Manga Review: Marmalade Boy, Volume 4, by Wataru Yoshizumi

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5

Publisher: Tokyopop

Volumes: 8

Spoilers?: Yes.

Goodreads Synopsis:

And you thought your family was strange? Miki's world gets turned upside down when her parents swap spouses with another couple and all decide to live together under one roof. It only gets weirder when Miki falls in love with her new stepbrother Like a dysfunctional version of the Brady Bunch, Marmalade Boy will hook readers with its odd premise and wacky relationships.

Review:

I am really enjoying this series. It just seems to get better every volume. It’s complete shojo, and for a junkie like me, it’s fantastic. I am so glad that I was able to get them all at one time, because it would be hard to find all the volumes, and I would be so disappointed to have to stop at any point.

The last volume stopped with Yuu planning to do something with Miwa. And this one starts with everyone at school gossiping about how they might be having a secret love affair with each other. This is mostly because they’ve been hanging out together a lot lately, and neither of them were really all that close with another male before that. Meiko is intrigued for her own amusement, and Miki is outraged. Miki is not happy about this rumor at all, or the possibility it might be true, and so strikes up a competition with Miwa. He realizes what she’s thinking and does it just to mess with her, and ends up winning. From there, there’s some hanging out, some shopping, and we find out that Miwa has an interest in Meiko.

And then Yuu and Miki’s parents decide that they are going away for the weekend, on a trip that they are sure one of them told the two about. This is something that I find really fun to watch: their parents. They’re still getting used to living together and are just having fun together, and it’s obvious they’re enjoying it, and this isn’t the first time they thought someone else had informed the kids of something.

After a moment, the kids agree and they arrive. The family plays some tennis together, and then Yuu starts acting a little weird. When Miki tries to follow him, she gets lost and then in some trouble, and later when she talks to Yuu, he freaks out a little bit.

In the next chapter, the group goes to the movies together, courtesy of Miwa. Of course, they end up separated, with Miwa and Meiko together, and Yuu and Miki together. Miki and Yuu end up holding hands and going on a walk, including stopping by an arcade. While Miwa kind of forces Meiko into hanging out with him, getting something to eat, and then walking her home and kissing her on the cheek, which makes her all flustered.

Later, Meiko and Miki follow the boys, and find out that Miwa’s father is some famous architect, which frazzles Miki, because she didn’t know that he was interested in that stuff. Miki and Yuu have a bit of a fight, their classes go on a trip, they run into Arimi and Rokutanda, we see Ginta some more… We find out that Arimi has given up on Yuu and is trying to get over him.

In the last chapter, we find out that – dun dun dun! – Yuu is not his father’s son. This is absurd, and distracts Miki from everything. Miwa starts going after Meiko more seriously (and I wasn’t bought on Miwa’s long hair until I saw him with short hair). Miki disappoints Ginta by not going to his big tennis match because she decides she’s going to join Yuu and Miwa to talk with Miwa’s father. Where we find out that Miwa’s father is not Yuu’s father, because he didn’t have that kind of relationship with Yuu’s mother. So, if he isn’t his father’s son, he’s the son of someone else.

Drama is happening, you guys. I wasn’t all that thrilled with this plot twist, but I’m hoping that it turns out alright, that something not-too stereotypical happens. I like Miki and Yuu and hope something happens with them soon. I feel a bit bad about Ginta, and wonder if something’s going to happen with him. I really like Meiko’s character and just want to know what’s going to happen with her next, and I don’t mind her and Miwa together.
I am looking forward to starting the next volume.