done in the past. Can’t believe it took Hime, who is essentially still a stranger to him, to literally say the words ‘don’t self-sabotage’ out loud for him to start letting himself feel worthy of friendship again.
As I said before, fuck Mizuki, I can’t believe he caused a friendship breakup between Shiro and Senri and now they’re both heartbroken… I hope you’re happy you miserable fuck. I think the worst part for me was Senri thinking he hurt Shiro (SENRI KUDO YOU WILL ALWAYS BE LOVED BY ME). But also, Hime having to watch Senri smile and be friendly at school after she just torpedoed her friendship with him was just as cruel.
Then there was that whole point of her seeing that smile up close and recognizing that it’s not his real smile because Shiro has seen his real smile. I think the little details that show just how well they actually understand each other are so important to me. The parallels of Senri immediately being able to tell that he knows Hime, and Hime reading him so well as a person. All it took was one genuine conversation with Hime for Senri to start clocking that she’s Shiro. They’re soulmates. (Hime giving off genuine stalker vibes did help. Like, my sweet sweet dumb dumb, I need you to remember that you should not know anything about Senri Kudo.
Also, Senri is lowkey the most relatable character to me because him wanting to talk to Takayanagi but immediately backing out is actually so me coded. (Also, Takayanagi is very pretty, I’d be nervous too.) Plus, there was that whole scene of him suggesting that everyone come over to his house and then immediately regretting it, which was hilarious. (Him seeing his old friends in Takayanagi and Mitchy was incredibly mean though, you can’t just make every single volume sad, it’s not fair!)
My one big Hime-related thing was her first real experience with audience critique. Criticism from her superiors and co-workers is one thing, but criticism from fans is something very new to Hime because they’re going to be constructive. It’s a double-edged sword because, on the one hand, learning what exactly fans dislike about your performance will only help your own performance in the long run. But then on the other hand, as Hime’s finding out, fans all have their own interpretations of the show and its characters and their dynamics with each other - it’s impossible to please every fan and trying to do so will literally drive you insane.
Details that I just have to mention because I’m psychotic when it comes to this series.
I completely forgot that Senri bleaches his hair at some point.
TWO STORAGE ROOM SCENES IN ONE MANGA?! (seriously, give me my anime)
Senri being moved by Hime’s performance was drawn beautifully, oh my god, it’s happening!!!
The height difference is killing me. Hime covering Senri’s mouth before he self-sabotages is another scene that lives rent-free in my head, obviously because it’s such a significant scene, but mostly because it highlights how ridiculous Hime and Senri’s height difference is, and her arms look comically long because she has to reach up to cover Senri’s mouth.
Senri’s housekeeper is still having a meltdown over the omelettes, and I love it.
Shout-out to that brief scene in class where Tsukino is holding onto Hime’s arm.
Tsukino approving of Senri for Hime solely because he’s a cat dad - she’s such a good friend.
Another installment of me being sick and tired of Mizuki’s shit. (I literally took 0.5 stars off for Mizuki’s existence, otherwise, this could’ve easily been a 5-star.)
If Mizuki hurts Hime and Senri, I’m killing his ass.
Okay, I know that tough love can be toxic, but Hime responds really well to it when it comes from Senri. I’ve said this before: Mizuki doesn’t know what Hime truly needs as a performer; he was the first person to see her as Yukiru, and he did not give her the response that she needed (also, he was definitely too preoccupied by the Senri of it all).
Oh, Mizuki was watching them record and now I’m supposed to care about him? Ugh.
You know what Mizuki, I hope Fujimori and Hime are best friends forever and you’re nothing but a distant memory to her, you fucking asshole.
Yamada, I swear to god I’m gonna kill you too if you hurt Hime, I don’t play when it comes to my girl.
Books I Read In 2022 (and by read I mean actually liked)
Voice Over!: Seiyu Academy, Vol. 9 by Maki Minami
All I have is acting.
⭐⭐⭐⭐(4.25 STARS)
I have so much to say about this volume! First off, fuck Sakura Aoyama, I will never let her see the pearly gates because what do you mean you’re leaving after your 12 year-old son got hit by car?! You’ve already given him a lifetime of trauma, you could at least stick around long enough for him to get home from the hospital? It really is just a competition between her and Hime’s mom for most evil mother.
Speaking of Senri, someone please get him in therapy. I mean, everyone in this series needs therapy, but especially him. He truly does not understand people and how to read them, and probably can’t tell when someone is being genuine because his mom fucked him up that bad.
