Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun Vol. 2by Wolfen MoonsgetReviews may contain information that could be considered 'spoilers'. Readers should proceed at their own risk. Publisher
Credits Grade: 9 Nene, Kou, and Hanako continue their quest to save Aoi from the Misaki Stairs (one of the seven School Mysteries, like Hanako). Then, it seems Hanako is intent on confessing his love to Nene under a tree famous for getting couples together! And finally, Kou's brother Teru has charged Kou with exorcising Hanako! Can Kou prove that Hanako isn't malevolent?I like the art pretty well -- it's rough, but in a cute, appealing way. Story-wise, the series is a little like Rin-ne in concept: kids -- one of them not exactly human, and another being an exorcist who is something of a rival to the inhuman one -- dealing with the supernatural. It's also like Rin-ne in format: a mix of epic missions with small, monster-of-the-day scenarios, as well as with stories that are more about character development than cases. Despite the similarities in formula, though, this series definitely has a flavour all its own -- the characters and tone are markedly different from Rin-ne! And despite not having read the first volume (this is a review copy), and there being no intro pages, I was able to follow the story well enough to enjoy it. This is also despite the fact that the first arc of the volume, with the Stairs, was super-trippy! (It reminded me of an old cartoon short called "The Cat That Hated People", and all the weird stuff the cat saw on the moon -- especially the scissors! It also reminded me of Andi Watson's Skeleton Key comics.) It was still an intriguing story, making me very curious about the school mysteries in general. The story about the confession tree was a really cute comedy of misunderstanding. I have mixed feelings about one aspect, though: a pair of boys end up as a couple after one of them practices his confessions on the other, and it's played for laughs. I would have felt better about it if, after the situation with the tree was resolved, we were shown that the boys were still together, but at least we weren't shown them breaking up either. (Honestly, the scenario could make for a sweet shounen ai plot!) While Nene is the primary protagonist of the series, it's the last story, with the focus on Kou and Hanako, that really grabbed me! What yummy angst! There's Hanako, fretting about what he must have done to become a School Mystery, but which he can't remember. And then there's Kou's determination to prove Hanako is good, even as it puts him at odds with his beloved brother Teru (and even as Kou and Hanako are kind of rivals)! I like Hanako / Nene fine, but I really want to see a lot more of Kou and Hanako's budding friendship! Written: June 21, 2020
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