Manga Review: Strobe Edge, Volume 9, by Io Sakisaka

Rating (Out of 5): ~4.5

Publisher: Shojo Beat (VIZ Media)

Release Date: March, 2014

Volumes: 10

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 1. 8. 10.

Goodreads Synopsis:

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...

Ren decides to tell Ninako his feelings for her after the Sports Festival, but he’s afraid she may have already moved on! Meanwhile, Ando and his ex, Mao, keep crossing paths… How will Ando react when he hears her shocking revelation?

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

Review:

I love this series. Ohmygod, do I love this series. I just want to fangirl all over the place for that ending, especially.

First, I’m going to start with something minor. Ando and Mao. I love Ando, and I feel a little bad for him. I’m happy with how things came out with Mao, and I feel a little bad for her, even if I don’t think she went the right direction. I still just want Ando to be happy, though. And I feel bad for him. The poor guy just wants Ninako to like him, and it is just not happening.

And Ninako is just so conflicted. She feels bad for Ando, she wants to be with Ren, she doesn’t think Ren feels that way for her, she’s just now starting to really talk with her friends again. She’s just going through so much. But she’s handling it pretty well, mostly.

Ninako is really a great heroine. She’s optimistic, and a little naïve, upbeat even as she struggles, trying to think of others. I really do like her.

Now, the big things. Ninako and Ren. Ohmygod ohmygod. I don’t want to spoil anything, but I also just want to fangirl all over the place. It’s heating up between them, Ren being more upfront, Ninako trying not to. And that ending… oh man, that ending. I am absolutely not going to spoil it, but for one I think the scene was done beautifully. It’s arranged so fast and perfectly, their reactions and the emotions, and I just… I mean, I’ve already re-read that scene like three times, and it has me grinning and fluttering like crazy just thinking about it.

The next volume is the last one, and I am so, so excited for it. It is going to be amazing. I cannot wait.