“But… does that mean… I’ve been hurting people.” - OH SWEETIE, NOT ON PURPOSE!!! That slow realization on his face as things start to click - Senri’s story is so heartbreaking and I do understand why it took us so long to dive into his character. We got little snippets of him throughout and then slowly built up to his backstory.
I like to imagine that somewhere down the line, Senri and Kazuma are able to be friends again. Kazuma was a really good friend to Senri because he tried to get through to him in the only he knew, but at the end of the day, he’s also a kid and it’s not his job to dig deep and understand Senri’s trauma at the expense of his own feelings. Also, him telling Senri not to perform is such an important detail because all Senri does is perform, so in telling him not to, Kazuma thought he’d finally see who the real Senri Kudo is, and he probably did, but that’s not something he or Senri had the emotional capacity to understand at that age.
I also think the distinction between how Hime and Kazuma approach Senri as friends is very important. One is not necessarily a better friend than the other, at least in my opinion, because Kazuma met Senri way back in junior high so he wouldn’t have been older than 12 or 13. Hime’s been shown throughout the series to be a lot more emotionally aware than you’d think, and given her age, she’s had time to experience friendship in a way that these boys hadn’t. She also has friends like Ume and Tsukino, who are similar to Senri in that they would rather push people away than let them in and address their issues, so she can probably recognize Senri’s self-sabotage from a mile away. (Aka, the beginning of Hime starting to connect the dots and realize that Senri is a friendless loser, and that too by choice.)
Once again, I just have to talk about how much I admire Hime’s dedication to her craft. I’m obsessed with the way she researches for a role and her being so open to criticism is such an excellent quality (but it’s also kind of heartbreaking if think too long about how that’s definitely related to how her mother would speak to her and she’s tried to turn that toxicity into a positive thing for herself). Plus, there’s added bonus of Senri starting to admire Shiro as a person once he sees how he is at work.
“It was sort of like… finding out your cat actually belongs to someone else.” - I can’t with him. But at least he’s learning to communicate, even if he doesn’t understand his feelings, I like that he’s comfortable enough to be straight-forward about them. Also, love all the SenrixHime content in general. The fact this volume was the only time that Senri and Mizuki interacted is so funny because Senri lives rent-free in Mizuki’s head the same way that Mizuki’s lives in Fujimori’s.
“He’s her model…” - Mizuki losing spectacularly to Senri in a competition that Senri’s not even aware of is objectively hilarious. However, I can’t take him seriously when he does nice things for Hime sometimes because like, he took her to this movie after getting jealous over Senri, this is not him being a good friend to Hime or just being a good friend in general. Also, that entire conversation he had with her about how she shouldn’t be friends with Senri made me really uncomfortable, like, leave her alone. (Bringing up her dream the way he did felt like a threat.)
I miss Fujimori, I wish we could take all of Mizuki’s screen time and give it to him.
Details that are relevant to me:
Okay, so it’s very sweet to see Senri apologize, but how did he find Imaizumi?
Cruel Octalia actually sounds like a really cool anime!
Lols, not Hime literally playing a Senri Kudo variant, that is actually hilarious. (Hime please realize that you’re the orphan girl.)
“Maybe it’s because… I never told him Shiro is a voice actor!!” - Gee, you think Hime?! They’re so chaotic, I love them. Senri crashing out, thus heightening Hime’s crash-out… I deserved an anime.
Mizuki immediately resorting to violence every time Shuuma says anything slightly mean about Hime is still my favourite gag.
Senri’s housekeeper having a meltdown and calling his dad because the fridge is full of eggs was so fucking funny.
The art for when Hime’s hair comes down after Mizuki takes off her wig is actually so beautiful. I think this has been a topic of discussion for tons of media that use cross-dressing as a trope where what that actually could mean for someone’s gender identity is never truly explored in the book or show itself. I don’t know, I remember points in the series where Hime kind of seemed to forget she was a girl and got spooked by her own reflection, but they felt like such one-off instances that I didn’t really think too deeply about it.
Books I Read In 2022 (and by read I mean actually liked)
Voice Over!: Seiyu Academy, Vol. 8 by Maki Minami
I learned all my emotions as performances.
⭐⭐⭐⭐(4.5 STARS)
I love this volume so much, it’s probably the best one out of the entire series, and a Senri-centric plot is so rare that I’d give 4 stars for that alone. My one gripe with this volume is that the continuation of Tsukino’s story from the previous volume didn’t fit with having Senri’s story be the focal point of this volume, it felt very disjointed to me. (I will say though, Tsukino turning Mitchy into Hime is the best possible thing that could have ever happened to this series.)
