We ended the year with a discussion of the best, so it seems fitting and balanced somehow to start the year off with, if not exactly the worst, then certainly one of the lowest. Eve’s Apple is waaaay down there.

If you haven’t already, you might want to catch up to us by reading my reviews of Eve Volume 1, Volume 2 and Volume 3. Okay, now you’re ready to jump into Volume 4 of Eve no Ringo.

The manga begins with a very typical color-page type layout of Kirika in leather embracing a naked Mio. The next page is the two of them leaping out of the position and yelling at Miyamae sensei for getting them into that position in the first place. It’s actually quite funny. ^_^

The first chapter consists of the antics of one of Kirika’s school friends, who first makes a few quick bucks by flashing the boys in class, then drags Matsuda-kun to “help” her shop for a bathing suit. She encourages him to pursue his dream of being a mangaka, to be honest with Kirika, then kisses him to let him know that she has feeling for him. She runs off with a happy wave.

Kirika is sitting with Yurika, when the grumpy editor walks by. Kirika blushes and excuses herself, but once in the ladies’ room, she finds herself confronted by Miyamae-sensei. Miyamae tells her that what the editor meant by she doesn’t need him, is that she’s got a good story sense. Kirika admits that after the mad dash to get the new magazine off the ground, she’s hit a slump. To get Kirika back in touch with her S&M sense, Miyamae takes her to the landing of the fire stairs. There, she proceeds to defrock Kirika, stressing that the shock and embarassment that she’s feeling is part of the excitement. Kirika denies this, but the older woman uses her own body as evidence against her. This round goes to Miyamae, as she puts them in the path of any of the Blue Velvet editors who might happen to slip out for a smoke. Kirika admits that the fear contributes to the thrill, as well. As a “reward” Miyamae tells her that *this* is what he meant by her not needing him. Kirika, left once again all hot and bothered, is not amused.

Mio is still not *quite* getting the whole S&M thing, so she wanders around for a chapter trying to figure it all out. She ends up with Matsuda-kun, and gee, what a surprise they end up doing a little B&D play. Matsuda is quite surprised at how much fun being the top is and wonders if he’s got natural S&M talent. Mio corrects that assumption with a quick role reversal.

The beach episode! Bathing suits and other service. Mio almost drowns, Matsuda-kun rescues her, they have sex. It would be very boring, but when Yurika, Kirika and Miyamae find them, they basically sit around and watch and comment on Mio’s and Matsuda’s technique critically. ^_^ When Shimazu-san (Kirika’s friend from the first chapter) shows up, she’s all interested too, but they are spotted and Mio is not at all happy about it.

And in case we didn’t have enough sex and nudity, we head over to the hot spring resort after the beach. Miyamae gets in a little torture Matsuda time, and the girls all get naked and join gang girl Yano in the water for lots of breast grabbing. Then we all sit around and watch Miyamae become an angry and violent drunk. Kirika ends up outside with her evil editor, Mitsugu. He asks her for a personal favor, and gets very close, something only she can help him with. They end up in his room working on the magazine. Insert funny sound effect.

Kirika is asked to write a story that takes place in a soapland. She brings Matsuda with her to take reference sketches of the whole experience. We get walked through the bath and massage and hand job, which leads to blow job and, as Matsuda realizes he’s getting a little too close, Kirika expresses her desire to see him come – for the manga, of course. Embarrassed and feeling used, Matsuda run away. She apologizes to him, for not realizing how it made him feel, but frankly I don’t sympathize with him at all…

Kirika’s friend Mizuki calls her and asks if she’ll join her for a double date. Mizuki’s boyfriend has a friend, etc…Kirika says okay, and they go out for the day, ending in a karaoke box. When Mizuki and her boyfriend start getting it on, the friend plays up to Kirika, who’s not opposed to a little recreational fondling. Mizuki’s boyfriend starts to turn it all into an exhibition, and Kirika jumps up enraged. “THAT’S not how you do it!’ She yells and proceeds to explain what positions are the most vulnerable and appealing. By the end, she has the three of them hogtied by microphone wires and runs off home to incorporate her new ideas into a story. ^_^

The final chapter is a western, with Miyamae playing the part of the bad guy and Kirika the good guy, with a little Miyamae x Mio action in the middle.

Finally Mai, Kirika’s kouhai in the chado club, arrives for club activities. Kirika is not looking so hot (long night drawing, we’re led to believe) and she complains about Mai’s “sempai!” “sempai!” all the time. Mai thinks about it and apologizes to “Kirika-oneesama!” Next page is Mai all tied up and partially dressed and begging mercy, but rather happily. She says Kirika’s a great onee-sama and suggested they created a “sado club” instead of chado club.

Like all the other volumes of this series, this is trash. But it’s funny, light-hearted and amazingly emotionally unburdened trash. Kirika still gets off less than the rest of them, which is sort of sad, but there’s a sort of a indirect group sex thing going on among all the artists, where they all end up with one another at some point, which is kind of, I dunno…nice. ^_^

Ratings:

Art – 7
Story – 6
Characters – 8
Service – 9
Yuri – 6

Overall – If you’re bent that way, 7. Otherwise….