We Never Learn (2018)

[ぼくたちは勉強ができない]

Volume 8

Author/Artist: Taishi Tsutsui
Publisher: Jump Comics

Synopsis:
Yuiga, Furuhashi, and Ogata have a mock interview with Kurisu-sensei to prepare for their college application.

Story/Characters:
With Furuhashi and Ogata's history with Kurisu-sensei, you can imagine how the mock interview goes for them, but the real feature is Yuiga's turn. We then get a nice chapter with Sekijo going out on the town with Ogata and see how Sekijo got so fixated on our favorite math genius. Next Yuiga gets some remedial swimming lessons. This is where Takemoto is introduced to Kurisu-sensei and not having the same baggage as Furuhashi and Ogata, plus with the common thread of them both being athletes, they develop a much warmer relationship that makes a nice counterbalance to the situation between Sensei and Furuhashi and Ogata.

We finally get a big multi-chapter arc for the rest of the volume (the Season 2 finale in the TV series) with the school festival. There's a good variety of events and most of the characters get their fair share of screentime. It's probably the most fun things have been in a while. Getting a sustained story with a snappy pace is a nice variation from the usual episodic formula. I kinda wish we would get more sequences like this.

Art:
The real highlight this time around is the school festival. There is a good variety of costumes and fun antics. We slip into some of the more gratuitous fanservice as well, which I'm sure is bound to please someone.

Other:
We get two bonus comics, a two-pager showing off how bendy Kurisu-sensei is and a one-pager with kotatsu footsie fun. Also, we get the results of the character poll. I won't spoil it for you, but my two favorites combined can't beat the overwhelming advantage of the winner. Congratulations for Tsutsui himself getting 14th place. Not bad when you're not even a character in the series.

Conclusion:
Thanks to the school festival arc, this is one of the stronger volumes in the series. It's a good time and sure to be a crowd-pleaser. Give it a read at the very least.

Rating:
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