What happens when a woman gets to question the path she’s on in a supportive environment away from negative people and the weight of societal expectations? Battan gives their protagonist the space to do just that in Run Away With Me Girl, Volume 2, and the result is a book far more enjoyable to read than Volume 1.

Makimura still holds a torch for Midori, who is still pregnant and engaged to a man. At the beginning of the book the women are not speaking. But, as Midori contemplates the weight of her impending life changes, she breaks down and lets Maki back into her life. Maki takes the opportunity to invite Midori on a trip to see Maki’s friend Komari, a school girl with whom she chats online. Midori, wanting to escape her own life, takes Maki up on the offer, and the women immediately leave for Shōdoshima Island where Komari lives. 

The bulk of the book takes place on Shōdoshima, keeping the reality of Maki and Midori’s real world at bay. It is here that all three women connect with each other and take stock of their lives. The adults find awe in Komari’s fearlessness and honesty as she grapples with the challenges she faces in trying to live her identity. All three observe and encourage each other and use the information to consider what it is they really want from their lives and relationships.

I strongly support the plot choices made in this book. At least some of the characters in this volume are working toward healthier choices than Volume 1, and that’s to Battan’s credit. As with all vacations, there is a bill to be paid upon Midori and Maki’s return.  The bill does not come due in this volume, allowing the characters to bask in the possibilities of a hopeful future.

The artwork is improved in this volume. The dreamy quality of the series overall is accentuated on the island. The backgrounds are more interesting and help set the scene better than Volume 1. Battan wields frame-breaking character features with skill, and uses them more effectively here than Volume 1. My biggest critique is that at times Komari is drawn in a very elfin manner. This accentuates her youth and the un-reality of the island vacation, but at times she just looks weird.

While yuri, this book still exists in a space where the relationships and commitments of the characters are left unstated at important places. A group bath scene with excellent artwork is the service highlight. The scene is tasteful and well-done, and anything more explicit is just not what this series is. The real relationship payoffs are emotional. Midori is moving toward making definitive statements about the sort of relationships she wants, and Volume 3 will give her an opportunity to make good on those movements.

Final Verdict: Leave your troubles behind and get yourself sorted in a steam bath with other women.

Published by Kodansha Comics, with translation by Kevin Steinbach and lettering by Jennifer Skarupa.

Ratings

Art – 8
Story 8 – Not as harsh as volume one, and that’s most welcome.
Characters – 7 We’re getting there.
Service – 5 We don’t have to take our clothes off to have a good time.
Yuri – 8
Overall – 8