In Volume 1, otaku and class loner Kurokawa Kaede is thrown together with school princess, Fujishiro Nanaki. In time-honored fashion, Fujishiro gives a radical makeover to the girl with glasses, and they both find that they are willing to sacrifice their judgemental former circles for each other’s company, in Volume 2.
As Dekisokonai no Hime-tachi, Volume 3 began, I found myself actively reluctant to read this next volume of Ajiichi’s school-life drama. And it’s taken me a couple of readthroughs to figure out why. By the time I finished out the volume, I was right, but for the wrong reason.
As Volume 3 begins, Kaede and Nanaki are joined by two new friends, Izumi and Iroha. And the school trip is coming up – Nara and Kyoto. Iroha, who is from Kansai is not at all pleased, but everyone else is looking forward to getting away. Nanaki and Kaede privately each imagine time together,but…
…when the rooms and schedules are arranged, suddenly Nanaki is with Izumi and Kaeda with Iroha. Neither wants to be the one to pop the bubble, so they just go along with it. No one meant anything by it, surely. From that point on, the trip is bittersweet for them both, as neither has the nerve to say what ought to be said. And in the end, it might not have been accidental at all…
Here’s my concern. In the same way that Bloom Into You was *always* meant to be a Yuri romance, Dekisokonai no Hime-tachi is, as well. Despite the absurdly enormous amount of romance series I read and review for Okazu, I don’t really care for the romance genre all that much. The ending is preordained, so all the “tension,” the “will they, won’t they” is… well, I think it’s tiresome. Obviously, they will. Otherwise what is this book even for?
I assumed the whole separation of Kaede and Nanaki was a big farce and it just annoyed me, but when it turns out to be a plot complication I was only partly mollified. Because they will obviously end up together and this becomes merely delaying tactics.
I love Ajiichi’s art. I’m not fond of gratuitous nudity in the bath. I’d be perfectly okay without seeing nipples in a bath scene ever again.
I like Kaede and Nanaki. I don’t even dislike Izumi…although Iroha grates on my nerves. But I’m not sure how I feel about this story, other than reluctant. I kind of want the story to go back to plumbing the depths of the way their relationship puts them at odds with their own people, which I found deeply compelling in Volume 2. I’m not at all sure what Volume 4 could bring other than handwaves of “here’s a reason for them to not get together” that will stall the main relationship further….but I do like the cover, so I’m willing to give it a chance. ^_^
Ratings:
Art – 8
Story – 7
Characters – 7
Service – 6
Yuri – 6
Overall – 7
Volume 2 of Failed Princesses is available now – a very strong volume and well worth reading. Volume 3 is available for pre-order, but not yet up on the Yuricon Store, with a February release date.
Yuri Manga
