It's Monday! I'm joining my blogging friend, Alison from Alison Can Read, on her manga meme Manga Mondays where bloggers can discuss manga we've read. I'm very much a newbie when it comes to manga and I like experimenting with different genres and series. Today I'll be reviewing the volume 6 of Library Wars.
Description: It's Valentines Day in Japan. Iku finds her hopes for this special day ruined when her crush, Dojo, receives a box of chocolates from an admirer. Meanwhile the beautiful and flirtatious Shibazaki meets a suitor and Hikaru thinks he is being followed.
Review: This volume did really do much for me. It definitely felt like a filler/transition book. Nothing exciting happens and the characters are just riding along.
The plot seems to split into three story lines. The first story line is a censorship issue wasn't well developed in my opinion. The Weekly World News magazine has printed an article about the teen serial killer and it has been banned by the new head librarian, which shocks everyone in the Library Task Force. I was confused about exactly why the library would consider censoring the article at all. It sounds counter intuitive if the purpose of the library is to ensure access to information for all. Maybe the article's writer use illegal sources and thus what is printed isn't allowed to be shown to the public because of the prisoner's rights? If so, then how the author get access to person in question's library history? As far as I know, libraries are not allowed to hand out patron history records to anyone even the government. The government would have to have a warrant or other documents in order to get anywhere near the history. I simply can't understand how this issue came to this decision.
The second story line is about Shibazaki, Iku's roommate and friend. We gain a little insight into her past and her personality. Basically, she's just putting on a show on how others feel like she should behave in order to be well liked and popular. I do like Shibazaki in general and it's nice to know that she isn't all that confident and all knowing as she appears. She is more human and fragile in this volume. She meets a suitor who I think might become a recurring character and I hope that relationship is something to root for.
The third story line focuses on Tezuka, who believes someone is following him. Since this story line occurs in the last few pages, it doesn't have much time to develop. We do meet his mysterious brother, who may or may not work for the enemy.
In addition to these story lines, there are bonus chapters that focus on the Library Task Force team going out to a spa resort together and they happen to stop robbers who robbed a near-by bank from running away. The same nauseating Iku and Dojo 'banter' occurs and there are some slapstick humor and violence that occurs. Overall, this volume was okay and I probably wouldn't have missed much if I skipped it altogether.
Rating: 3 stars
Words of Caution: There were several bath scenes with the two girls completely covered by the water, but then there was a scene where only strategic placement kept Dojo decent. No real language and much less violence in this one with the biggest injury being Iku's run-in with a door jam. Rated T for teens.
If you like this book try: Library Wars Volume 7 by Kiiro Yumi, Saturn Apartments by Hisae Iwaoka, Kingyo Used Books by Seimu Yoshizaki
Description: It's Valentines Day in Japan. Iku finds her hopes for this special day ruined when her crush, Dojo, receives a box of chocolates from an admirer. Meanwhile the beautiful and flirtatious Shibazaki meets a suitor and Hikaru thinks he is being followed. Review: This volume did really do much for me. It definitely felt like a filler/transition book. Nothing exciting happens and the characters are just riding along.
The plot seems to split into three story lines. The first story line is a censorship issue wasn't well developed in my opinion. The Weekly World News magazine has printed an article about the teen serial killer and it has been banned by the new head librarian, which shocks everyone in the Library Task Force. I was confused about exactly why the library would consider censoring the article at all. It sounds counter intuitive if the purpose of the library is to ensure access to information for all. Maybe the article's writer use illegal sources and thus what is printed isn't allowed to be shown to the public because of the prisoner's rights? If so, then how the author get access to person in question's library history? As far as I know, libraries are not allowed to hand out patron history records to anyone even the government. The government would have to have a warrant or other documents in order to get anywhere near the history. I simply can't understand how this issue came to this decision.
The second story line is about Shibazaki, Iku's roommate and friend. We gain a little insight into her past and her personality. Basically, she's just putting on a show on how others feel like she should behave in order to be well liked and popular. I do like Shibazaki in general and it's nice to know that she isn't all that confident and all knowing as she appears. She is more human and fragile in this volume. She meets a suitor who I think might become a recurring character and I hope that relationship is something to root for.
The third story line focuses on Tezuka, who believes someone is following him. Since this story line occurs in the last few pages, it doesn't have much time to develop. We do meet his mysterious brother, who may or may not work for the enemy.
In addition to these story lines, there are bonus chapters that focus on the Library Task Force team going out to a spa resort together and they happen to stop robbers who robbed a near-by bank from running away. The same nauseating Iku and Dojo 'banter' occurs and there are some slapstick humor and violence that occurs. Overall, this volume was okay and I probably wouldn't have missed much if I skipped it altogether.
Rating: 3 stars
Words of Caution: There were several bath scenes with the two girls completely covered by the water, but then there was a scene where only strategic placement kept Dojo decent. No real language and much less violence in this one with the biggest injury being Iku's run-in with a door jam. Rated T for teens.
If you like this book try: Library Wars Volume 7 by Kiiro Yumi, Saturn Apartments by Hisae Iwaoka, Kingyo Used Books by Seimu Yoshizaki
Labels:
2012 100+ Reading Challenge,
3 stars,
Book Ban,
Library Wars,
Manga,
Manga Monday,
Romance
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Well, even with the story is more of a filler type of book, at least you get to chance to hang out with characters you've become familiar with. :)
Filler books (or volumes as it were) are never fun. I hate getting to the end knowing I've read however many pages but yet nothing seems to have happened at all. Hopefully there's lots of developments in the next one!
Hopefully you will love the next. I had to laugh when you said only a few things kept the dojo decent. I don't know why, but I've always found those things funny. I guess I keep thinking of Austin Powers. Yes, I'm demented like that. LOL
I have never gotten into this genre but am glad you are enjoying it!
Too bad this volume was too filler-ish. I was interested in it b/c of the Valentine's Day plot. I love how Vday is different in Japan. Although I wouldn't like having to give chocolate to all the guys. At least they reciprocate on White Day.