Review: Suzunari Vol.2 (final)
May 17th, 2010 | Published in OtakuZone | 3 Comments
Story and art: Shoko Iwami
Publisher: Yen Press, 128 pages
ISBN: 978-0759530720
For older teens
The conclusion to the Suzunari series is finally here after a two-year wait! In the first volume, we were introduced to Kaede Takamura, who inexplicably finds herself with a twin sister one morning named Suzu. While shocking at first, Suzu’s innocence and single-minded love for Kaede soon makes her an integral part of her life. However Suzu’s mysterious origins may soon catch up to her and they face the threat of separation.
Of course, being a 4-panel manga, the book is still pretty much focused on the gags and comedy rather than resolving the mystery of Suzu’s origins and raison d’être. Their school life continues from the first volume, with covering staple events such as the sports festival, school trip, entrance examinations and etc. etc. The laughs still come in thick and sharp, especially ones that poke fun on archetypical situations and trends of the moé theme, very prevalent throughout the book.
It’s only in the last chapter of the book where things turn serious for a bit as events catch up with Suzu and Kaede, forcing both of them to make painful choices. Yet, it still does not ruin the light-hearted mood of the story much and the tale is moving. Obviously it isn’t hard to predict the ending, but it does leave one a little melancholic after the book ends, which makes the series an unforgettable one.
Hints of Suzu’s true past are scattered around the volume, but it is never really made explicit, so it is up to the readers to infer for themselves as well.
All in all, Suzunari is definitely a great buy. It’s only two volumes and crammed (as its name suggests) with a cast of colorful characters, great jokes and endearingly cute leads. It never really does stray into “fluffy” material though and instead keeps the pace up with sharp jabs and swipes on the phenomenon of moé mainly. It even end with a dash of drama which really adds to the overall appeal of the series. A recommended “Get” from me.
(Rating: 4 out of 5)
Kurogane eats, sleeps, and breathes anime and manga, and blogs at Kurogane’s Anime Blog.
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