It’s nearly time for the first exam and Yatora is feeling the pressure. With only so much he can do, he doubles down in his intensity, but is that going to turn out to be a rash decision? And once the exams start, will he thrive or just end up going to pieces?
Wow. This book conveys exam anxiety better than pretty much any other book I’ve read. By the time we’re through the first test with Yatora (outcome unknown as of the end of the volume), I was almost feeling worse than he was. I know that stress and pressure are constants for a lot of Japanese society, but you can feel it emanating from the page here.
This is, yes, a book focused on stress that sells said stress incredibly well. Yatora has literally painted himself into a corner with his lessons and it wasn’t until his teacher actually explained it that I realized that what he was lacking has actually been slowly shifting over the course of the series thus far, but with a wonderful subtlety.
It’s hard to read this title and not get swept along with Yatora’s emotions and it’s never been truer here. He’s so, so easy to cheer on and even if he’s very, very likely to pull this off, the little bit of uncertainty makes his struggle much more compelling, compounded by his literal physical breakdown.
This is somebody who found something that meant something to him, but, once he started it, reverted to his old habits. Habits are not so named because they’re simple to break and seeing how Yatora struggles to be honest, not in a duplicitous or make-good sort of way, is part of why this volume is so compelling.
Beyond Yatora we also get some serious time with Kuwana, whose sister is already in the university, and we see how she handles the pressure (it’s interesting that her sister was the one to get in, but this Kuwana is acknowledged as the better artist) in her own way. It’s definitely a coping mechanism and I like characters so aware of their flaws.
Heck, we get to check in with most everybody and the restaurant scene in this book is such a tender treatise on friendship and inspiring others that it’s kind of beautiful in its way. Doubly so with how it breaks down male stereotypes to make these into real people. I could really talk about it for quite a bit, but I honestly think it is better to experience it. Just know that I loved it.
Then the exam comes and, while I don’t always care for the injection of providence into these sorts of things, there’s definitely a bit of a turn that sets Yatora on his path and I can’t argue that what he generates from that isn’t fascinating (the use of real art from real artists once more shines in this section).
It’s such a strong volume. The palpable tension is present through nearly every moment and you see that some people are very good at dealing with stress and some are incredibly bad. The story Kuwana mentions about her friend is entirely believable in the context of this time period for our characters.
Downside? Barely any Ryuji in this one at all. That being said, what we do get is shocking and devastating and I need to see that particular plot thread get picked up again very soon. More everything, really.
5 stars. This is one of those books that you can tell is well written and feels total passion for its subject matter. Even without my favourite character, it has never been as good as it is right now and it’s not hard to see why this series is award-winning when looking at a volume this stellar.