Before I get into all the Senri stuff, I just wanted to mention this one moment surrounding Hime. “You asked me what food I like and if it tastes good and watched me eat it. I realized no one’s ever done that for me.” - Her literally sobbing because Senri went out of his way to make something for her, which not even her own mother could be bothered to do… absolutely unnecessary. Maki Minami was really just like, ‘yeah, so I know everyone’s gonna die over Senri’s childhood trauma, but let’s have some more of Hime’s trauma as a treat’. RUDE.
It only EIGHT fucking volumes, but we’re finally diving into Senri’s trauma backstory.
When I was little, my first thought in the morning was “who is my mother today?”. - Senri having the most tragic, depressing as fuck childhood should’ve been something I expected honestly. He has no real relationship with his mother because he doesn’t know who this woman really is. She’s been playing new characters every day since Senri was three years old. He probably doesn’t even know if she loved him.
She would tie all my emotions to acting. - Him not being able to recognize or regulate emotions because of his mother’s role-playing and therefore also not be able to make friends because he doesn’t know what friendship is or how to form relationships with people… I think I finally understand Senri as a character, this actually explains so much about him.
Anyway, so if Sakura Aoyama has zero haters, I am dead.
“This guy who suddenly showed up is my father.” - Senri’s so funny. I actually wanted to just quickly address Senri’s relationship with his dad because I think that they have an interesting dynamic. I can tell that they care about each other, but they’re not close, yet neither of them seem to hold any resentment over that. I also appreciated that little detail about him getting Senri his first cat, which made me so emotional because what do you mean Gonzales has been with Senri since he was five?!
Last thing I promise, because I can’t not address this point. First Tohru’s parents in Fruits Basket and now this?! There was no need to give Senri’s parents this uncomfy ass age gap. And what’s worse is that it kind of draws parallels to how Yamada stood up for Hime and vowed to help her be successful because I adore the almost parental care that Yamada has for Hime, so Senri’s parents having a similar story gives me such an ick. (I think I completely blocked this from memory.)
This volume was definitely pure filler, but I love that we finally got a Tsukino-centric story. Her having a traumatic backstory is something I should’ve remembered/seen coming because literally everyone in this series has childhood trauma. Kids are so mean in middle school (I know it was 5th grade, but pre-teens are pre-teens), it takes years to try and get over all the things you hear, poor Tsukino. CURSE THEM.
“I don’t care much for her.” - No please Tsukino, give Ume a chance, she loves you! I’m glad we got to see this friendship develop as well because I love found family friend groups like the Stragglers, but I think there’s also a lot of potential for individual friendships within a group like this, so it was just interesting to see. I feel like Maki Minami gives more depth to their supporting characters than (for example) Io Sakisaka with Strobe Edge. That series was about Ninako and her love life and occasionally a few of her friends got to shine. Here, I feel like we learn a lot about Hime’s friends (well not Mitchy but I don’t care about him). 10/10 on the art for Ume’s freakout, by the way - she was terrifying.
Also, Tsukino might be Hime’s ride-or-die, but Hime is her #1 fan/cheerleader/supporter - whatever you wanna call it. Their friendship is so precious to me, it’s genuinely one of my favourite manga friendships and I need everyone to know that.
Hime and those in the professional space around her don’t realize this yet, but seeing Tsukino’s face when Hime mentions what it means to be a pro wasn’t just a profound moment for Tsukino, but also an example of Hime’s growing professionalism and maturity and growth.
Again, memory nonexistent because I completely forgot that Hime had to wear Shiro’s costume and essentially be a children’s entertainer at the amusement park. Her using what she learned from the previous volume in such a comical way is a very Hime thing to do. She genuinely doesn’t see it as demeaning as was implied, she was just so happy making the kids happy because she wanted to give them that same feeling that she had as a kid. The intention behind her dream has always been so pure, that you can’t help but wish for her to succeed.
I know this was pure filler, but this volume kind of sold Hime and Senri as a couple for me. I know I said I wanted more Senri, but not like this. But actually exactly like this because of course Hime’s luck is gonna have him sleeping in the storage room that she went to take a nap in. Their height difference is also ridiculous, I’m never gonna shut up about it. And that scene was even funnier with how Senri just looks at her for half a second and then goes back to sleep. But y’all, who puts a fever scene and a ‘oh no we’re locked in at school together’ moment in a fucking filler volume?! Like, Senri grabbed onto one of her hair ties and one of her braids came loose and why the fuck did that feel romantic??? (Hime please let your hair down more) Also, Hime having a meltdown over the binaural recording she did with Senri will never stop being funny to me! I don’t care how traumatized she is, that shit was hilarious and her trying to desensitize herself to his voice by listening to the CD over and over again was absolutely perfect.
