Akko and Yuri have been friends since high school and Yuri has always been a bit of a basic bitch. Akko has bailed her out over and over, but since Yuri got married to a very rich man who beats her, Akko hasn’t been able to do much. Until circumstances bring her and Yuri together one long night in Bakajo, 26-ji, Volume 1, (バカ女26時) written by Touno Meza, illustrated by Ayano Ura.
Akko invites Yuri out, handing over a bag which she says contains Yuri’s abusive husband’s head. In fact, it holds a motorcycle helmet, but the conversation inspires them both to hop on Akko’s motorcycle, head to the airport and get out of Japan. They end up in Vietnam, where an acquaintance of Akko’s (who is a chat app idol,) gives them a place to stay.
The problem is that Yuri learns nothing from all this. She constantly relies on Akko, for money, information, ideas, and solutions, while she worries only about her appearance. Embarrassed by the scars on her arms as she is, Yuri still insists on buying an Áo dài . It’s not until Fotui, Akko’s friend, offers her a jacket, that she covers up the thing she’s most embarrassed about.
It’s hard to understand Akko by the end of Volume 1, as well. Yes, Akko clearly cares about Yuri enough to take care of her – even to the point of killing her husband, which she seems to have done. While they are in Vietnam there is news about an explosion in an expensive Roppongi mansion.
It is even harder to sympathize with Yuri, even with the visible reminder of domestic violence. She walks through this manga making really weird choices, even to the point of repeatedly doing the one thing she was asked to not do.
It’s hard to see what Akko gets out of this “friendship,” which does lead one to believe that Akko’s feelings are stronger than just friends. But there is no sign of that in her behavior and we are not given much time in her interior monologue. What we do get is Yuri stomping through the world simultaneously oppressed and oppressor…and wow, it’s annoying. They call her a “baka,” but surely there has to be something stronger than that for someone so demanding, so clueless and thoughtless and yet also helpless and hurt.
Ratings:
Art – 8
Story – ? I have no idea.
Characters – 5
Service – There is some, we encounter Fotui doing a group sex stream, let’s say 4
Yuri – Tough call. Maybe. Let’s say 3
Overall – 6
The plot had me thinking of the vastly superior GUNJO throughout. Where Nakamura-sensei’s characters were deep and compellingly flawed, I don’t know if I really care to find out what happens to Yuri or Akko in Volume 2. Maybe if I need to find something to read, who knows. I bought this with points on Bookwalker, which is exactly the kind of thing that makes Bookwalker useful. Maybe if I get a lot of extra points again, I find out what happens. ^_^
If flights of fantasies about escaping DV to another country without a plan suits you, then maybe you’ll enjoy this story more than I did.
