▪	RELEASED BY:		TOKYOPOP
		▪	AUTHOR / ART:		HARUKA FUKUSHIMA
		▪	FORMAT:		JAPANESE / B&W
		▪	PAGES:		196
		▪	RATING:		OT
		▪	RELEASE DATE:		06/21/2007
		▪	REVIEW DATE:		10/27/2007
		▪	REVIEWED BY:		HOLLY ELLINGWOOD

Love was never so tangled a thing as when the boy you like turns into a girl by night!

The fun gender-bending romantic comedy of Kedamono Damono continues and concludes in this entertaining second volume of the endearing manga series. First off, this couple still hasn’t confessed their feelings full out to each other yet and has been keeping their relationship a secret. With the unusual exception that Konatsu lets it go when people see her on dates with girl-Haruki and thus conclude she’s dating a girl. For some reason she’s okay with that, but boy-Haruki has yet to step up and announce their relationship to others. Therefore she doubts the boy-type’s feeling for her. When her birthday comes up, another boy from school steps in and tries to steal her away. This is the time when Haruki, the boy side, has to announce their relationship or let the moment be lost, and with it, the girl he so obviously cares for.

That was the romantic bit of teeny tiny angst in the story. The comedy goes into high gear when Konatsu wins a trip for a hot springs vacation. It was supposed to be just the two of them, but somehow Haruki’s lascivious older sister (who’s a boy by night) and his far too cuddly with Konatsu younger brother (who’s a girl by night) have tagged along. Some romantic triangle trouble starts up later when Konatsu’s cousin Beni arrives to stay over for a while. She takes a liking to Haruki and isn’t shy about it, but Konatsu is all uncomfortable about declaring him hers. The fact that his current attack of hay fever is making him change gender with each sneeze doesn’t help the confusion. Finally the tables have turned and it’s Konatsu’s turn to put up or give up in this final chapter of the series.

Charming throughout, filled with yuri titillation, some teasing guy-girl moments too, and romantic comedy, it’s the most fun you’ll have reading a manga. Even though it says the story is continued in volume three, unfortunately there doesn’t seem to be a third volume. This is a shame as this has been one of the most entertaining romantic comedies this reviewer has had the pleasure of reading. On the good side, the story does end off in a good place that doesn’t leave the reader hanging and the relationship between the couple has progressed enough that you can feel fulfilled with these two volumes that are available. They stand pretty well as a complete story.

There are a lot of extras in this manga volume as well. There are more comic panels, character sketches and author notes. The big bonus is a wonderfully heart warming romance about a girl who falls for a guy when she least expects it. Natsume always liked a certain guy, but her friend Senri is the one who helps her improve her swimming for the upcoming competition. Jealousies from some lurking jerks cause problems, but before she knows it, Natsume has fallen for Senri. When dubious under handed actions steal her swimming opportunities away from her, Natsume displays determination and sheer guts in the face of adversity to hopefully win the day and the boy. The story is titled “Young Mermaid” and the mermaid theme is used as a lovely analogy for the transformation young girls go through when they fall in love.

IN SUMMARY:
Kedamono Damono is sheer delight.