Customer Reviews

Twin Spica, Volume: 02

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In volume 2 of Twin Spica Asumi continues not only as one of the smallest but one of the most determined to go into space. She doesn't want to just work for the program or be an astronaut, she wants to go up, and will do all she can. We learn about her, and her conversations with the still mysterious and ghostly Lion (the name of the previous manned Japanese spaceship that crashed), and a group of friends she starts to bond with.

However there is sorrow too as just by being different, it is questioned whether she should be in the program. Can they afford to make a training suit just for a tiny student who may not make it? The physical burdens increase, but so does the personal as one teacher seems determined to drive her away from the space training school. In the end, will he burden her with personal information kept from her that is too heavy to bear?

Reason for Reading: next in the series.

I really love this series. The story is incredibly interesting but it is the emotions of the characters that are entirely realistic and pull you into this unique sci-fi/magical realism manga tale. Asumi sets off for her first day at Space School and says goodbye to Lion, as he cannot leave with her. At Space School Asumi finds the training challenging but she is up to the challenge, taking classes in advanced mathematics and physics along with physical training such as jogging up to 20 laps a day. Her two teammates from the trials are there, as is a boy she grew up with in her home town. The dynamics of Asumi with each of these three and that of them with her are an intriguing look at personalities and how each copes with the same situations. Everything would be perfect if not for one thing. Unfortunately, Asumi has an unknown enemy on the school board who is working against her and whose aim is make her leave the school, but of her own volition. The book then ends with two short stories of "Asumi", the author's earlier work of Asumi as a child and a final short autobiographical story of author. These were present in the first volume and I think are going to be a common element in each volume. I really enjoy the stories of Asumi as a child, they add greatly to gaining insight to her character and of course, contain Lion as well.