Back in 2020 when I reviewed the first volume of Nakamura Asumiko’s first manga that was specifically meant to be seen as Yuri, I kept my expectations relatively low-key. I was already familiar with Nakamura-sensei’s work, I knew her art was quirky and her characters tended be off-balance, but charming. Indeed, Volume 1 was very much all of that.
Mejirobana Saku, Volume 2 (メジロバナの咲く) threw me for a complete loop. The set-up in Volume 1, which appeared to be headed towards a traditional love triangle is set aside for something far more complicated. What I thought was heading towards Yawnsville, took a sharp turn and became exactly the kind of non-conventional, dramatic and honestly compelling and delightful story I have come to expect from this author.
It was apparent from the beginning that Ruby’s parents had failed her, but when we finally meet her father, we start to understand the multiple ways in which adult selfishness can have an impact upon their children. And the thing is…by the end of the story we don’t even dislike her parents, even despite everything they put Ruby through, Steph and Liz both rise way above their initial characterizations for an series of amazing scenes….
The end of the story is…well, I’m not going to spoil it, because you’ll be getting A White Rose in Bloom, Volume 2 at the end of this year and I don’t want to ruin a single moment of it for you. If you haven’t read Volume 1 of that yet, definitely do, because you need to get set-up for a story that isn’t at all what you expected and is all the better for it. ^_^
Ratings:
Art – 8
Story – 9
Characters – 9 Fabulous
Service – Kinda, but not really, let’s say 1 because
Yuri – 7
Overall – 9 Wow, that was fantastic.
In my review of Volume 1 I said of this book, “We’re never going to shed the tropes of Yuri, but revisiting them with talented creators doing something unique and unpredictable with them” and I have never been as prophetic. Nakamura-sensei takes all the old tropes and without changing a thing, gives us something wholly unique and unpredictable. An absolutely fabulous read.
Thanks for the review! I’ll definitely be picking up vol 2 of the English release later this year – I was planning to anyway, since I do love Nakamura’s art, though vol 1 did feel like a manga being carried more by great presentation than the story in itself. I expected a bit more from Nakamura so it’s great to hear vol 2 delivers on that.
Agreed, honestly. I was underwhelmed by V1, so this came as a great relief and pleasure.
I’m kind of on the same page as you and Megan, so I’m definitely looking forward to volume 2 of this more now! Also, I can appreciate what it must take to sit on a pile of secrets that you’d want to talk about with people, but we all have to wait for the translated versions down the road. Cheers!
Wait, is this the last volume? Oh noh, I thoughtit was still ongoing.