Manga Review: Strobe Edge, Volume 6, by Io Sakisaka

Rating (Out of 5): ~4-4.5

Publisher: Shojo Beat (VIZ Media)

Publish Date: September, 2013

Volumes: 10

Spoilers?: Yes for previous volumes, minor for this one.

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

Volume 1. Previous Volume. Next Volume.

Goodreads Synopsis:

A heartwarming story about first love that’s one of the most hotly anticipated new shojo series among U.S. fans.What is love, anyway? Ninako Kinoshita’s friends tell her it’s one thing, but Ninako wonders what this mysterious feeling really is. When she meets Ren Ichinose, the handsome, enigmatic guy that all the girls worship, her life takes an unexpected turn. With just a few words and a smile, he changes her world...

Reads R to L (Japanese Style) for teen audiences.

Review:

I don’t really understand what happened with this volume, but suddenly I’m kind of in love with this series again. And really wanting the next volume.

So, first off, something small. Manabu, a classmate of Ren’s, who’s kind of a busybody, but also a little gullible, but with a good heart. I kind of love him. I barely even remembered his name, but he’s shown up several times, he has a really fun relationship with Ninako (because they’re so alike), but I kind of love him. He’s just… really sweet, and adorable. I don’t know. I want more of him to show up.

Although, I mean, what is up with these characters, Sakisaka? I love way too many of them! Why are they so likable/loveable? I can’t stand it!

Okay, so, onto bigger things. News has gone around that Ren is now single, and all the girls are moving in on him. But he’s still getting over the break up. And Ninako, the only one it seems, understands this and is just giving him time. Despite that, however, there are a couple of moments where they end up very close, looking into each others eyes and get embarrassed, and hear the others’ conversations with someone else. There are obvious things brewing between them, as everyone knew there would be. And I’m kind of okay with that? I don’t know what happened, but I kind of am starting to love Ren.

I don’t know, you guys. I just don’t know.

Maybe it’s because he’s starting to try to find himself again? He’s been so lost in Mayuka, trying to stay with her, trying to identify with being with her, and now he’s on his own again. I don’t know, but I’m really enjoying it.

A big part is probably also that he had some guy moments with Ando, and they were just… It was weird, but I was fangirling, and grinning, and I don’t understand.

Let me explain. So, you know, what with Ren trying to find himself again and all, he’s realized that Ando is not really his friend anymore, and he doesn’t know how to deal with that. Ando, apparently, came into Ren’s life at a time when he needed someone, and then something happened (a girl) and some more stuff happened (another girl—this time Ninako), and Ando has been building up some hatred toward him. And so they talk a couple of times. Ninako intervenes, unknowingly, a couple of times, which gets them to actually clear the air. They still need to talk about some more stuff, I think, but at this point it seems like they’ve formed a truce, and are kind of brotherly competing for Ninako, although most of the competing is on Ando’s side. Ren doesn’t really have to do anything to win, and besides, he’s not ready to try yet anyway.

And really, their friendship at the moment is just hilarious. And while Ando is reluctant to admit how close they are, it has cheered Ren up a whole lot, and I like that.

Like I said, I kind of love Ren now, and I don’t know how that happened, but I think I’m goin’ with it.

Aside from them, it seems like Sayuri has some drama with Ren’s other friend, the tall blond one, and that does not speak good things for her and Daichi. I’m not looking forward to them fighting, but I am intrigued, and really hoping they end up on the winning side.

After that, there was an extra story, a one-shot that Sakisaka wrote before this series. It’s about a couple who live together, he’s a musician, and she’s insecure about their relationships. I had a problem with how they both seemed to act and think that their lives would be nothing without the other, but aside from that it was really cute. And the art, while still pretty good, was very obviously not as good as her current style. That was neat to see.

So I’m loving this series again, and I’m very happy about that. This volume was fantastic. And I’ve come to realize that, even when things aren’t super exciting or anything, there are still a lot of small moments that are just genuinely funny (like the interactions between Ninako and Manabu—those two are hilarious together; I love their friendship). 

I am very much looking forward to the next volume.