At the end of the previous volume, Kai confessed! So according to the Law of Shoujo, one of three things must happen: either Riko feels the same way, she stammers that she can’t accept that as she runs off, or she doesn’t take him seriously.
Well, I hope you didn’t bet your life savings on #1 or #2…
Hatsu*Haru volume 4 rides on the strength of its supporting cast, because both Kai and Riko are just plain frustrating here. Riko, of course, is frustrating because she hasn’t figured out Kai’s in love with her. Riko thinks to herself that she almost took him seriously for a moment, but between what Kai himself says and others’ comments, it’s about time she put the pieces together.
On the other hand, Kai doesn’t do himself a lot of favors when he swears he’s going to give up on Riko again…twice. At one point, the dude goes from a newly determined “I won’t give up!” to “Whelp, game over!” in about 25 pages — not exactly the kind of great romantic dedication that moves readers. Kai by now realizes he hasn’t entered Riko’s field of vision, but then he disappoints me again when then he starts thinking Taka would be a much better match for Riko.
It’s really upsetting considering he doesn’t realize how much Taka — as well as everyone else — is trying to assist Kai in getting together with Riko. Heck, the Kai’s Romantic Endeavors Support Group gains a new member: Ayumi, who I must say looks fabulous on this cover. (Seriously, she looks great — sassy, full of cheer, and no sign of Fujisawa’s bug eyes.) I still love the secret text messages commenting on the situation right under Kai’s nose. The combination of the stickers and the “whattawedo, whattawedo” attitude just makes me smile.
Taka in particular is concerned about Kai, checking up on him when Kai claims he’s ill and working together with Ayumi, whose high-energy, inquisitive personality is very different from his own. Meanwhile, Kai sees Riko laughing with him and immediately hides out in his room to avoid her and Taka, who is the first one to visit him. If Kai is going to give up so easily, he might as well cede the position of main character to Taka and let Ayumi try to fish for his secrets while Kai goes back to being a playboy.
Besides Taka, all the other friends have their own funny or touching moments. Miki and Kiyo act so lovey-dovey that Kai gets exhausted just watching them; Kai learns that asking Tora for advice on pursuing girls is a waste of time; and his niece and nephew base his existence on apple bunnies. Even Ayumi wholeheartedly pushes Riko and Kai together not out of journalistic curiosity but a desire for her new friend to be happy with a guy who cares about her.
Oh, and the side story proves that Kai’s older sister is both scary and a genius in dealing with little brothers. I have to agree with Taka’s assessment: “I’m so glad I’m an only child.”
So while the manga may be about Kai and Riko getting together, it’s everyone else who makes the manga come alive. For me, following their friends following them is more enjoyable than actually following Kai and Riko themselves. Perhaps the cliffhanger at the end will not turn out to be another false flag, but this volume had me more interested in checking back with Kai’s Romantic Endeavors Support Group than Kai’s romantic endeavors.