Daytime Shooting Star: Volume 2 manga review

Daytime Shooting Star Graphic Novel Volume 2 cover image

Suzume Yosano is a 15-year-old a girl who lives in a small rural town that does not have convenience stores, cafés, or traffic lights.  When her parents suddenly announce that they are moving to Bangladesh, they also tell Suzume that she will be moving to Tokyo to live with her uncle, Yukichi Kumamoto.  Once there, Suzume finds herself attracted to a friend of her uncle's, Mr. Satsuki Shishio, who also turns out to be Suzume's homeroom teacher.

Daytime Shooting Star, Vol. 2 (Chapters 8 to 14) finds Suzume finally being honest.  She has to admit to herself that she has strong romantic feelings for Mr. Shishio.  However, a school trip will cause her even more problems.  An accident in the woods leads Suzume into the care of the first person she befriend at her new school – the handsome and popular boy, Mamura.

[This volume includes the bonus manga, “Daytime Whatever.”]

THE LOWDOWN:  In some ways, the Daytime Shooting Star manga is a typical high school shojo manga.  It is about a girl who falls in love, after all, and it is such a sweet confection.

Daytime Shooting Star Graphic Novel Volume 2, unlike the debut volume, does not strike any odd or offbeat notes.  Mika Yamamori's wide-open illustration style and pretty figure drawing (especially the nice-looking characters who have big eyes) are as attractive in this volume as they were in Daytime Shooting Star's debut volume.

The sharp English translation by JN Productions does throw in some tartness to this story, which is appropriate.  Suzume has herself in a pickle with males.  As a fan of “Shojo Beat” shojo manga, I find myself loving this delightful series.  So if you are into pretty art and pretty lovelorn girls...

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of shojo high school romance will want to read the Shojo Beat series, Daytime Shooting Star.

A
8 out of 10