I’ve been following the manga of Kashimashi Girl Meets Girl with great interest, because the anime ended in a way I had not anticipated. So I am twice as curious now to see where the manga is heading.

In a nutshell, Volume 3 of Kashimashi adds two major plot points. One good, one hopelessly dumb,

The scenes that ended the last volume and begin this one, were where the anime and manga parted ways. In some ways I prefer the anime – in others the manga. Both have distinct strengths and weaknesses.

This volume begins as Tomari and Hazumu head off together on a date, something which causes Yasuna to collapse with anxiety. (I’m only half exaggerating when I say this.) Hazumu rushes off to be at Yasuna’s side, with Tomari in tow. Tomari and Yasuna make the hardest decision of their young lives and manage to make it a real triangle of a relationship. I know I’m not alone in hoping that the three of them just manage to work it out, because the alternative options are bleak for at least one of them and probably two.

That was the good plot complication. The bad one was that Hazumu, having been brought back from the dead to destroy her friends’ lives with uncontrollable desire for her is now burning through her life energy. In a month’s time, she’ll be gone. Dead. For*ever*.

Are we worried? Speaking for myself…no. Not really.

It’s a bit exhausting watching everyone go through all this grief and misery, knowing that it will likely be wasted (coughMaiHimecough) but on the other hand, it might make everyone more willing to take life by the horns and have some massive fun *now*, because there may not be a tomorrow. I say this, knowing full well that many chapters have gone by and nothing has actually happened, but I hold out hope that Yasuna and Tomari realize that if Hazumu is going to die soon then they’d better get her in bed *now.* But, then, I also fantasize that Yasuna and Tomari lose Hazumu and hook up with each other. I doubt my wishes are seriously in consideration over at the plot planning committee meetings.

The one thing I really don’t like about this volume is a chapter with the lonely birthday gambit. You know, suddenly no one will hang out with the main character and she thinks they all hate her. She follows them around as they shop and have fun without her, leaving her miserable. At last she schleps home only to find that Surprise! it’s been a secret party thing and they were shopping for her! Yay. I REALLY dislike that particular plot and it doesn’t get any better the more times I see it.

On the back cover of this volume is an odd picture of Ayuki and Asuta looking awfully cuddly. Odd, because Ayuki appears to be in love with Hazumu through most of the first several volumes, and odder because she’s actually in love with…oh, heh, that’d be spoiling. ^_^ You’ll just have to wait until Volume 4, won’t you?

Ratings:

Art – 8
Characters – 7
Story – 7
Yuri – 9
Service – 3 (So far of the volumes, this has the least service by a fair amount)

Overall – 8

A good read, less nasty service, and the possibiltiy of a not entrely implausible or squicky threesome. Probably some of the strongest chapters so far – and a few of the very very very weakest.