I’m still making my way through Josh Lesnick’s collection of Girly and find myself closing the pages of Volume 2 of the new collection with some reluctance.

In Volume 2, Otra and Winter’s adventures become more epic, and involve way more people in town than they did previously. In good chapters, this has the effect of giving Cutetown a more 3-D feel. In less good chapters, it feels like a Benny Hill routine. Luckily there are more good than bad chapters.

Highlights of volume two are: the rather inexplicable appearance of Collette, Winter’s half-sister, the resolution of the Chupacabre story (which turns out to be kind of unpredictably sweet) and the beginning middle and end of HappyCo, the manufacturer of arch-enemies. As I write these down, I’m having a hard time finding things to say about each one…but they were all entertaining when I read them, honest! Well, except for Collette – I still don’t know why she’s in the story.

Some of the side characters are intriguing, especially the genius goth vet, while others, like Mickey and Sandra seemed to fascinate Josh a lot more than their supporting cast status might warrant. Thinking about it a little longer, however, I think they are the only two completely normal people in the story. ^_^

For Yuri fans, Otra and Winter have their first big fight. It seems a tad forced until you realize that pretty much all knockdown drag-me-out fights in a relationship start over incredibly stupid things. And I guess having to become a knight to save Winter isn’t really that small a deal…. Other than this interlude, Otra and Winter are still dysfunctionally adorable. And they are kind of dysfunctionally adorable during their argument too. Two people who have never even considered this kind of relationship in a world full of giant dildos and really niceguy sexual molesters, and marshmallow cats…and somehow they make it work.

In the end, the girl gets the girl, the guy gets the girl, the girl gets the guy and Cutetown is safe from HappyCo. And isn’t that what we all want?

Ratings:

Art – 8
Story – 7
Characters – 8
Yuri – 9
Service – 5

Overall – 8

Not quite as compelling as Volume 1, but still full of fun moments and a surprising number of “awww”s.