Land of the Blindfolded - Volume 2 (Land of the Blindfolded (Graphic Novels)) (Paperback)

by Sakura Tsukuba (Author)

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: CMX (February 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1401205259
• ISBN-13: 978-1401205256
• Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #866,913 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This manga just keeps getting better! , April 5, 2005

By	J. E. Perry "Shojo Guru" (Rexburg, ID) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Volume one left us with Arou-kun telling Kanade-chan that he "really liked" her. Kanade doesn't know how to respond, and this strains her relationship with him. Her best friend, Eri, helps her out teaching Kanade a new way of "seeing" the one you love, when she explains connection to her boyfriend, Ezawa: "Ezawa-kun's the only guy who has, like, an aura around him. Even if the world were in black-and-white, I'd be able to pick him out by his sparkliness and even when he's far away, I can find him in a jiff." This lesson floors Kanade. After seeing another girl confessing to Arou, Kanade realizes that love isn't something you figure out by thinking, it's something you know without thinking (and this realization helps her to see Arou's "aura").

Chapter five deals with Namiki, who now is dealing with his attitude about seeing the future (that is, use it for your own benefit). He learns a valuable lesson from Kanade when one of his visions involve an adorable puppy left in front of the school. The whole episode delves into Namiki-san's past and how people in his past treated him like this abandoned animal. He puts his health in danger for this puppy, but unlike his past associates, Kanade and Arou don't leave him to suffer alone with the consequences of his actions. Namiki also makes a confession in this chapter that angers Arou and flusters Kanade. After this episode, I "almost" like his character...not quite, but he's growing on me.

The last chapter starts with a ghost story Eri tells to Kanade about the biology lab they are cleaning. Apparently, the teacher died in the lab, and no one found the teacher until after summer break was over because it's in the very end of the south wing. Finally deciding on a club, Arou becomes the only member of the gardening club after "seeing" how much it meant to its past members. Because the club is tied to the tea ceremony club, Arou gets roped into performing the celebratory tea party for the seniors. The result is that Arou isn't able to spend as much time with Kanade as he prepares for the party all by himself. The girls in the tea ceremony club don't think that Kanade is good enough for Arou and feel sorry that Namiki likes her as well. They don't bother to hide their feelings in front of Kanade either. Kanade starts to wonder if they're right, but Namiki tells her to stop listening to those girls and "trust Arou's smile". Even though Namiki could've taken advantage of Kanade's misgivings to steal her away from Arou, he didn't, and that makes me like him even more. When Kanade gets left to clean the lab by herself and almost meets the same fate as that past teacher, she gets some "ghostly" help alerting the guys to her situation. We get to see some of Kanade's past here and how she's changed since meeting Arou and Namiki.

I absolutely love Tsukuba-sensei's special extra stories! One is about Kanade and Arou's date to an amusement park. Namiki interferes, naturally, and, despite Arou's disappointment at having to share Kanade, they still have a great time. While there, they help a little boy find his mother and are forced once again to face how "different" they are because they can "see". Fortunately, the boy helps them back by showing them it's okay that they are an "extraordinary" trio.

The second extra story, "The Devil in the Flowered Office", is a delightful read. Yoshi-chan meets a devil named Airi who offers her a wish in exchange for her soul. Yoshi-chan informs him she has everything she wants, including an ultra-hot doctor boyfriend, Manabu Kitaura, so she doesn't need a wish. But things aren't really as wonderful as Yoshi-chan believes they are, and Manabu's intentions toward her aren't as loving as she thinks they are. He loves Yoshi-chan, but he loves someone else more, and that's enough to motivate him to carry out his awful plans for Yoshi-chan. Yoshi-chan finds herself in Airi's flowered office again because she discovers she has a wish she can't fulfill on her own after all, (and it'll surprise you what she wishes for). This story is funny, touching, and teaches how love makes a person fearless and selfless, whether you're a high-school girl or a devil. I love Airi; he's devilishly handsome (pun intended), funny, and kind (the last adjective wasn't what you expected, eh?). His bird of prey familiar, Yao-kun, is a wonderful supporting character-a creature a person wouldn't regret having on their side.

All you girls out there will like that Tsukaba-sensei lets us see Arou-kun in a couple of sexy (but not inappropriate) situations that illustrate the obvious: "men and women are completely different creatures". ;-D Don't miss the side panels Tsukaba-sensei writes; they are hilarious and give you a good glimpse of her personality! I found myself laughing aloud as I read the side panels #1 (pg. 17) and #4 (pg. 163). My sister (who likes Shonen manga and anime more than Shojo), on my recommendation, started reading this series and now anxiously awaits the next volume. She and I have often referred to Tsukuba-sensei's statement in side panel #4 about what deadline crunches do to her reflexes when we find ourselves in similar stressful circumstances. Tsukuba-sensei talks to her readers as if they were old friends. I would love to get to know her on a more personally.