Love*Com volumes 11-13 by Aya Nakahara

Title: Love*Com Vol. 11-13
Author: Aya Nakahara
Illustrator: Aya Nakahara
Publisher: Viz Media
Copyright: 2009 (2001 Japan)
Price: $8.99
ISBN: (Vol.11) 978-1-4215-2369-9; (Vol. 12) 978-1-4215-2370-5; (Vol. 13) 978-1-4215-2371-2
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Summary and Quick Thoughts: I’ve picked up 3 more volumes of Love*Com, which has The Philosopher Musician questioning my sanity. The focus shifts from Risa and Otani for the majority of Volume 11 as readers get a glimpse into Nobu’s life and her recent decision to move to Hokkaido and away from all of her friends. The end of volume 11 sets the readers up for the inevitable question and answers to these questions in volume 12: Will Otani pass the test to enter college and will Risa decide what to do after high school? Focus shifts yet again in volume 13, continuing a plot line involving Suzuki and his family as they react to his failing the college exam while Risa and Otani face the unexpected visit of Risa’s grandfather, who does not approve of Otani for his grand daughter.

The focus in these volumes seems to have shifted from the nonsensical to more serious issues such as passing college entrance exams, the future, and family values. The reader gets to see into the lives of the surrounding characters in these volumes, which adds a roundness to the story that I had been wanting from previous volumes. After wading through the past volumes, I’m also finally hooked at the intrigue of Otani possibly cheating on Risa (due to a set-up), who finally understands Otani.
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Will Teens Like It? Probably. It is still a funny read and if they’ve come this far, they are not giving up.
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Things to be aware of: sexual humor and situations in volume 13
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Further Thoughts: Why do I continue? This series is mind candy for me and is an easy, silly, roll-your-eyes read. The plots in volumes 11-13, as I stated above, have turned to the more serious tones, which unfortunately may no longer be relevant to middle school readers. High school readers can certainly relate to the stress of college and planning beyond high school. Also, I suspect that the plot will take a more adult turn after volume 13 as Grandpa Koizumi is a downright pervert who [spoiler - highlight to see] has set up Otani with a buxom babe (he drops his handkerchief so he can get their e-mails to “properly” thank them and rates them on a 1-5 scale). It is this plot line that has me going “more please! This is what I like.” I’m also excited to see that Risa is finally thinking about her future and a “serendipitous” encounter with Mimi helped her to cement her decision. She’s also rounding out as a character, which I’ve been wanting all along! It is a pity that her rounding out has taken 12 volumes to get to.
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Bonus:

Source: Library