Haganai: I Don't Have Many Friends (2015)

[僕は友達が少ない]

Volume 12

Author: Yomi Hirasaka
Artist: Itachi
Publisher: Media Factory Comics

Synopsis:
Yozora revises her script again and Neighbors Club can proceed with the filming of their movie.

Story/Characters:
We start with things seeming to have settled down after the latest draft of Yozora's script. The filming is progressing smoothly, but then Pegasus stops by to chat with Kodaka and asks how things are going with his relationship with Sena. When Kodaka tells Pegasus they're not dating, Pegasus freaks out and so Kodaka has to have a chat with Sena about things. As it turns out, Pegasus misconstrued some things she was saying and she never bothered to correct him. Then Sena reveals that their childhood marriage promise was more than just a verbal agreement between their dads. They've actually been formally engaged since they were little, only neither one of them remembered their time together. While neither one considers themselves particularly bound by the agreement, it does alter the dynamics between them, though they agree to put a lid on it for the time being. That quickly gets spoiled when Maria (informed via Kate) blabs about the whole thing, sending Yozora into catatonia. When Kodaka confronts Kate about it, they start talking about the movie and Kate reveals the plot was lifted from an existing movie. With Yozora's plagiarism exposed, Sena takes the lead and presents a vanity script she prepared, which is as terrible as you'd imagine, but the gang seems to be having fun with it. (Though given Yozora's anxiety about showing skin, dressing her up as a bikini witch seems particularly cruel.) While helping out Rika, Kodaka sees not only how much work she's putting into the VFX but also the album she's been making of their club activities, showing just how much stock she puts in this production and the club as a whole. (Remember that for later.) We then go to the middle school to see the movie Kobato's class made. It goes over well and we see that despite Kobato's social awkwardness, she's actually quite well-loved by her classmates. If not for last volume's cliffhanger, you'd think we might actually be in for smoother sailing, but we close with the gang crossing paths with some members of the student council and the way Aoi's looking at Sena, you know good things are waiting for us.

Art:
As this volume dials back the drama, we get more comedic takes. We get an inventive new censor during Pegasus' freakout. I know people talk about not wearing underwear with a yukata, but maybe you should consider it when walking around on a high school campus. Maybe. The almost full-page shot of Rika smiling near the end of Chapter 54 is precious.

Other:
We get a color page of Kodaka and Yozora, a two-page spread of the gang in what looks like Taishou style, an afterword with a 3-koma, the character commentary, and a three-page foldout with Kobato's birthday party on one side and the gang hanging out on the roof on the other.

Conclusion:
This volume is milder than the last one, but it's the calm before the storm. Not as much is made of Kodaka and Sena's engagement as you might think, but that's going to be sitting on the back burner for later. The stuff with Rika is particularly good and I like the added insight into Kobato as well. All told, it makes for a solid read.

Rating:
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