In Volume 1, we met Fujishiro and Kurokawa, girls from completely difference circles in school. In Volume 2, they have started, slowly to figure out who they are to one another. Today we’re playing catch up with two more volumes of Failed Princesses, by Ajichi.
In Volume 3, Fujishiro faces pushback from the cool group, who has taken a huge hit to their prestige, and a school trip in which important things may not get said. The cool girls turn mean girls to punish Nanaki but…when their leader pushes it too far, she finds herself in hotseat. Nanaki has it out with her former friends and throws in with the nerdy girls, who are more than happy to have a fourth for the school trip. Hijinks and refusal to say what must be said means Nanaki and Kaede are split for rooms on this trip.
As Volume 4 opens, Nanaki and Kurokawa aren’t actually spending much time together, but they are on each other’s minds. Unbeknownst to them, this sows more unhappiness, as Izumi harbors feeling for Nanaki and Iroha thinks of Kurokawa as her savior.
As I said in my review of volume two, this story feels so much like what it is, a short story that has been extended. Every character has pent-up emotions about every other character in a way I find more than a little artificial.
BUT, Volume 4 does some things that redeem that. When Izumi confesses her feelings to Nanaki, they have something close to a conversation about gay people as I’ve seen in school life Yuri manga. Nanaki, of course, plays the part of the clueless straight girl. I actually laughed the translation of her speech as “The LGBTs, right?” Well-played, translator Angela Liu!
Service is pretty high here, as bathing suits and changing rooms and baths all take up too much space in the narrative. I will forever believe that these things add nothing of value to a manga like this.
While I feel no particular urgency about Nanaki and Kaede getting together, I do like that the nerdy girls are positioned as welcoming and friendly, as opposed to just another clique. In my personal experience this has been very true of nerdy girls, even back in school, when we all lined up together for Star Wars and Star Trek and went out for Heavy Metal and Rocky Horror midnight showings.
Ajiichi’s art has definitely improved in the last four volumes, expressions level up, really, in Volume 4 overall. The story is definitely being strung out…but, really, where’s the rush? We might as well just let the story play out as it will.
Ratings:
Art – 9
Story – 7
Characters – 7
Service – 5
Yuri – 7
Overall – 7
Many thanks to Seven Seas for the review copy of Volume 4! Another fine job. This is definitely a series for lovers of emotional school Yuri drama. ^_^
Volume 5 is slated for a late March 2022 release, so you have time to catch up!
