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SUZUKA (VOL. 3) [ADVANCE REVIEW] |
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Thursday, 01 March 2007 |
 | | ▪ | PUBLISHED BY: | | DEL REY | | | ▪ | ART/AUTHOR: | | KOUJI SEO | | | | ▪ | FORMAT/COLOR: | | JAPANESE FORMAT/ BW | | | ▪ | PAGES: | | 202 | | | ▪ | RATED: | | 18+ | | | ▪ | RELEASE DATE: | | 03/06/2007 | | | ▪ | REVIEW DATE: | | 03/02/2007 | | | ▪ | REVIEWED BY: | | HOLLY ELLINGWOOD |
After being shot down by Suzuka, Yamato mopes around the tenement, feeling sorry for himself and his state of unrequited love for her. The most unusual and unexpected heroine shows up in the form of gold-digging and heavy drinking Yuuka. With renewed fervor to win Suzuka’s heart, he joins the track team to get closer to her, but will his plan end up backfiring worse than he ever could have imagined?
Comedy, romance, drama and fan service – this manga has it all. This latest volume offers a lot of important character information getting discovered by Yamato as he tries to heal his heart and win Suzuka’s. One part that truly shines in this volume is the revelation of Yuuka’s past. It was both unexpected and bittersweet. There’s also the revelation of what truly lies in Yamato’s childhood friend Honoka’s heart as she suffers the pains of unrequited love for Yamato in silence. The big shock for Yamato however, is the reason why Suzuka rejected him. He may have just realized that the object of Suzuka’s affections is an obstacle he cannot hope to overcome.
Although this volume still holds some risqué bath scenes and some chuckles, it takes a step back from the abundant fan service and comedy of previous volumes to deliver a series of dramatic and pivotal revelations. The romantic drama at the core of the story takes center stage and it will be interesting for fans to find out what has been holding Suzuka back and what Yamato will do in light of this stunning discovery.
Extras include a note from the author, character profiles, four-panel comic theater, translation notes and a preview of volume 4 in its original Japanese.
IN SUMMARY:
Suzuka volume 4 gives up some big secrets that will have an impact on where the rest of the series goes from now on. It still holds some fan service and laughs but they take the back ground to the more dramatic and romantic intrigues that reveal themselves this round. |