Details that I hyperfocused because why not:
I can’t believe that this is the last we really saw of Fujimori, what a waste, I wanted more of him! (come back to me)
I need to see Tsukino in that high ponytail again because it is just so cute!
Tsukino’s bedroom makes me think of Hana-chan’s from Fruits Basket, but with pastels.
Hime and Sho basically forcing Mitchy to do Tsukino’s script - Hime through her enthusiasm and Sho via insults (affectionate)
Mizuki was tolerable, the support for Hime felt like genuine friendship and I do like his take-charge attitude. I genuinely didn’t mind the more romantic undertones of Mizuki and Hime’s scene with the candy apple, I just think it’s really funny that she left a candy apple for Senri as well and Mizuki is sitting here thinking he’s so fucking special.
“Mouth to mouth hydration” - Hime be so fucking for real, why is she like this??
OKAY HIME MISS BADASS!!! I mean it was probably a second-story window at best, but my girl still jumped out of a window and landed on her feet with a grace she doesn’t even have while walking. I also really liked the shading choice for that scene to kind of ‘show’ that action of Hime jumping from a window!
Wtf is a mid-vacation school day???
LMFAO at Yamada sitting by her bed all menacing with a sign telling her to rest as if he’s not worried about her, that asshole. You’re not fooling anyone!
Ume please, blushing immediately at Sho’s name and then trying to deny having a crush on him, when no one even accused you of having a crush on him, is truly unhinged behaviour and I love you for it.
Ew, Mitchy’s Room is back too, but at least we get to see Tsukino inflicting pain.
Books I Read In 2022 (and by read I mean actually liked)
Voice Over!: Seiyu Academy, Vol. 6 by Maki Minami
The waltz is one of our few enjoyments. When the waltz ends.. so does the enjoyment... and endings are sad.
⭐⭐⭐(3.25 STARS)
I don't think anything super important happened in this volume, personally. It was a lot of fun to read, but I was kinda just like "that's it?" It did make me more excited to move on to the next volume immediately though, whereas after I had finished reading Volume 3, I definitely needed a break.
Random thoughts I had (listed in no particular order):
I'm gonna start off by being an absolute jerk because literally why would Yamada not come up with an excuse for Hime to miss classes and for teachers to be more lenient - NDAs exist for a reason! This annoyed me then and it still annoys me now.
That being said, I will never shut up about the Stragglers being the best friend group ever. The way they rallied around Hime was everything to me. Also, Hime and Sho's friendship is annoyingly underrated, they're absolutely best-friends that share a brain cell. Gorilla Princess and Boss forever!
I vaguely recall Hime and Senri having to work together for finals, but I forgot that they did the damn waltz, my bad honestly. The fabric swishing around as they dance looks like it was probably such a pain to get right. It's absolutely gorgeous though. Also, Hime's hair in a ponytail >>>> her hair in braids.
I appreciated that there was some new information about voice acting introduced in this volume. I personally love learning about the different aspects of this industry, I thought the explanation of binaural microphones flowed quite seamlessly with the rest of the story and it was really cool to learn about.
Also, super glad that Mitchy's Room has officially been replaced by Catherine's Diary. This was actually my favourite Catherine's Diary and can I just say? These poor cats. The things they've seen, honestly. Imagine that you're a cat and your owner randomly tears down his curtains one day. I'd be terrified, these cats are the true MVPs of the series.
Books I Read In 2022 (and by read I mean actually liked)
Voice Over!: Seiyu Academy, Vol. 5 by Maki Minami
Fujimori and I are working hard to stand in the light.
⭐⭐⭐⭐(4.25 STARS)
I absolutely adore this volume, I definitely tend to prefer the volumes that focus on The Stragglers because they have a really cute dynamic and I do wish that they were featured more in the series. Tsukino being too distracted to hate on Mitchy causing Ume to step up to the plate is one of my favourite parts of the book.
