Comics / Manga

Nisekoi: False Love Volume 7 manga review

By Leroy Douresseaux
January 17, 2015 - 20:59

Nisekoi Volume 7 cover image is courtesy of barnesandnoble.com.

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Rated “T” for “Teen”

Raku Ichijo and Chitoge Kirisaki are two high school students forced into a sham relationship, although they really don't like each other.  Each of their fathers is the head of a yakuza syndicate, so in order to keep a gang war from starting, Ichijo and Kirisaki pretend to be a loving teen couple.  In fact, Ichijo is also searching for his childhood sweetheart.  He wears a pendant lock around his neck as a memento of the promise he made to a mystery girl 10 years ago.

As Nisekoi: False Love, Vol. 7 (subtitled The Reason – Chapters 54 to 62) begins, Seishiro Tsugumi, Chitoge's bodyguard, has an unexpected reunion with her old partner, an American named Paula McCoy.  McCoy is an assassin known as “White Fang,” and she wants to know why Tsugumi a/k/a “Black Tiger” has turned soft.  That leads to a test of skills, and the goal is to kiss Raku!

It's Christmas, and Chitoge's mother, Hana a/k/a “Madame Flower,” is visiting.  Raku cannot help but notice that mother and daughter have a strained relationship.  Raku is determined to do something about it, even if it means total exhaustion for him.

THE LOWDOWN:  As I have written previously, the Nisekoi: False Love manga is a romantic comedy driven by the comedy.  However, creator Naoshi Komi has blessed this series with a fantastic ensemble, and if that weren't enough, he evens offers ab-fab guest stars, as seen in this volume.  This series is about finding the humor in awkward and complicated teen love.

I think Nisekoi: False Love Volume 7 proves that when it comes to shonen comedy, it's the real thing.  Many chapters are single-episode situation comedies, but multiple-chapter tales offer depth of character and humor that is more than just a few chuckles.  I originally thought that Nisekoi would be a yakuza comedy that could not get beyond the threat of violence, but it keeps moving beyond expectations.

POSSIBLE AUDIENCE:  Readers looking for offbeat shonen love will want to try Nisekoi: False Love.

Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12