Daytime Shooting Star: Volume 4 manga review

Daytime Shooting Stars Graphic Novel Volume 4 cover image

Suzume Yosano 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 the 15-year-old 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.

As Daytime Shooting Star, Vol. 4 (Chapters 22 to 28) opens, Suzume gets a visit form Mr. Shishio's former girlfriend, renowned photographer, Tsubomi Kashima.  Tsubomi is leaving Japan and wants to say goodbye to Suzume, and she leaves an envelope for Mr. Shishio with Suzume.  Although she has been avoiding Mr. Shishio, Suzume often thinks about him.  After they reconcile, Suzume still finds herself perplexed by her teacher's inconsistent behavior.

THE LOWDOWN:  The Daytime Shooting Star manga is a typical high school shojo manga... in most ways  It is about a girl who falls in love, and this isn't the first shojo about a girl falling in love with her teacher!

Daytime Shooting Star Graphic Novel Volume 4 honestly deals with the awkwardness of a student and her teacher who have strong feelings for one another.  What are her feelings?  What are his feelings?  What does he really want?  Daytime Shooting Star does not seem interesting in dealing with a heroine who becomes cuter over the run of the narrative.  The story digs into the complexities of romantic relationships that ought not to be or cannot be.  I like that it says that love ain't all that cute.

The sharp English translation by JN Productions captures the state of confusion and the malaise, while keeping the story interesting.  Inori Fukuda Trant, always on point, gives readers lettering that captures the story's sense of wonder and blunder.

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