When we last left off Kasane no Tao, Kasane was very much a tomboy, small, and had much to prove. Four months later, she’s not only taller and, as the boys “point out”, more feminine, she’s also improving her golf game. Not like it matters — if she wants to accomplish her goal of earning 100 million yen and helping her parents, she’ll need to take part in tournaments. But due to rules, she can’t take the test until she’s 18 years old (she’s 16). However, thanks to her teacher Hogen, she learns of a different tournament that doesn’t matter what gender you are, and she’ll be able to compete in that one.
However, here’s the problem: she has to be the one to earn Hogen’s recommendation instead of the other students on Irozaki — he only writes a letter of recommendation for one player each year. That’s difficult in of itself since there are other players that have been there longer than her. Add on top an aggravating dude who despises Kasane and will pull all the psychological tricks out of the book to slow her down, it’s not good for her. It’s also not good when that ultimately starts affecting her emotionally, and she’s gonna have to fight her way out of it.
Not to say being emotional is bad though. In Kasane no Tao volume 2, we see all the fruits of Kasane’s training. This means we see her incredible work ethic and how she trained to improve how she plays golf. We also see in detail her messed up hands that look terrible and like she’s been practicing for years. But we also see her missing her parents, as her training at the island takes her away from them. Many of the players can’t leave the island even for holidays, so she’s not the only one who can’t see family. But considering how important they are to her, she’s glad she can even get a chance to call them.
Also in this volume, there are more golf techniques. More golf terminology. And more moments where body positioning, even if it seems mundane, is vital to be a great golfer. Somehow all of this is not boring. There is a lot of text on each page, and normally that would make things bog down. Yet I look forward to discovering how the tee is set up, how you have to drive a ball, and even being able to see the ball even in the nighttime. I imagine this is due to Techu Imatani’s skill — the art enhances what’s going on, whether it’s Jambo remarking on Kasane’s improvement to Kasane showing an elitist pro golfer her skill, and combined with Ken Kawasaki’s writing, it blends really well.
Speaking of elitist pro golfers, there are some in volume 2! This volume does cover in detail a few more characters — most notably Chip, a young man from the Philippines aiming to make money for his family — but Kyoka Karasawa and Yashima stand out, one worse than the other. Kasane was designated to be Kyoka’s caddy, and it makes sense — Kyoka is a women’s pro golfer who’s won 4 tournaments. This is a good time for Kasane to get experience, but instead Kyoka acts incredibly snotty, from thinking Kasane’s unskilled to also thinking Kasane doesn’t take her game seriously.
Yashima, however, is the main antagonist in the way that’s classic for sports manga — being a jerk. He hates Kasane. He honestly seems to have major issues with women. His reasoning why is explained since it ultimately weighted down his family growing up, but it gets to the point where he doesn’t even acknowledge Kasane’s skill. Well, chances are he’ll find out how serious Kasane is with her dream since they happen to be in the same group! But he’s not gonna make it easy for her, and combine that with the pressure Kasane’s already feeling, she’s mentally struggling. And this of course ends in a cliffhanger!
How exactly will Kasane put it to him? Or what dramatic event will happen that messes Kasane’s psyche? You’ll have to read volume 3 to find out!…And it’s probably for the best. At 247 pages, this is a lengthy read. It, however, remains a fascinating read. Which is why even minor editing mistakes hurt. Thankfully though, Kasane no Tao’s too good (and the mistakes are, thankfully, little) that this is still worth continuing.
