Manga Review: I Hear the Sunspot: Limit 2 (Volume 4) by Yuki Fumino

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: One Peace Books

Release Date: September 2019

Volumes: 4+

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 1. 3.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Kohei is a college student who, because of his hearing loss, tends to distance himself from others. His attitude starts to change after he crosses paths with an ever-optimistic classmate named Taichi. And over time, the two begin to develop feelings for each other. As the story continues, the pair tries to balance their budding relationship alongside Taichi's inspiring new career and Kohei's continued studies at school. But the harder they try to make things work, the more misunderstandings they seem to encounter.

Review:

Taichi and Kohei are still struggling to settle into their relationship. Kohei is having a harder time with accepting what his deafness could do to their relationship, especially when he learns more about why Taichi is going for the career he is. Whereas Taichi has seemed to accept the difference in their relationship—despite how he's still learning about some of the difficulties and how to handle it,—Kohei is feeling like the burden in the relationship.

This has been culminating for a while, but after a few things are revealed, they're forced to confront it.

  This volume gets hard to take a few times. It's a struggle between them, and it's a struggle to watch, because I just want them to be happy together, but they've got a ways to go still.

Manga Review: I Hear the Sunspot: Limit 1 (Volume 3), by Yuki Fumino

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: One Peace Books

Release Date: November 2018

Volumes: 4+

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 1. 2. 4.

Goodreads Synopsis:

"You rescued me from a world without sound. If it wasn't for you, I never would've known the world was such an amazing place!" Because of a hearing disability, university student Kohei had made a habit of distancing himself from those around him. But after meeting the exceedingly cheerful Taichi, he gradually begins to embrace a more positive outlook on life. Kohei eventually begins to see Taichi as more than a friend, and after he finally confesses his love to Taichi, the feelings become mutual. In this new addition to the I Hear the Sunspot series, Kohei continues on as a student, while Taichi makes his way out into the working world to pursue his own calling and the two begin a new life together!

Review:

Now that Taichi and Kohei are officially together, they're still finding their way with that. At the same time, Kohei is discovering that his hearing might be going even more, and Taichi is at a new job, where he's helping people with deafness, and he's being taught some hard lessons.

I really like the realistic aspect of deafness that this series takes. As Taichi starts his new job, he's being made to learn how to deal with it in the real world, how he can help but also how he can't take over like he wants to, in order to do everything he can to help in the moment.

We meet a new character in this volume, when Kohei is shown a deaf sports team. Ryu seems rude at first, but we discover that he's just got his own sense of boundaries and morals. He can be very intense, in good and bad ways, I think. I'm intrigued by him.

We see Kohei and Taichi finding their balance in their new relationship, and in the new places they're at in life in general. I'm really glad this series didn't end at either of the single volumes before this, as I really want to read more, and it never quite felt like their story was done yet. I'm looking forward to reading more.

Manga Review: I Hear the Sunspot: Theory of Happiness (Volume 2) by Yuki Fumino

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: One Peace Books

Release Date: February 2018

Volumes: 4+

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 1. 3.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Because of a hearing disability Kohei is often alone. Taichi is outspoken and cheerful. At first, Kohei keeps himself well guarded, but after he meets Taichi he slowly learns to open up.

Review:

We meet a new character, Maya, in this volume. She does put up some issues for Kohei and Taichi, get between them a little. She has her own issues and thoughts on her deaf-ness. But, really, Kohei and Taichi's conflicts mostly come between themselves.

Now that Kohei has confessed, it's making Taichi acknowledge his own feelings, and he doesn't know how to respond. It makes things a little awkward, but also harder between them. They haven't figured out how to talk to each other, with all of these unsaid things and feelings between them.

Maya is an interesting contrast for this series. And it takes a while for Taichi to say something, to voice his feelings to Kohei. And meanwhile, Kohei is dealing with issues with his hearing decreasing even more.

I'm so glad there's more of this series to go, and that it's been licensed. I can't wait to read more.

Manga Review: A Silent Voice, Volume 6, by Yoshitoki Oima

Rating (Out of 5): ~4.5

Publisher: Kodansha Comics

Release Date: April 19, 2016

Volumes: 7.

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 1. 5. 7.

Goodreads Synopsis:

A SILENT PRAYER

Time stands still for both Shoya and Shoko. Triggered by past traumas, Shoya coldly attacked his friends and burnt the bridges he first set out to rebuild. Shoko feels a deep responsibility for this disaster and attempts to pay for it by taking her own life. Meanwhile, each of their friends finally show their true colors. After everything has fallen apart, how will they mend their hearts and put the pieces back together?

Review:

I am so completely and utterly impressed with this volume. It was gorgeous. Depressing and horrible and intense. And gorgeous.