I am ride-or-die for Hime and Tsukino's friendship, honestly, they should've been endgame (her only wish was to see Hime smile, Mizuki and Senri could NEVER). Obviously, we all knew that Tsukino was lying to make Hime happy, but the fact that the rest of them also chimed in like "yeah, sure, we like you or whatever" as if they don't love her to bits was so wholesome, I am so upset that we didn't get more group scenes, I will never get over this.
(Also, that sketch of the five of them after they found out all their hard work was for nothing will forever be ingrained into my brain.)
Okay, now that I've rambled about The Stragglers, let's talk about the A plot of this volume. I talked about this in my review for Volume 2 as well with how Ume could've easily been the mean girl, but instead, she became a part of the friend group. And then the series continues with this sort of theme by expanding on Fujimori Toru's character and this is done once again by having Hime feel some sort of connection to him. I think that it was a really great idea to have Hime relate to both Ume and Toru in different ways because it shows that she doesn't come from a place of main character syndrome but from a place of understanding, and with Toru specifically, she instinctively wants to protect him because she's the type of person that would never want anyone to have to go through the same awful experiences that she did.
I thought that Hime's dynamic with Toru was incredibly well-developed! As of right now, I can't recall whether or not Toru ever begins to like her romantically, but I genuinely like them together and would not be opposed to it. The parallel of Hime seeing the way that Toru can't even look at Mizuki immediately reminding her of growing up with Akane was heartbreaking. But what's so great about them to me is that Toru began to trust and genuinely like Hime (or rather, Shiro) not because of their shared insecurities, but because of Hime's work ethic. That one sliver of Toru's face (can't even call it a panel) says so much! It's almost as if you can see a switch go off wherein Toru immediately stops lumping Mizuki and Hime together. I think that whereas Hime sees a lot of her insecurities in Toru, he sees the joy and drive that comes from his craft in Hime - something he has never seen in Mizuki which is why he hates him so much. Damn, I really wish we got more of Toru!
The last thing I wanted to add is that I loved the bonus short of Ume and Sho, it was really cute! And, honestly, this series has some of the coolest bonus content. I don't know if the "IkeMen" magazine cover was a reference to Otomen or LoveCom or both but in my maze of a mind, it absolutely was. (I would also like a Basketball Prince spin-off, please and thank you!)
I lied, that wasn't the last thing. It will never not be funny to me that Senri, aka the hero of this series, was only in bonus content. This man did not appear in a single chapter, poor thing. But also, "Love did not blossom. The end," will always be iconic, nothing will ever touch this.
Books I Read In 2022 (and by read I mean actually liked)
Voice Over!: Seiyu Academy, Vol. 4 by Maki Minami
No matter what happens to me... I’m not going to give up.
⭐⭐⭐(3.5 STARS)
I LOVED this volume!!! Firstly, I would just like to discuss this whole aspect of Hime learning more about the industry and the people in it. I know the industry's brutal and whatnot, but everyone's so mean to her and I just want to shield her away from all of them. Props to her for keeping her cool though, not a single tear was shed. And Yamada really said, "You better put some damn respect on my not-daughter's name!" and we love him for that. (Side note, I totally didn't notice that the last page of Chapter 18 was technically our first glimpse of Fujimori.)
I also wanted to talk about the inevitable love triangle between Senri, Hime and Mizuki because this was kind of our first real inkling of what that would look like. I knew Hime would unconsciously find herself at Senri's place after her incredibly frustrating first day of work! Mizuki tries his best to help Hime, but she keeps drifting off to get advice from Senri and I'm all about that because she needs Senri to criticize her, something that she knows is impossible to achieve from Mizuki (Also, Senri's email getting her back in the zone right before the recording rather than Mizuki's pep talk? Excellent. I love Mizuki, I swear!).
I love that Hime learns a lot of what she does from Senri and I love that she's slowly learning different aspects of what is expected from a voice actor. Just because your face isn't on TV doesn't mean that you don't have to know how to act. A good voice isn't the only thing that will help in the long run, and I like that although Hime was initially pushed by Senri to arrive at this conclusion, she did end up getting there all on her own and I'm so proud of her! She's able to find joy in other parts of voice acting, like doing research, and I love that. (I promise that I'll stop making comparisons to Skip Beat, but this is absolutely similar to how Kyoko genuinely begins to love acting!)
I forgot that they have little character profiles on here too like they have Strobe Edge! I thought Tsukino's and Ume's were a little surprising, like, I had no idea what Tsukino's favourite food was nor would I have ever been able to guess that Ume like math and chemistry (Are these things that we can kinda-sorta-maybe elaborate on?). Also, Mizuki's character profile makes him sound like such a bore because... beige as a favourite colour? White rice as a favourite food? Really?!) Also, Shuma's was a little weird because, um, can you really eat blowfish??? Yamada's is my favourite though! "Talent: recognizing super masochists" - STOP.
