Behind the Scenes!! Vol. 4by Sheena McNeilReviews may contain information that could be considered 'spoilers'. Readers should proceed at their own risk. Publisher
Credits Grade: 5 Goda fills in as an Assistant Director and really shines in the role. Izumi's memory issue is revealed, and Soh develops a crush.Ranmaru's parents and sister are introduced. Everything from the situation to their personalities is weird. I'm sure they could be interesting characters, but with just this brief encounter, they come off as over-the-top and unapproachable. And yet, the Art Squad sees the family resemblance? We see more of what Goda is capable of, and there's some mystery about what he wants to do with his life and what his father (a monk) wants him to do. I enjoyed seeing what the role of Assistant Director is like; it's definitely not a job for just anyone. Goda certainly seems to be more of a main character than Ranmaru, but only because the story focuses on Goda, who is the leader of the Art Squad. He isn't more developed that Ranmaru as a character, and the bits we get are superficial, without getting to the heart of who he is. At this point I'm curious .... We get some backstory on Izumi, but the nature of his memory loss doesn't actually provide any insight into him beyond a possibility for why his girlfriend relationships are so short (he doesn't let anyone into his heart). It's interesting that Soh is inserted as a potential love interest -- the crush is quite cute -- as she seems to be able to connect with Izumi's weirdness. My favorite part was Ranmaru helping Soh connect with Izumi at the Fall Festival; amidst all the craziness, they didn't have time to do more than say hello in passing, but Soh found Izumi on her own later, creating a cliffhanger of sorts. This is really a fluff volume. There's not really any plot or character development. It's enjoyable, but it doesn't seem to be going anywhere, especially as there was no real focus on Ranmaru (the main character). Written: August 1, 2017
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