Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-Kun vol. 2

I really liked the first volume of this series, especially at the price it was being offered at on Amazon.  In the months since I wrote that first review, my affection for it has actually grown.  Mangaka Izumi Tsubaki really nailed the essence of character-driven comedy with that first volume of this series about a highschool girl who pines for a handsome if totally clueless guy who also creates shojo manga.  It was immensely charming and very funny to see Nozaki, Sakura, and their friends interact with each other while gently skewering the conventions of shojo manga.  After a while, it got to the point where I’d keep checking Amazon’s page for the digital release of vol. 2 because I’m locked into buying the series in that format right now.  Yes, I know that I can get vol. 3 RIGHT NOW, but it’ll look funny by itself on my bookshelf and I’m not going to re-buy vols. 1-2 just to fix that problem!  Why can’t Yen Press start putting this series out digitally first like they do with the lesser “Handa-kun?”  The digital release of that series is running ahead of the print and I don’t see any reason why they can’t do that with this series!

Ahem…

Anyway, vol. 2 of “Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun” continues the high standard set by its predecessor as the interaction between its various cast members yields great humor without re-treading the same territory.  In this volume we have Sakura accompanying Nozaki on his day off as he realizes he has no hobbies, Yuzuki as she smashes the dreams of more men who realize she’s the “Glee Club’s Lorelai,” basketball star and new player Wakamatsu whose interactions with Yuzuki are comedically awkward gold, Mikoshiba acting as a model for Sakura’s art club, and Kashima aggravating Hori to even more violent heights when she gets in her head that he wants to be treated like a princess.  It’s great stuff and it manages to twist the digital knife in my gut even harder as I realize that it won’t be until August that I find out what these characters are up to next.  Easily one of the best new series I’ve read so far this year.