Day 9: July 9th
🐇 ご注文はうさぎですか? Complete Blend Volume 1 (42% ➨ 44%)
This re-release contains the original first two volumes of ごちうさ. I’ve almost completed the original volume one portion.
Since that volume is the first manga I ever read (painstakingly looking up every kanji), it’s been really slow-going (as it’s less interesting re-reading it). I didn’t want to skip over it because my original read was before I started WaniKani. Re-reading it lets me see my progress, as I recognize most of the kanji now.
I have read the original volume two, but the first half I read before I was very far in WaniKani and didn’t do very many lookups. The second half I read after making decent progress in WaniKani, but still without many lookups. I’ll be less familiar with that material, so maybe it’ll go a little faster? (Just seven more pages until I reach that point.)
After that, it will be all-new material for me (unless anything from the original volume three appeared in season one of the anime). I wonder if I’ll be reading at a much faster pace by the time I’m there.
SPY×FAMILY Volume 1 (61% ➨ 74%)
ふだつきのキョーコちゃん Volume 2 (21% ➨ 40%)
🥷🏻 くノ一ツバキの胸の内 Volume 2 (34% ➨ 49%)
One of the first things I noticed about this series is the large cast.
Looking at other series by the same mangaka, 「からかい上手の高木さん」 aside from Takagi and Nishikata, the supporting cast is 7 characters: Yukari, Mina, Sanae, Nakai, Mano, and the barely-represented Nishikata’s other two other friends.
「それでも歩は寄せてくる」 has a supporting cast of 3 characters, Maki, Takeru, and Sakurako. There are some one-off appearances of a character in a single story or multi-part story, but not enough to be counted.
Starting out the second volume of 「ふだつきのキョーコちゃん」, it’s too soon to say. Hibino feels like a supporting character, but I expect she’ll be more of a main character.
For 「くノ一ツバキの胸の内」, here’s a scene from yesterday’s reading:
At first, this may seem comparable to seeing Takagi and Nishika’s whole class, but most of the students here have more personality from making a single background appearance than a random unnamed classmate in the nearly seven volumes of Takagi that I’ve completed.
Just looking at the panel above, not counting Tsubaki, Sazanka, and Asagao, I recognize at least 11 characters from various chapters in volume one. I’m wondering if the mangaka plans to give every character a chance to present their name and personality throughout the series.
Today’s chapter feels like it could be based entirely on Mokuren (considering she’s on the title page and the chapter is named 「モクレンの医療術」).
And since the cast is grouped into threes, this means her groupmates get some screen time as well:
After a boisterous beginning, finally, the chapter gets to focus solely on Mokuren.
At least, until bringing in more cast members still waiting to be shown off:
Tsubaki does get to fit in an appearance…
…just until some other pending characters show up.
Not all of them had names/roles given beyond done or two panels. But the title page for the following chapter looks like it’ll focus on even more characters. I definitely need to put together a character guide for myself…
🦎 怪獣のトカゲ Volume 1 (37% ➨ 47%)
I discovered today that the mangaka for this series is not the same as the one-off it’s based on. Finally, the change in art style makes sense!
Between my not being interested in the original short story, and these first four chapters of volume one not capturing my interest, and now knowing the series is being done by a different mangaka, I’m probably not going to continue past volume one. I will still try to finish this volume within the free trial period, though.