Looking forward to next month when Tokyopop’s English-language edition of Akashi’s Still Sick, Volume 1 hits retail shelves, I wanted to take a moment to jump back into this series.
Last spring, we met Shimizu Makoto, an office worker who has a secret life as a doujinshi-drawing otaku, and Maekawa Akane, a coworker who knows the truth. The setup was a bit worrisome. I was afraid that Maekawa was going to torture Shimizu, but nope…instead the story flipped itself over when Shimizu learns Maekawa’a even larger secret – she was once a popular manga artist! Shimizu wants very much to help Maekawa restart her career but to say that Maekawa is erratic, is a gross understatement.
In Volume 2 of Still Sick, (スティルシック) Maekawa does torture Shimizu, but not the way we expected. Shimizu, in an unguarded moment, admits that she likes Maekawa, who then reacts in the most passive-aggressive ways possible. On the one hand she forces Shimizu to admit she’s always liked women and hid it from everyone, and on the other won’t let her hang out and help, demanding she stay out of touching distance – and in between, throwing herself into Shimizu’s arms. Shimizu is hurt and confused and, above all, really wants to help Maekawa.
On a company onsen vacation, Shimizu turns to a coworker for advice and pours her heart out over ping pong (as one does,) not naming names, of course. He’s super sympathetic and offers some solid advice. As he goes to leave, he notices Maekawa standing in the shadow of the door, having obviously heard all of what was said.
Maekawa tells Shimizu that she wants to talk with her….
…in Volume 3.
What?!? Yes, we’re not going to know what Shimizu wants to say until next volume. Although, honestly, I think we can guess. ^_^ Maekawa is suffering from the same problem Shimizu was – inability to admit the truth-itis.
I don’t much care for the ham-handed way Maekawa is being handled here, her passive-aggressiveness is falling flat because the motivation is obvious and the behavioral swings are so huge without accompanying mood changes, but I really like the way Shimizu was portrayed; less dramatic, but more deeply felt.
The art is pretty tight, and adult characters look like adults, which I always appreciate. Most appreciated is that the onsen scenario is not played for service, but for emotional tension. Phew!
Ratings:
Art – 7
Characters – 8
Story – 8
Yuri – 3, LGBTQ – 4
Service – 0 so far – even in an onsen
Overall – 8
True, Maekawa is being annoying – and worse, some of it is being played for a comedic beat, but Volume 3 should resolve some part of all of that. In the meantime, I’m bookmarking the series over on MAGxiv, the MAG Garden comic site on Pixiv!
