Graphic Novel (Manga) Review

#15 The One I Love Is . . .
Everyone is back from summer break. The bond between Tomari and Hazumu has gotten stronger since that night at the training camp.

Hazumu meets Tomari at her house to walk to school. Outside Tomari’s home they plan to go to the aquarium amusement park after school. They both start to reach for each others hand but are interrupted by the others (Asuta, Ayuki, and Yasuna) arrival. They look totally embarrassed and everyone knows something is going on between the two of them (but they are not sure what). NOTE: It should be noted that Yasuna is feeling sick but refuses to go one day without seeing Hazumu.

They all arrive at school. Asuta reminds Hazumu about staying after school to take temperature readings for science class. Hazumu freaks out. She totally forgot about it. During class Hazumu is obviously feeling bummed out about staying after school. Yasuna comes up to Hazumu asking if she had other plans after school and Hazumu reveals to her the plan for the aquarium. Hazumu was totally out of it when she was talking that she hadn’t realized that she was revealing this information to Yasuna. When she finally notices that she had been talking to Yasuna she freaks out again. But Yasuna tells Hazumu to go ahead and go to the aquarium. She will handle her after school duties. Besides, it’s only fair that Tomari gets to spend a day with her alone (she got to after all). Hazumu accepts Yasuna’s offer.

After school Tomari and Hazumu head for the aquarium park while Asuta and Yasuna take the temperature readings. Yasuna starts to feel ill and suddenly collapses.

#16 Because I Like You
Sora-sensei pops out of thin air and takes Yasuna to the infirmary (he tells Asuta to continue with the readings). In the infirmary, a passed out Yasuna is constantly saying Hazumu’s name repeatedly. Sora-sensei takes out his alien screen and starts viewing images of Yasuna’s childhood.

Apparently, Yasuna has always kept to herself. She kept her distance from boys because of her condition of not being able to see their faces and girls kept away from her because she always seemed so cold and distanced. Yasuna constantly told herself that she could handle being all alone that was until she met Hazumu.

One day at school she sees Hazumu talking and watering the plants in the school garden. She was shocked to actually see him smiling (a first for her). She then set out to learn as much as she could about Hazumu. She discovered that all she wanted to do was be by his (now) her side but now she recognizes that that may no longer happen because Tomari also wants to be by Hazumu’s side as well. Yasuna has lately been considering giving up Hazumu to Tomari, if that would make Hazumu happy she would. End of transmission.

Sora-sensei once again does a pop-in but this time he pops-in on Hazumu at the aquarium and quickly informs her of the situation with Yasuna and then pops-out. Sora-sensei knows he shouldn’t have interfered with “human” affairs. He feels as if he is starting to understand real human emotions.

Hazumu on the other hand is totally panicking. She tells Tomari of the situation and then starts blaming herself for Yasuna’s condition.

#17 Walls
Hazumu and Tomari are heading back into town on the train. Hazumu continues to blame herself for Yasuna’s condition. She begins to remember how her relationship with Yasuna began and developed.

In the beginning everybody thought Yasuna was a cold person (even he did) but one day while on the roof top tending to the garden, he and the plants hears beautiful music coming from the music room. He goes in search of the performer and discovered that it was Yasuna playing her flute. He realized at that moment that she wasn’t a cold, heartless person but a special person. His feelings for her began to increase the more he got to know her.

He then remembers the day that he confessed his love to her. It was very painful for him to be rejected by her. So, he escaped into the mountains to get away from her. He wished that he could be someone else completely just to ease the pain of his broken heart (be careful for what you wish for).

When he was brought back to life as a girl he purposely put a wall between him and Yasuna to protect his heart but even with his wall Yasuna was able to see straight through to him.

Yasuna wakes up and tells herself that she can go back to being alone but then Hazumu races into the room and grabs hold of her hand. Hazumu starts apologizing for everything and stating how worried she and Tomari were.

Tomari enters the room and Yasuna is very happy to see her. (The three amigos are back together again).

#18 Of People, Dreams, Fireworks, and Hopelessness
The whole gang is at a local diner eating and having fun. They soon begin to talk about fireworks. So, later that night everyone including Jan-Puu, Sora, and Namiko are enjoying set off fireworks.

