I write about many things here at Okazu, but above all, I write about love.

There are, obviously, many types of love. Love of family, love of friends, love between comrades, love as an obsession. And in so many of these reviews, I deal with love that can’t easily be expressed in simple terms.

In the second Read or Die Light Novel, we find Yomiko and Nenene in this space. They aren’t “in love” with one another, but they clearly need one another and love and care for one another. They are each other’s most important person, but they are not lovers. More than friends, less than lovers, more than family.

This is all in the small spaces in between the larger issues like the opening of the world’s largest bookstore, the subsequent terrorist attack, the appearance of Mr. Gentlemen and lots of running around.

R.O.D novels have a very specific genre pattern – goofy beginning, serious plot with loads of violence, Nenene in danger, evil bad guy, happy reunion between Nenene and Yomiko, then Yomiko goes home to her shrine to her dead lover Donny and the book ends.

This volume had exactly what I wanted out of it – a few moments where we had glimpses of the affection Yomiko and Nenene feel for one another, a moment where Yomiko is cooler than cool and Yomiko saving the day and beating up the bad guy.

The plot isn’t really important. If you’ve read or watched Towering Inferno, just add John Smith as a terrorist and you’re pretty much there. ;-) Now add Yomiko walking out of the burning building and standing in front of an unhappy and worried Nenene, sitting there holding her knees until she realizes it’s Yomiko, then leaping to her feet, crying as she embraces the other woman. There, that’s this book.

Ratings:

Art – 4
Story – 6
Characters – 7
Yuri – 2
Service – 2

It wasn’t until I was almost done with the book that I realized that I was picturing John Smith from Mai Otome, not the John Smith from the R.O.D.-verse. Not like there’s that much of a difference.