Title: The Wallflower (Yamatonadeshiko Shichihenge) 2 and 3
Author: Tomoko Hayakawa
Author: Tomoko Hayakawa
Illustrator: Tomoko Hayakawa
Publisher: Del Rey Ballentine Books
Publisher: Del Rey Ballentine Books
Copyright: 2004 (2); 2005 (3)
Price: $10.95
ISBN: vol. 2 0-345-47949-1 / vol. 3 0-345-47999-8
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Summary and Quick Thoughts: Horror geek Sunako is still her dark and dreary self, despite the attempts of her gorgeous roommates, especially Kyohei, to transform her. Yes, she trimmed her bangs and maybe she’s trying a little on her appearance, but she just wants to be in her dark world. Unfortunately, her world is changing as she has a female friend (a beautiful creature with a crush on one of her housemates) and is finding that she’s friendly to her room mates. In these volumes, there is the school festival, a trip to the hot springs, Sunako’s first kiss (although she was possessed), and fighting, fighting, fighting. Will her roommates ever be able to change her?
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Summary and Quick Thoughts: Horror geek Sunako is still her dark and dreary self, despite the attempts of her gorgeous roommates, especially Kyohei, to transform her. Yes, she trimmed her bangs and maybe she’s trying a little on her appearance, but she just wants to be in her dark world. Unfortunately, her world is changing as she has a female friend (a beautiful creature with a crush on one of her housemates) and is finding that she’s friendly to her room mates. In these volumes, there is the school festival, a trip to the hot springs, Sunako’s first kiss (although she was possessed), and fighting, fighting, fighting. Will her roommates ever be able to change her?
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Recommended Audience: Teens
Recommended Audience: Teens
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Things to be aware of: sexual innuendoes, blood, horror, murder, sexism
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Things to be aware of: sexual innuendoes, blood, horror, murder, sexism
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Further Thoughts: I’ll admit I had high hopes for this series, but as I ended volume 3, I just couldn’t help but feel this is dragging on. Instead of one continuous story line, this just seems to be story after story with no regard to physics or normalcy. While sometimes I want fluff, I don’t like my fluff like quite this. Sunako’s attitudes have hardly changed over the books and I feel we aren’t reaching any decent plot goals yet (i.e. maybe she won’t wear a hat to school or maybe she’s keeping her hair brushed). It is obvious who is in love with her and he’s hinting majorly what she needs to do to win his love (“be yourself!”), but she doesn’t care. I’m also finding the constant nose bleeds to be annoying, the guys interrupting her personal time annoying, and her general whining about how she just wants to be in the dark, well, annoying. Not to mention, the constant back and forth about how she should cook and clean and look beautiful while it is still cool for her to kick butt. If you want to promote stereotypes, go for it, but this promotes stereotypes and wishes to shoot them down (be beautiful but be yourself too). I think I’ll pass on the rest of this series.
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Bonus:
Bonus:
Source: Library copy.
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