Queen’s Quality, Vol. 2

クイーンズ・クオリティ [Queen's Quality] #2

by Kyousuke Motomi

In a bid to move forward, Kyutaro and Fumi share a sweet secret! Later, when they go to The Inside with Sendai to cleanse Ms. Hayashi’s Mind Vault, will they succeed in saving her? And what is Bug Handler Ataru plotting in order to turn Fumi into the Black Queen?

Genres: Manga, Fantasy, Romance, Shojo, Graphic Novels, Young Adult, Supernatural

192 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 24, 2016

About the author

Kyousuke Motomi (最富キョウスケ Motomi Kyōsuke) is a Japanese mangaka whose stories have frequently been published in the monthly Betsucomi magazine. She is most currently working on Dengeki Daisy.

She uses a male pseudonym and draws herself as a man, but she's actually female."If my stories can touch you, make you laugh, forget unhappy things, or even give you that 'good job' feeling, then I'll be super, super happy!" - Kyousuke Motomi

Reviews

[Laura A. Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

VIDEO REIVEW HERE: https://youtu.be/IAxXfJtrNL0

Updated Review 6/18/23: "Once you borrow someone's shoulder you'll find it easier to shift the weight on your own shoulders."

I once again find myself feeling exactly like I did when I read this volume last year because I'm unsure of what to fully say.

This volume was filled with action but with so much heart. Also would say quite a bit of mystery too because more and more questions are being asked about Fumi's past, but with no answers to them. Considering how she opened up to Kyutaro near the beginning of what she imagines herself to be, I found her first memory to be extremely crushing, especially with how it affected her. It was definitely intense and truly hope she finds deep healing!

The message of depending on one another continues to be strong. Seeing Kyutaro and Fumi grow in trust has been deeply powerful, especially in regard to something that happens.

And speaking of, Ataru is nothing like the villain I thought he would be! His motives make it hard to hate him even if I don't agree with "trash versus trash." It was surprisingly hard seeing him degrade himself and not care for his life either.

I feel a little more solemn after finishing this volume and hope the next volume is a little bit lighter. Or at least gives you a moment to breathe because I'm sure Fumi needs that too! <3

Original Review 12/15/22: "I can't claim it will be easy. You'll have many challenges. But will you face your destiny bravely?"

Coming back to write another review for a volume in this series and once again don't know what to say...

Is it repetitive to start this review with the same thing as last time in saying I'm still surprised by how much I love this series?

When I was reading an intense scene in the first half of the volume, I had this warm feeling bloom up in my heart. Despite the timing of the feelings, it's the same exact feeling I get when I read series I count as my all-time favorites. Yet why can I gush about those other series with fair ease and this series just leaves me internalizing how much I love it instead?

Not sure I fully know the answer, but I think a lot of is the internal warfare that takes place in this series and it resonated with me of the importance in being aware of that warfare. I really believe that all of us are fighting our own internal battles that others may or may not realize. We all face a "white door" and "black door" where have to choose which door we're going to open, and depending on our choice, a different outcome can occur each time.

However, Fumi's diligence and excitement in this volume at "staying awake" and choosing her weapon were really inspiring and encouraging specifically. In light of my comment above, it's seeing her actions that spur my own and remind me to be mindful and on guard against "bugs." I may not have a "Queen" inside me, but there is still something very powerful about Fumi's story of her continuing to keep fighting. Despite the things that have been handed to her, she still keeps striving to grow and fight as a person.

And Kyutaro. Bless his heart in the best of ways because that young man is seriously some "best boy" I've seen in fiction. His support for Fumi in all things is astounding and shows how powerful support from a partner makes a HUGE difference in our lives. Though I do feel bad for him a little bit because I feel he's almost in a "love triangle," but it's A LOT more complicated. Ha!

Another deep, thought-provoking, and fantastically fun volume where I just wish I had more time to read so I can see what happens next!

[Dani ❤️ Perspective of a Writer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Check out more manga and graphic novel reviews @ Perspective of a Writer...

This is a review of volumes 1-3 which I read together back to back. See the plot section for my thoughts on the individual volumes.

From the mangka who brought us Dengeki Daisy is a new series in the same vein. Fumi lives with Kyutaro, a boy her own age, and his family of Sweepers, people who specialize in cleaning the minds of those overcome by negative energy and harmful spirits. An orphan with a forgotten past, Fumi is on the hunt for a "prince" but as she becomes more and more the Queen Kyutaro is the only one who can help her control awakening powers... Will she start falling for him?

The art is very reminiscent of Dengeki Daisy, which is no surprise since that is Kyousuke Motomi's style! And frankly I love it! She knows how to design characters that stand out with allies who win you over quickly. I enjoy the balance of comedy and series dramatic moments that keep us guessing. The art provides this really great setting for the story to live in... and I'm quite in love with the freaky bugs and the infested people! It adds this element that DD didn't have that makes the world feel fresh and new, a great thing for a new series.

