Manga Review: Library Wars: Love & War, Volume 6, by Kiiro Yumi and Hiro Arikawa

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: VIZ Media (Shojo Beat)

Publish Date: 2011

Volumes: 12+

Spoilers?: Some.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. Powells. RightStuf!

Goodreads Synopsis:

In the near future, the federal government creates a committee to rid society of books it deems unsuitable. The libraries vow to protect their collections, and with the help of local governments, form a military group to defend themselves--the Library Forces!

It's Valentine's Day, and Iku's hopes are dashed when Dojo, the guy she's been crushing on--and who's her Library Force superior!--receives an elegant box of chocolates from another woman. Romantic intrigue strikes the whole team as Shibazaki meets a would-be suitor and confides in Iku about her tortured love life. And it seems that Hikaru is being followed by someone from his past...

Review:

I’m starting to think that these reviews are just going to be me fangirling. Because fangirling is all I do when I think about this series. I just… can’t help myself.

Anyway, in this volume we got to see some in-depth Shibazaki. And I still just really enjoy her as a character. I understand her background more now, her point of view on things, and am sympathetic to what she went through. And really hope that she opens up to Iku more in the future.

Shibazaki went out with a boy in this volume, Asahina, and that was interesting. I don’t know where Shibazaki’s love life is going, although I see an attraction forming between her and Tezuka that could work.

Valentine’s Day happened, and Iku angsted over giving Dojo chocolate. Mainly because she “didn’t want him to feel left out”, and got some cheap chocolate for everyone. This resulted in a surprising turn of events between her and Dojo. I really hope that there’s something more intimate between them soon, because ugh, I really want it to.

There was a commotion in this volume regarding legal matters and censoring a story, and I don’t know how I feel about what happened. I don’t think many of the character do, either, though. The censoring element of this series shows up often and yet doesn’t get a lot of attention, but it is something that I enjoy. It’s something I feel strongly about, and I enjoy their discussing it, and a point of view was brought up in this volume that most people on this side don’t think about. I don’t know how I feel about it, but still.

There was also a chapter about this younger boy we met a couple volumes ago and his little brother, which brought up discussions about siblings. Iku chimed in with her hilarious memories of her brothers. Then we get a glimpse of Tezuka’s relationship with his older brother, and even got to see his face. There was a mention in the previous volume of him having a bad relationship with his older brother, and I’m looking forward to finding out what’s behind that, especially since it seems like his brother wants to make up with him.

There was an extra case at the end of the volume, and I liked the resulting interactions between the characters because of it. There was some Tezuka and Shibazaki time, some Komaki thinking about Marie (aww!), and then a very funny and adorable moment between Iku and Dojo. It’s starting to feel like something is going to happen between them soon, and I really hope so.

Also, there was a moment in this volume where Tezuka mentions that he stayed up all night reading a book, and I went, “Aww, that’s so awesome,” because I’m a book person. Because I constantly forget that, duh, these are book people, they work for a library, saving books, because they’re passionate about books. And that just made me think that more mentions of them actually enjoying books needs to happen. My inner bookworm (I don’t know if ‘inner’ is the right word here) would just really enjoy it. 

Again: I love this series. The next volume should be arriving at my house soon, and I’m very much looking forward to reading it.