Shojo Beat

Publisher
Viz
Country of origin
Japan
Year
2005

Shojo Beat V. 2, Issue 2

By David Rasmussen
2nd Apr 06

Once again we return to the happy land of Sho(u)jo with the newest Shojo Beat on the Newsstand… well, not that new since Hawaii newsstands is behind by a month, but you get the point.
Let’s go right into the newest, by starting with the stuff that I am not the most hyped about.

Kaze Hikaru
After going the distance and (by chance) finally catching up to one of the guys who killed her family she botches it and he gets away. This puts her quest to become a Mibu-roshi into jeopardy when it looks like she isn’t up to snuff to be one of the Mibu-roshi! This might change as the volume ends and it looks like she’s going to have to fight for her life next time out!

Baby & Me
Looks like Takuya & Minoru is growing up. As Takuya’s voice flips out and begins to change it looks like little Minoru is becoming more and more of a young youth… young male… young… well, he’s growing up slowly and surely. This is as good a time as any since it looks like the now maturing Takuya is going to have to face a new threat in the form of aging old 6th graders who see this time as their last chance to bully the little kids before they become Middle School students (and legally obliged to face punishment for being jerks)…. So damn you bullies, damn you all to heck!

Absolute Boyfriend
Are you getting tired yet of the Riiko Izawa, she who has a childhood friend who should be her boyfriend if he only wasn‘t such a goober (Soshi), and a guy who she ordered online from a dubious business called the “Lover Shop” (Night) romantic “triangle“ yet? No? I am.
Anyway it looks like her “friendship” with Mika is about to go south faster than that Vermont judge’s bad judgment with pervert-who-will-not-be-named as Mika turns the girls of the artificially created Night “fan club” against Riiko which turns evil and oh so nasty.
Soshi, point for him, shows up and saves her but it looks like somebody’s friendship is DOA now.
Next time out, if you care, Riiko is going full throttle against the fan club girls and going to hack her former friend Mika a piece of her opinion… and it won’t be a pretty piece, I’m betting.

Godchild
I don’t know but I bet it’s sick.

Ok. Now onto the stuff I do like to read from Shojo Beat every month!
Nana
Nana K has only been in the faraway land of Tokyo for a month and already she has come to face her first crisis of infinite shoujo plot twists! It seems her spending habits has doomed her to possible death by homeless starvation as her H5N1 virus plagued chicken has come home to be the doom of her -- she’s broke. Not good since she has to pay the rent soon and, yes, being poor sucks.
It can only get worst when her cash cow (the owner of the vintage shop she works for) develops mad cow disease and decides to return home to marry his childhood sweetheart (closing the shop for good).
So how will Nana K survive when it’s days to payday and her job just walked?
She might survive at that… maybe.

Oh, meanwhile we check back in on Nana O’s rising star as her band continues to form the shape of an actual band, especially now that the final key to her band has just dropped in at her doorstep ready to rock.
Next time we’ll hopefully see the rebirth of the Black Stones (aka BLAST)… oh, and maybe Nana K will get herself a brand new job… oh, wait, the plot is about to be taken hostage by the little crisis of Nana’s boyfriend Shoji possibly turning towards his new turn-on, the girl known as… Sachiko?!?
Girl, time to go lesbian since it looks like your guy is two steps short of totally backstabbing you!!

Crimson Hero
The team is so close to being born she can taste it! All she needs to do is find that last major star, of which she may have already done in a “star setter” whose star has set sometime ago when she was injured during a match (which forced her out of the spotlight and into obscurity). Too bad she hasn’t changed her mind about being “retired” despite the fact she still plays in secret, her pain seemingly holding her back from the sport she used to love so much. So, can our heroine bring this setting star back into the light and compel her to live and rock once again in the volleyball arena (especially since time is so very short for the team to be “born” before they lose the chance to play alongside their soon to be “retired” senior player!)

That’s that! Breakdown time!

Shojo Beat Breakdown the 2-2
What’s Hot?
Simple. It’s got something for everyone. For me it’s Nana & Crimson Hero, but for you it might be something else. Check it out and see what you think of it! I think you’ll enjoy it!

What’s Not?
Still don’t like Godchild, but somebody else might.

Moments to Remember?
Nana & Crimson Hero. Nuff said.

What to Ignore?
Godchild… for me in anycase it’s ignorable.

Overall?
Tired of Shonen Jump? Want something that has titles you never seen before, and actually will do you well reading wise? This has that bit of fresh taste and new feel that’ll get you interested in what it’s offering! I found some great reads here, and you might also find something worth reading! Check it out for yourself and see what‘s up with it!!

-- David Rasmussen 2nd Apr 06