St. (heart) Dragon Girl Vol. 5by Holly von WinckelReviews may contain information that could be considered 'spoilers'. Readers should proceed at their own risk. Publisher
Credits Grade: 8 Momoka and Ryuga continue to be best friends fighting demons and flirting with dating. It's a foregone conclusion that they will be together in the end, but in the meanwhile, it is fun to see them teasing each other and infuriating everyone else who is interested in them. The continual declarations of love and affection between various characters continue to charm, and the occasional kisses between Ryuga and Momoka are sparky and sweet. It'd be hard not to be happy for them.The demon enemies are not really too scary this time: Three little spirits who want to distract you, cut you, and then heal you; An angel who wants to borrow your great memories to make into new feathers; The very lonely panda king, who will turn everyone into pandas. I suppose being turned into a panda isn't ideal, and it really is sad that anyone would kill a panda for its fur. The costumes and scenery continue to be top-notch in Volume 5, and the action scenes are whirlwinds of activity, without being confusing. A flashback visit to the cast in the first grade is adorable, even if the fox spirit does get the jump on them. Some of the most striking images are Raika and Raimon sleeping in the woods, the Wind God coming to retrieve the Kamaitachi, and baby Ryuga snuggled up to the baby dragon in the cradle. A series of sidebar comments from the author provide insights into the creative process, and answer common questions from readers. There is even a short guide to drawing the gender differences of characters. The author is highly appreciative of her staff, and very modest about her skills and success. Perhaps I'm not square in the target audience for St. (heart) Dragon Girl, but I can still see that Natsumi Masumoto is a pretty good role model for girls who might want to get into manga production, as well as those who aren't sure how to handle fan mail. This series would be a good read for romantic tomboy types, those who might fall in love with their best friend, and anyone who loves dragons. Written: November 30, 2009
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