One again, this review comes with a story. I was standing in Animate in Shibuya and saw a book I had been meaning to read for a while, so I nabbed it because it was one of the featured titles. Well, I got home and found that I had purchased Volume 2 of this series, so it was going to require me to get and read Volume 1 first.  As it turns out, I was incorrect – I absolutely could have started with Volume 2 and just jumped right in, but I didn’t know that yet. ^_^

So Bookwalker to the rescue, which is where I purchased Koudou Ryou no Seizana Hibi, Volume 1 (黄道寮の星座な日々) by Canno, creator of Kiss and White Lily For My Dearest Girl.

A young woman comes to the “Zodiac Dorm” where every resident is referred to solely by the Zodiac sign they represent. Our protagonist arrives to explain the she intends to be the next Virgo. She seems passionate, and competent and all she needs to do is get the approval of all the other 11 (no Ophiuchus here) residents, which necessitated Virgo meeting all the other signs, being dragged into their drama and solving several conflicts before breakfast.  The rooms in the dorm accommodate two people, so there are some love affairs and personality conflicts. As far as I can remember Scorpio and Taurus are dating and, I think, Aries and Sagittarius.

And then, there’s Gemini. Gemini is…well Gemini. I’m not hugely into astrology, but if you know a Gemini, you know this Gemini.  She’s a human boundary violation. ^_^ And at the end of the tour, she rejects Virgo. Why? It’s a Mystery!

Only, it isn’t really and about then I realized I could have just read Volume 2 and have known exactly what was happening. No worries though, there’s nothing wrong with a little predictability. I’m watching Blue Eye Samurai on Netflix, I feel like it’s the equivalent of watching a Shaw Brothers movie (including the masterwork 36th Chamber of Shaolin, which is a must-watch for fans of the genre) – every line is pretty much predictable, every “reveal,” every scene. It’s okay to relax into that kind of thing and just let it wash over you.

What is Gemini’s deal? Who is the “Alice” that Virgo was told to protect by her older sister? Yeah…it’s the same story.

Ratings:

Art – 7 Not Canno’s best
Story – 7 Same as above, but that’s okay
Characters – Exactly as you’d expect
Service – 0 Unless you have an astrology kink
Yuri – 9

Overall – 7

So Volume 2 is awaiting me, but I’ll be shocked if I am shocked. ^_^ In the meantime, as the worst Virgo ever, I absolutely approve this Virgo as the new resident of the Zodiac dorm.