The characters are quite authentic! Fumi’s fears are so relatable and female empowering while not making Kyutaro (Q) a flat love interest! She doesn’t want to disappoint and be left alone, but she MUST learn about her family and her past so she bravely faces what is coming, which I quite love. Kyutaro has a totally different problem in that he knows too much... or at least thinks he does. If that mystery continues to advance in Motomi fashion then we we really be rooting for these two by the end...

Fact of the matter, I totally ship these two already. They have these lovely romantic moments that paired with their past history makes for some lovely tension! Then we have the villains which are quite well developed. I love the depth they have... in their brother-sister relationship and how they conflict over his moral code. Then we have the sweeper rivals who want to hold the Queens power for their clan. But its the different queens that make this super powerful! You want to see where Fumi takes this female empowerment...

In volume 1, Fumi gets thrust right into the action as she has to face the darkness inside of herself. This was so, so good! Fumi and Kyutaro have to work together and you really start to see that bond... as well as the forces she is up against. And we learn a lot about the basics of sweeping through this and volume 2. I loved how the handler villain's own morals play against him but also his motivation plays against Fumi and Kyutaro's goals too! So good! In volume 3, we get more of the mixed bag that Motomi does so well... there is more family met, sweeper world building and even a cute aside about cleaning! Plus a major revelation about Fumi's queen problem... This 3 volume arc sets up the premise so well and seriously makes me want to root for these two and their clan.

I originally read volume 1-3 so that I could get into volume 4 which I have as an eARC but as I delved into these volumes I found myself hooked on Kyousuke Motomi's style once again... her art style, her character style and especially her story style! Queen's Quality has her humor, her humanity and her action with a nice side of the supernatural... so get in here and start cleaning!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Authenticity
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Tension
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Plot
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Art

______________________
You can find this review and many others on my book blog @ Perspective of a Writer. See my manga and graphic novel reviews in a special feature called Saturday Morning Cartoons...

[Victoria ✮⋆˙ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really love the concept of this series so much!! It's so cool!!

[Carrie (The Butterfly Reader) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story is moving along nicely. I love the pace it's going, just fast enough to keep me from being bored but not too fast as to spill all the secrets and then we are left with nothing. I love that Fumi is trying to be stronger and she's doing a great job. The art is still stunning.

Q is still trying to figure out if Fumi really is the girl from his past that he fell in love with. He's still battling with not telling her what he knows. They are growing closer through all this though, now they even share a secret.

I'm curious to know more about this other Queen that had even the bug handler scared to death. Is she good? I wonder if she's maybe even more vile than the evil queen everyone is worried about. Just my take.... Can't wait to see how this story progresses. I'm enjoying it so much.

[Kaley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was really good! Still a bit overdramatic at times, but love the concept and characters. A great way to end off my reading year. (It was a nice surprise seeing this at Barnes and Noble; didn't know it was out til today. Best kind of surprise). Plan on catching up on this series (and Dengeki Daisy) in 2018 :)

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a little bit afraid of how things are going to work it out in end lol Things are getting revealed and more complicated, while Kyutaro has a strange meeting with a queen they didn't know even existed.

[Hisgirl85 · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

[Online Eccentric Librarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/

Volume 2 proves why it was a good idea to take the originaly QQ Sweeper in a different direction, renaming it Queen's Quality and changing the premise. Where before it was two kids battling demons who dirty people's minds, now it is about Fumi having a secret ability and history that is intrinsically linked to Kyutaro. We almost get a bit of magical girl transformations since Fumi contains versions of 'queens' inside of herself. Admittedly, I find the whole idea of cleaners and cleaning completely disenchanting but motomi has such a way with romance that I'll keep reading.

Story: Fumi and Kyutaro have banded together to keep Fumi from turning into the black queen while also continuing to sweep bugs. Both take on a mission to cleanse the mind of the tainted teacher who was contaminating students with her unhappiness bugs. But unknown to the couple, there is a brother-sister bug handler team that also want to remove the teacher's mother bug - regardless if it destroys the teacher. They are fighting on different sides of the same battle and in the middle is the most powerful cleaner of all - the hidden queen that makes an appearance out of Fumi.

The brother-sister tag team were interesting in their 'lone wolf' all-or-nothing approach to cleansing. Where Fumi wants to try to save the core of the person being taken over, they feel that is a waste of time and efforts and needlessly dangerous and ineffective. So although they are battling the same problem, their methods and methodology cause a huge clash.

Minor spoilers: This volume was interesting because it brought out a new queen - hinting that there is much more to Fumi than just turning into a white or black queen. As well, the new queen recognizes Kyutaro and he isn't sure if she is the person he has been trying to get Fumi to remember or not. This new queen appears to be someone lying dormant inside of Fumi.

Looks like we have interesting plotlines coming as the series continues. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

[Ryan]

The person who said this almost reads like a shonen manga/rivals their character development really wasn't wrong... (Complimentary!)

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

So there's a third queen, aside from the Black Queen and True Qeen, and she doesn't look like Yumi, like the Black Queen does, nor does she feel like her? Well, I confess I'm getting rather lost. I'm sure how that all relates to Yumi's psyche and her forgotten past will come to light eventually.