Hazumu takes off to get some more sparklers for herself, Tomari, and Yasuna, leaving the two girls alone. Tomari and Yasuna make a pact to join forces and together they will both win Hazumu’s heart.

Hazumu returns and everyone continues enjoying the fireworks and the last day of summer.

Special #2 One Man’s Daring Mission: Invade the Pajama Party!
This special is basically Asuta trying to get into the pajama party being held at Hazumu’s house. It’s kind of funny to see how he lets his imagination go wild as he hears all the girls laughing and giggling; of course when he discovers the truth he’s disappointed (his imagination is out of control!)

#19 Secrets
Hazumu arrives at school to find Tomari and Yasuna talking friendly to one another. It’s kind of surprising her a bit how friendly the two of them have become. Anyway, she invites them to do something after school and both of them say they have something to do. She finds this very odd.

School is over and just as Hazumu is heading out she sees Tomari and Yasuna leaving the building together. She’s feeling a bit jealous so she takes it upon herself to find out what the two of them are up to.

She follows them to a clothing store. Tomari and Yasuna are looking at girl’s clothes and Hazumu is a little suspect about their behavior but then she reasons that it is normal for two girls to go shopping together. Then Hazumu starts thinking about her situation and how she really isn’t a true girl. She really starts to get down on herself when Tomari and Yasuna begin looking at wedding dresses. What would she wear on her wedding day: a dress or a tuxedo?

When Hazumu finally snaps out of her funk she realizes that she has lost sight of Tomari and Yasuna. So she heads home. When she arrives she is greeted by everyone yelling “SURPRISE!” It’s Hazumu’s birthday (she forgot all about it). Tomari and Yasuna bring out their gift and it a cute dress. It’s the dress they chose in the clothing store earlier.

Hazumu is tearfully happy. She was feeling like the two of them no longer liked her because she wasn’t a “true” girl and she felt like she was a burdened on the two of them. In reality they actually like her better as a girl.

Hazumu later asks the two girls if she can go shopping with them the next time, of course she can go shopping with them the next time it’s what girls do together.

This chapter ends happily for Hazumu but for the alien he notices something peculiar is starting to happen within Hazumu.

#20 The Day of the Sports Festival
The school is having a Sports Festival. Everyone is super excited about the festival especially Tomari who always shines at sports. Everybody is involved in some type of activity except Hazumu and Yasuna that was until Tomari signed them up for the three-legged race (which they come in fourth. At least it wasn’t last). Tomari comes in first on her event giving her team victory.

Later that night, Sora performs another physical on Hazumu and tells her that based on his findings she only has a month of life remaining.

#21 Cosmos
Hazumu skips school to go to Kashima Mountains to absorb the latest information revealed by Sora. She only has one month to live.

Back at school everyone is very worried about Hazumu. She hasn’t showed up. Tomari can’t take it anymore and decides to leave classes earlier to find Hazumu. She knows something is wrong. Yasuna decides to go with Tomari to go looking for Hazumu. As they prepare to leave they run into Sora-sensei who tells them that Hazumu has gone to the mountain to escape the fact that she has only a month to live.

Needless to say everyone is shocked by this news. Even Ayuki shows emotion and orders the alien (she knew he was the alien all long) to fix Hazumu. Sora explains that Hazumu’s original fate gene had him dying as well. If it wasn’t killed by the spaceship it would have been another accident. When he put Hazumu into the system to be regenerated it pulled another fate gene inside (the girl one) and transformed him into a girl but even that fate gene is now destined to die. The only way for Hazumu to live is for her to have a gene transplant from one of her friends. As long as the donor is willing to share his/her life with Hazumu, Hazumu will live but the moment that donor stops sharing, Hazumu will die.

The chapter ends with Hazumu on the mountain telling herself that she is going to live to the very end!

Special #3 The First Story of Summer: The Night Before
This is a cute special about Hazumu who is having these strange/funny dreams about her summer vacation. Most of these strange dreams are caused by Sora poking around inside her head. It’s a funny special that you’ll want to check out.

That’s it for Volume 3 of Kashimashi Girl Meets Girl!

Check out Volume 4