Other things that I think are worth mentioning because if I don't I might actually explode:
Both Yamada and Mizuki threatening Shuma to stop messing with Hime is so funny to me.
The summer school uniforms are adorable!!! Can we keep them forever?
I love that Hime wasn't the only one floored by Mizuki's acting skills, the girl beside her was equally as shocked, why couldn't she have been one of Hime's friends too? (Or at least, like, a work friend?)
Shout out to Yajima's assistant for trying to help Hime!
Oof, the irony of an actor with a terrible memory. And we also have Senri following the trope of "I'm so good at what I do but I also can't boil water and do other basic, everyday tasks" - we love to see it. Senri is a mish-mash of a lot of tropes, and I personally think it's really cute. (Also, he has piercings??? Gosh, the things you notice when you re-read something!)
I LOVE THE BONUS CONTENT, OH MY GOD, I WANT A BEAST RENJAI SPIN-OFF!!!
I completely blocked out the fact that Hime reminded Yajima of Sakura Aoyama.
Catherine's Diary >>>>>>> Mitchy's Room! I'm pretty sure I also first read this series around the same time as my Grade 12 Creative Writing class where we were learning about different points of view and how to write from the perspective of animals and inanimate objects, so I do remember always looking forward to Catherine's Diary.
Panels describing Hime's awful voices (they’re funny, just let me have this):
Books I Read In 2022 (and by read I mean actually liked)
Voice Over!: Seiyu Academy, Vol. 3 by Maki Minami
But... who would understand? No one can perfectly read another person’s feelings.
⭐⭐⭐(3 STARS)
This volume was a little boring compared to the previous one, not gonna lie, but it was enjoyable regardless.
My thoughts, in no particular order and therefore entirely incoherent, and other stuff I guess:
Okay, on the one hand, of course Mizuki has a key to Hime's place... but also, why does Mizuki have a key to Hime's place?
I love this trope of amateurs vs professionals because the amateur is always annoyed by how impressed they are/how much they can learn from the professional, and it happens in a lot of the manga series that I read (this one, Skip Beat, Library Wars - there's probably others too).
Senri the cat dad is the best part of this manga and I genuinely believe that.
I love the variation of speech bubbles that are given to Hime's terrible voices, it's a really lovely touch.
Yamada really takes tough love to a whole new level, but then he also became weirdly protective of Hime really quickly, so I don't know how I feel.
I really appreciated the whole "No can perfectly read another person's feelings" bit because I forgot that they didn't immediately go with the whole trope of Mizuki immediately being able to read her emotions because it's like, I don't care how well you know how to read another person, you've known her for like two weeks, calm down. Like, Mizuki was shocked when Hime said that she was frustrated with herself rather than what Yamada was making her do, I think it was a nice change for me personally.
Why does everyone in this series have some sort of trauma? It hurts, okay. Mizuki and Ume's stories are actually kind of similar when you think about it though, especially taking into account the reactions they had to Hime's words/actions respectively. I'm just saying that although I'm already onboard the UmexSho train, Ume and Mizuki could've had a really interesting dynamic (I actually don't even remember if they do).
Sidenote, Mizuki and Tsukino would absolutely be best-friends just based on the fact that they're both ride-or-die for Hime. Like, if you come at Hime, it's on sight. Let them be best-friends, they'd terrorize everyone.
Aw man, it really has been a long time because I do not recall Mizuki and Shuma being childhood friends, that's so cute!
Mizuki and Hime fighting is the most I've liked their dynamic, it feels like he finally stopped putting up the same "prince" act that he does in front of other people, just be the jerk that you know you are deep down Mizuki. (not them already interlocking hands though)
I completely forgot about Hime using Mizuki's glasses as a crutch. It's kind of like when I felt like I truly needed to drop $35 dollars on a Productivity Planner to get things done.
This was my favourite Mitchy's Room because my thoughts exactly! Imagine being the main love interest and only appearing for one chapter.
I don't think they did this last time, but I really enjoyed that they included a bonus page with interviews of voice acting students, it was definitely an interesting read. I can't remember if there are more like this, but I hope that there are.
Panels describing Hime's awful voices (there could be more, I have a terrible attention span, sorry): Hime Act No. 16 - Death Clown
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romaincrisis
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