Kaguya-sama: Love is War (2018)
[ใใใๆงใฏๅใใใใ ๏ฝๅคฉๆใใกใฎๆๆ้ ญ่ณๆฆ๏ฝ]
Volume 11
Author/Artist: Aka Akasaka
Publisher: Young Jump Comics
Synopsis:
Shinomiya is getting used to her new smartphone, which includes learning about Line etiquette.
Story/Characters:
People outside Japan may not be familiar with the Line app, but the details of how it works are critical to how the opening chapter of this volume plays out. Next, we have Shirogane and Osaragi team up in an effort to make Ishigami and Iino get along. After that, we have Shinomiya decide to help Ishigami with his crush on his fellow glee club member Tsubame Koyasu. We follow that with a fun "uso de aru" chapter as the gang gears up for their finals, echoing the one from the previous term. Once that's over, Shinomiya agrees to have Fujiwara for a sleepover and we get to see Hayasaka in a male version of Haasaca, who Fujiwara amusingly has a bit of a crush on. You remember how I made a point of how Hayasaka (as Haasaca) exchanged contact information with Shirogane? Well, that comes into play here. I like how they're in regular enough contact that Kei is under the impression they've got something going on. This leads us into a two-parter where Mama Chika trains Shirogane to become a rap master. I'm going to enjoy seeing the rap battle that ensues in animated form. After that, Maki comes back for another counseling session with Shirogane and Ishigami. After that, we have an otaku battle over the announcement of the anime adaptation of a manga Shirogane and Ishigami like (which no doubt was triggered by the plans to make an anime adaptation of this series). We close on parent-teacher conferences, which have a number of nice moments and a huge bombshell at the end. I haven't commented on it before, but Hayasaka is adorable whenever her mother is involved. Also, I love who stands in for Shinomiya's parents.
Art:
Ishigami and Iino's solutions for their get-along activities have to be seen. Their take on the Pocky Game is really intense. Have I mentioned how cute Hayasaka is around her mother? There's that. The cover for Chapter 111 is really nice too.
Other:
The stinger for Chapter 105 shows us how the class rankings have changed after finals. Romance is murder on poor Kashiwagi's academic performance. The stinger for Chapter 106 gives us mini-profiles on four of Hayasaka's personae. The stingers for 107 and 108 decode the rap lyrics (which match the vowels in each syllable to the paired word).
Conclusion:
This volume is particularly good for Hayasaka fans. It's always a good time when Mama Chika takes the stage. The major reveal at the end of the volume is going to have serious ramifications for where things go from here. I suppose it goes without saying that this one belongs in the collection. Be sure to get it.
Rating:
Own It