I did like the conclusion of Hayashi's clean-up. It was fairly easy to tell that she was haunted with regret and that malice, and paying the bullying she'd received forward to her students, was how she was coping with that. I'm interested in seeing what things are like for her, the camera girl, and the other members of the photography club afterwards. After so much harm, reconciliation could be tough.

I feel that Kyuusuke's obsession with Fumi being his lost Fuyu is holding him back. Maybe it's the part of me that doesn't buy the very common fictional trope of childhood sweethearts becoming a romantic couple when they've matured. I mean, he's the ML and all, so he and Fumi (in whatever guise) will get together somehow, but I hope that the return of her memories isn't the crucial element of it.

[Cornerofmadness · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't read a lot of shojo. Heavy romantic subplots and men riding to the rescue aren't my thing. To be fair, QQ only has a little of the latter. Fumi does pull her own weight and is fairly self rescuing and it is part of Kyutaro's job is to keep Fumi, as a potential queen, safe.

Fumi's had a hard life, basically homeless until meeting Kyutaro's family of cleaners (of the supernatural infestations that cause mental issues like depression, and other definable mental illnesses) She cleans house for them to help earn her keep and works as a cleaner with Kyu. So this opens with her doing the ritual to claim her supernatural tool and I had to eye roll hard at what she ends up with. (I think it's meant to be funny. For me that's a miss)

The main storyline with a severe infestation and someone a) working against Fumi and Kyu and b) trying to turn Fumi into a black queen (i.e. evil) is interesting and there are some really good twists in this. The art is very nice and the storyline is good. That said, I'm not sure it's really one I want to keep buying.

[Jacqueline's Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not sure if I am 100% on board with the world building in this one. It seems a little out there. I was really excited to continue the series after finishing the prequel but once the author wrote in the scrub brush, I was thinking, "REALLY?" that is beyond nasty and gross. I guess you can say it's a back scrubber? But in America, we would use that to clean toilets. It's a bit of a stretch for me.

Also, in the little author notes, they reference their previous work, the Daisy series, A LOT. I know it's for marketing purposes, but it's a little too much at times. I get it, I could ALSO read the other series, but I'm currently reading this one.

Overall, I'm excited to learn about the white queen, who might be bad? So there are two queens now, a black queen and a white queen. I'm curious to see who is good and who is bad.

I'll give the series one or two more volumes before I make my final choice of continuing to read or not.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Con questo secondo volume la trama si infittisce. Abbiamo interi capitoli ambientati nella zona interna, ossia una specie di viaggio attraverso i ricordi di una persona, una sorta di viaggio nell'animo. Fumi riacquista qualche ricordo davvero doloroso e in più scopre di possedere un altra Queen al suo interno, oltre alla Nera. Kyu è un personaggio sempre più affascinante, ma anche Fumi, perché nonostante sia orfana, abbia perso la memoria e stia cercando di diventare una Queen, cerca in tutti i modi di non essere di peso per la famiglia di Kyu e di dimostrare il suo valore anche se è confusa e impaurita.

[D E N Z · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow.... this series is really..... something else. I feel like the more I read from this, the more questions are getting answered, but at the same time new questions start coming out. Usually at series like this I would've gotten tired of reading already, but there is something great on how Motomi-sensei wrote this series that you can't help but wanting more. Also the fact that I am a HUGE fan of Fumi and Q definitely helps me want to read more of this. Anyway, I can't wait to read more of this amazing series.

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

See クイーンズ・クオリティ 1 for full review.

[L.L. Tibbetts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hints of Persona

This story is way better than I expected so far. Lost of lore woven into it. If you like some of the persona (dungeon's of the inner self) elements, give this series a chance.

[nur dalily · Rating 5 out of 5]

finally, there are some answers and honestly, i think the main character, Fumi is so written well especially that one particular scene in the last few pages. it hit me hard and i relate to her. i love that the romance isn't slow or rushed, and how they both opened up slowly to each other.

[Jenny Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another really good volume, with some good relationship growth and lots of commentary on bullying. The mystery or who is Fumi and who is the Queen are done well here too.

Check out my YouTube channel for bookish videos and monthly wrap ups!

[Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars. Honestly, I'm just not into this series. It's not my thing.

[-moonprismpower- · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is always keeping me on my toes! I can’t wait to see what happens next!

[Olivia Wenzel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Blushing Kyutaro is EVERYTHING!

[Amanda Setasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super dark and lots of killing in this one. The story overall is super unique though and it pulling my interest pretty badly. Definitely continuing with this series.

[Alice Rossi · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5

[Ada · Rating 4 out of 5]

I keep being amazed by how well the phycology (did I spell that right? It seems off somehow) of a person is shown through the art and the story.

[Meghan Bookdragonreviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

You need to read the prequel series, QQ Sweeper before this series. The combined series is the best manga I’ve ever read.

[Nav · Rating 3 out of 5]

Please see review of first in series.

[Lindsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

The memories...the other queen. Such a good volume.

[ana · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5*

[Aurora · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aaaaaaahhhh I love this series so much!!

[Mir · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was fine, but not so interesting to me that I'm in a rush to continue with the series.