4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
An ex, a kitten, and a rival..., October 16, 2006
This review is from: Pastel 4 (Paperback)
...all add their little touches to Mugi's one-sided affections for the sweet and caring Yuu.
Volume 4 of Pastel finishes off the Hinako/Tokyo arc of the story answering several minor questions while, of course, leaving the big one (does Yuu care for Mugi as well?) vague and ambiguous... in the standard rom/com manner. A new kitten joins the family after Yuu falls for the old doe eyes trick, leading to some under the clothes hijinks that gets Mugi into trouble. Last, but not least, a new rival enters the fray... and, like Hinako, it's Mugi that's the object of the beautiful Murakami's attention, but her motives seem to be far from pure.
The majority of the volume covers the Murakami arc as she is introduced, makes her play to insert herself between Yuu and Mugi, and even gets him to stay over, using Yuu as an unwitting accomplice for her goals. I really like this volume as Mugi gets one of his rare moments to shine, do the right thing for all involved, and manage to reaffirm his dedication to taking care of/secretly loving Yuu.
It's standard rom/com situations all the way through, which is no surprise as Pastel is your standard rom/com manga with plenty of recognizable archetypes... but I still find myself enjoying it anyway. Don't expect much in the way of "love-love-communication" between Yuu and Mugi as, though they have their moments, they're still up for innocent interpretation on Yuu's part... and you can all but guarantee it's going to be that way until Kobayashi-san is ready to wrap things up many, MANY volumes down the line (what are they on in Japan? 11? and still going!)
The art is par for the course (which makes it sound dull, but Pastel's art has been consistently pleasing with fanservice and landscapes) with Mikan's design being decidedly cute and Murakami's being attractive and creepily evil at the same time.
Pacing is good, with the Murakami arc actually wrapping up before the end of the volume (unlike the cliffhanger involving Hinako last time) and I'm glad the Hinako arc closed as ambiguously as it did, leaving the road open for her to return to cause more friction between our favorite almost-lovebirds.
Pick it up, enjoy Mugi taking the initiative again, and sigh in contentment as we continue to watch young love bloom at an extrememly slow pace.
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