Ai Ore! – Volume 4
Ai Ore! volume 4
Author: Mayu Shuijo (Shogakukan)
American Publisher: Viz Media
American Release Date: 2-7-12
Age Rating: T+
Format and length: Manga, 6 chapters
Genres: Comedy, Drama, Romance, Shojo
Overall Personal Rating:
Titles in the Radius: Ottomen and Ouran Highschool Host Club
Summary:
Mizuki seems to have fully accepted that she loves Akira. However, his school’s reputation leaves a dark stain on him. The current Student Council President of St. Nobara, Nadeshiko Ageha, believes any association with a member of the student body, let alone someone like Mizuki, tarnishes the school’s reputation. To that end President Ageha forbids Mizuki from seeing Akira and imprisons her in the in-school detention until she agrees to give up. However, she does offer an olive branch to Daikansan high school: if they can improve their students’ overall ranking by 5 points and lower the incidents involving police by 70% she’ll accept. However, as Daikansan is known as the school for delinquents, this is a near impossible goal.
Commentary:
It took Mayu Shuijo four volumes, but Ai Ore! Is finally coming into its own. While the last volume felt like it was spinning its wheels without making any headway, this volume is different. While there is nothing truly innovative with the storyline – it’s the same plot of Mizuki and Akira – the ability of Shuijo to use her secondary characters to help push the story forward improved dramatically. While before anyone who wasn’t the main pair was either a one-shot or used sparingly, in this volume she begins to more heavily emphasize Akira’s friends without losing focus of who the principle characters in the story are.
Since this volume focuses more on the supporting cast, we get to see some more character development of Rui and Ran, particularly Ran. It was hinted about him being the son of the police superintendent, but nothing more was said. This volume explains the reasons behind why a student with his keen intellect is attending this low-class school. At the same time Shuijo is able to use him to tie Ageha to Daikansan, intertwining not only the lives of the main characters from both schools, but beginning to weave a web that if successful will link the supporting characters and give greater depth to the story. In truth though, the new characters are vital to this volume, the tough-looking, but kind Banbi who becomes Akira’s roommate and Student Council President Ageha (yes, she made a brief appearance before, but in effect she makes a reintroduction in this volume becoming a main supporting character). Ageha is the typical seemingly cold, aloof powerful woman – possibly kudere – while Banbi is the deconstruction of the strong guy being stupid, short tempered and mean. What makes Banbi interesting in particular is the way he isn’t the typical anti-stereotype; he will still beat up anyone who comes after him. While Shuijo hasn’t given that level of complexity to Ageha, it’s understandable. Banbi played a more important key role in things.
As for fan service, this volume is a bit lighter on the more overt fan service elements. However, it makes up for it through its suggestive themes, especially overt ones including confirmation for anyone who still had doubts that Ran doesn’t care about gender and Rui’s fantasies spoken aloud about Akira.
If there is any criticism of the story thus far, it’s that aside from Akira, all of the characters seem to be from rich or powerful families or have become somehow influential themselves. This doesn’t come off as the type of manga where everyone is connected in such a way. Certainly St. Nobara is likely to have more of them and it’s understandable that the Student Council President there is well-connected. It did feel a bit of a cop-out in the way Akira was able to get out with another family in the school there, being well-connected since the school isn’t exactly known as being one a prestigious or powerful family would want their children attending.
Overall Rating: B+
Mayu Shuijo steps things up with this volume of Ai Ore! by intertwining the supporting cast more closely with the main characters. There is a bit less emphasis on fan service and more on creating a great narrative, although what fan service there is Shuijo makes certain to use it to the best of her ability both to please her fanbase and try to link it somehow with the story. This is a great read for fans and newcomers because Shuijo really pushed this manga forward so that even those who felt the last volume was dragging things out can see some interesting developments in this volume.
“In the Radius”:
There are a few gender swapping shojo titles out there (there are far more shonen and seinen titles, but they really aren’t for the same audiences). The two that come to mind for me are Ouran Highschool Host Club and Ottomen. Of the two, Ouran is by far the most well-known and even many guys watch the anime. Both of the titles are more comedy than romance, which is typical since gender swaps are hotbeds for circumstantial comical situations. Ouran deals with a girl who secretly takes on the role of a male host for other girls at her school. Ottomen is more satirical with the main couple taking on very extreme versions of the opposing gender (a girl who tries to be the manliest man and a guy who tries to be the girliest girl) while trying to put up a facade that they aren’t (more so the guy).
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Categories: Manga 001-A, Manga Reviews
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