Gabriel Dropout Vol. 8by Sheena McNeilReviews may contain information that could be considered 'spoilers'. Readers should proceed at their own risk. Publisher
Credits Grade: 4 Gabriel was the best at angel school in Heaven, but on Earth, she's become addicted to MMOs. She befriends angels and demons alike at this Earth high school. In this volume, Gabriel's older sister, Zeruel, is coming to see how she's doing on Earth. Gabriel tries to fool her sister into thinking she's just as angelic now as when she left home, but when the ruse is exposed, Zeruel forces compliance ... until Gabriel's friends step in.I am unfamiliar with this series, and am jumping in here at volume 8. I wish there was a cast listing at the beginning. I'm pretty sure I figured out who's who, but I had to pick it up as I went along, including who is angel or demon, as the names and appearances don't always help. The story that's the focus in this volume is a common one. It's unsurprising that Zeruel takes over to "re-educate" her younger sister when Gabriel's scheme falls apart. Gabriel's efforts are partially expected (shoving everything in the closet), and partially dressing as a cat-girl-maid to make her sister think she's too cute. This was my favorite scene as Zeruel tries to hide how much she loves seeing Gabriel like this, and Gabriel's inner self is shown panicking, thinking she's having the opposite effect. But even this lacked any real punch of humor or emotion. The volume ends with a competition over Gabriel -- Zeruel verses a friend to see who knows Gabriel best. I like that it was eye-opening for both sides. The art is very simple, with all of the characters looking more-or-less the same. Thankfully, they have different hair colors and hair accessories, which is mainly what I relied on to tell them apart. The characters are cute, but they all look much younger than high schoolers; it doesn't help that the art is often slightly chibified. Zeruel even spends some time as an "avatar" -- a doll -- which means she definitely gets the chibi treatment. The only reason Zereul looks older in other scenes is because her eyes are slightly narrower than the other girls. The art is very clean, though, and with a noticeable lack of backgrounds. Overall, there's not enough here to grab or keep my interest. There characters are flat, and there's no depth to anything. It's not even entertaining as fluff. It just kind of ... is. Written: April 19, 2020
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