Shoya tries saving Shoko, and only ends up hurting himself. And this means that the other characters get a little more focus in this volume. We get a chapter for each classmate, and some are quite insightful. I don’t particularly care for most of their inner voices anymore, but it was helpful to read. Shoko’s chapters were particularly hard to read, because it’s hard to see her struggling. I so badly want to see her happy. I also like Yuzuru’s a lot, too, because I like her as a character and a friend to Shoko.

This volume hurt to read. It was painful. But it was also so needed and worthwhile and so well done. There are some very bad parts, and some very thoughtful ones. This was needed.

I need the next volume immediately. I need to see how this series ends oh my god.

Manga Review: A Silent Voice, Volume 5, by Yoshitoki Oima

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: Kodansha Comics

Release Date: January 2016

Volumes: 7.

Spoilers?: Light.

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

Volume: 1. 4. 6.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Years ago, Shoya Ishida led his peers in tormenting a hearing-impaired classmate, Shoko Nishimiya. When she transfers schools, Shoya finds he has gone from bully to bullied, and is left completely alone. Now Shoya struggles to redeem himself in Shoko's eyes and to face the classmates who turned on him. He learns sign language to apologise to Shoko for his behaviour, and so begins a relationship that will change his and Shoko's lives forever.

Review:

My god, this series!

Shoya’s past is fully revealed in this volume. The friendships he was slowly starting to form with his classmates, and the ones he had with the others, blow up in his face. Old hurts are shouted at each other, betrayals, and blaming. It’s pretty bad. And to say that Shoya handles it badly would be putting it lightly. He doesn’t.

I will say I’m surprised by Satoshi. He didn’t stand out much in the previous book, but he has a pretty strong personality, and he has a contrasting point of view to bullying as Shoya does.

After that, Shoya is left alone, with only Shoko at his side. She’s confused by what happened, but ultimately feels terrible, taking the blame on herself. Shoya is just sulking and being a depressing mope about it.

And all of this leads up to the ending. It’s horrible. It’s a terrible turn of events, and I can’t believe this is where they’re ending it. Ugh.

I need to read the next one immediately.

Manga Review: A Silent Voice, Volume 4, by Yoshitoki Oima

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: Kodansha Comics

Release Date: November 2015

Volumes: 7.

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 1. 3. 5.

Goodreads Synopsis:

WORDS OF REASSURANCE

Once upon a time, Shoya was terribly cruel to Shoko, his elementary school classmate who couldn’t hear. To make up for his past sins, Shoya has devoted himself to repaying the debt of happiness he owes. So when Shoko faces a romantic setback, Shoya assembles some familiar faces from their past for a trip to the amusement park that may just change things for Shoya, too.

Review:

Shoya is starting to learn that not everyone is horrible, and he could actually make friends. He attempts it in this volume by going to an amusement park with a group, and it starts out really great. Ends in a bit of a mess, though.

Naoka and Shoko can’t seem to get along, and Naoka won’t leave Shoya alone. Naoka is generally just a terrible person, though. I don’t like her at all.

On the other hand, Shoya is trying to be a better person and make friends with people. He takes advice to compliment Shoko, because he wants her to like herself, which is kind of adorably hilarious. And then, when Yuzu and Shoko go through a bad family death, the group does the same for Yuzu. It’s sweet.

I just absolutely love this series. It’s heartwarming and realistic and terrible at times, and all of it is fantastically done. I can’t wait for the next one.

Manga Review: A Silent Voice, Volume 3, by Yoshitoki Oima

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: Kodansha Comics

Release Date: September 2015

Volumes: 7

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 1. 2. 4.

Goodreads Synopsis:

ARE YOU AFRAID OF HER?

Shoya’s decided to do everything he can to make up for how terribly he treated Shoko, his former classmate who can’t hear. But more than the challenge of learning to communicate, it means facing a past he thought he’d left behind forever. Now a reunion with old friends will transform Shoya, and his relationship with Shoko.

Review:

This volume explores more of Shoya and Shoko’s past, with the reintroduction of two of their past classmates. Shoya goes looking when Shoko asks, and it’s all brought on by his awkward inability to be honest and upfront with her.

Shoko is reunited with the one girl who was nice to her, but who transferred out before any of the real bad stuff happened. And this forms a real friendship between, and a surprise for Shoya, as he finds himself feeling left out. He wants to be the one at her side, even if he denies it.

Then Shoya runs into the girl that was at his side in school, just as mean as he was, goading him on. And while Shoya is trying to move past that, be better, she’s just the same as she was then.

Then there’s the ending, and that’s just bad. Poor Shoko, and dumb Shoya.

I can’t wait for the next one.