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Lenni Reviews: “Wolf Girl and Black Prince” Vol. 5, by Ayuko Hatta

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

Erika and Kyoya are now second years and to her delight, they are in the same class together. However, Kamiya the playboy is convinced Kyoya should be like him and continues to meddle with their relationship.

Kyoka is churlish and grumpy but not as horrid as previous volumes. It’s clearer now that he’s actually trying to make Erika happy and maybe catching some feelings of his own. I’m relieved because he was getting on my damn nerves. Erika is such a sweet cinnamon roll of a character who deserves the happiness she craves so badly. This feels like the grump/sunshine trope I was hoping for. 4 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Sakura, Saku” Vol. , by Io Sakisaka

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

After feeling sick on the train, Saku wakes to find herself safe with all her belongings and a note from the person who helped her. The number didn’t work but she vows to never ignore a person in need. Until she finds out a boy she goes to school with, Haruki,  has the same last name as the person who signed the note and this boy has an older brother who she believes is the one who helped her. She tries to get close to Haruki in order to give a thank you note to his older brother.

Ah, a classic young romance. It’s cute so far and Saku is a really sweet and earnest character. She’s just trying to be a good person and it doesn’t come off as fake or like she’s a pushover. Haruki is relatable as well; dealing with being in his popular brother’s shadow. We’re starting off strong with this series. 4 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Like a Butterfly” Vol. 3, by Suu Morishita

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

Suiren is working on her shyness and practicing talking more so she can speak to her crush, Taichi. Taichi however is unsure about his feelings after spending time with Suiren at a festival and distracts himself by throwing himself into his karate practice.

This volume is mostly Taichi avoiding the inevitable like a younger teen would but it is adorable to see Suiren trying to be more vocal and brave. It’s super chill without a drop of angst and dramatics if you’re in the mood for something cute, calm, and pretty to look at. 3.7 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Wolf Girl and Black Prince” Vol. 4, by Ayuko Hatta

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

After Kyoya flips out after learning Erica gave another boy the same gift as she gave him, Erica has had enough and ends their ‘relationship’ to be with Kusakabe; who is much nicer to Erica. Also, another student named Kamiya is a huge player who has sworn to never get involved with emotional relationships and set his sights on getting Kyoya to do the same.

Kyoya is still a dick but he’s slightly less awful in this volume.  I’m hoping he becomes a better boyfriend for Erika, who is so sweet and trying really hard. I can tell Kamiya is gonna be a temporary problem but his motivations are weird to me. Who cares if a guy you barely know isn’t a player like you? But hey, there’s drama to be had. 3.5 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Rainbow Days” Vol. 7, by Minami Mizuno

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

While Natsuki was sick, Anna took care of him, even getting a kiss. However, Natsuki doesn’t remember any of it. Meanwhile, Matsunaga has feelings or Mari but Mari is in love with her friend, Anna.

This volume is kinda slice of life with a little drama. It’s a calm coming of age type feel as the characters get their feelings in order and actually understand them. They don’t know how to deal with some feelings but they’re teenagers. I can see other teens reading this and having their (possible) feelings given some attention so they can try to understand themselves better. 3 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Neighborhood Story” Vol. 1, by Ai Yazawa

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

Mikako is an aspiring designer attending Yazawa Arts Academy and her childhood friend Tsumomu is attending the same school. Tsumomu happens to resemble a famous rock star and ends up being very popular, even getting a girlfriend; forcing Mikako to consider if her feelings for him are more than friendship.

While our main pair and the surrounding group are dynamic and interesting; for some reason I thought more of this would be about fashion and design. This manga is all about the drama and feelings and the forming relationships. I can’t blame the story for my assumptions so, as this is, it’s a breezy little school romance. Mikako is a high-energy character and the art style really allows for her highs and lows to be expressed beautifully. The story may not have fashion as the focus but the outfits the characters wear are fantastic. Very creatively done. 3.9 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Wolf Girl and Black Prince” Vol. 3, by Ayuko Hatta

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

As they head back to school after Christmas break, Erika’s grades have tanked due to her being distracted with Kyoya so he offers to tutor her. When Valentine’s Day rolls around, their classmate Shinohara develops a crush on Erika, making Kyoya jealous.

Okay, Kyoya is crossing the line between cutting and aloof to flat out abusive asshole. It isn’t healthy or amusing to see him treat Erika like crap, making her cry, and generally making her miserable. Its enough to make you hope she dumps him flat out for someone better. There is also a side story “I Ain’t Your Clown” where a student named Kodama uses humor to avoid being rejected. She is so adorable, it washed the nasty taste Kyoya left in my mouth. 4 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Ima Koi: Now I’m in Love” Vol. 7, by Ayuko Hatta

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

While Satomi and Yagyu are usually the stars, this volume spends it’s time with Miria and Noda. Miria has confessed her feelings for Noda, who doesn’t seem to care for relationships until Kenishi, Miria’s cousin who is now a student teacher at their school, enters the picture and Noda becomes jealous.

Miria is the breakout of this volume. Her personality is fun and vibrant, even as she shares some of Satomi’s hesitation when it comes to dating for the first time. We’re hitting the same series of firsts as Satomi and Yagyu but the time taken to watch Miria and Noda grow was enjoyable to me but I can see if some readers would want the series to go back to our main couple instead. 3.9 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Like a Butterfly” Vol. 2, by Suu Morishita

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

Suiren’s feelings for Taichi continue to grow while Taichi still doesn’t want to be bothered with dating and all its distractions; including Koharu who is determined to get Taichi to like her before the summer is over.

This volume is mostly set up to get the pieces in place for Suiren and Taichi to go see fireworks together. Their shyness is endearing and really sweet but I have to say there’s a lot of waffle in this. Part of me was hoping they’d hurry up and get to the point. The back and forth is going to get tedious if it continues like this. 4 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Rainbow Days” vol. 5, by Minami Mizuno

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

In this volume, the group continues their trip, enjoying their time at an amusement park. The day culminates in Natsuki and Anna ending up alone on the Ferris wheel.

This was cute but meandering. They’re all having a good time at the park, there are some silly shenanigans, they tell an entertaining ghost story but even for a slice of life, this wasn’t very engrossing. 3 out of 5.

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