The manga is the story of a high school girl, Ryoko Sakura, and her passion for fellow student Fuji Ryunosuke and all the difficulties involved in teenage romance. B.O.D.Y. Volume 8 is a direct continuation of the story started in Volume 7; the introduction of the teacher, Izumi Hirano, as a competitor of Ryoko for the prize, Ryunosuke as a boyfriend.
Even though Ryunosuke was a former host club worker, he and Ryoko have become and remained a couple, something the rest of the girls in class don’t understand. The two don’t seem to belong to each other, and I agree. Ryoko seems to be quite a loner and doesn’t seem to really be able to connect with others. She seems clueless about relationships and spends a lot of time worrying (Sigh).
Immediately this is where it lost me as an involved reader. Sorry, I just don’t get it. Having a teacher romantically involved with a student is creepy. Yuck. If this isn’t bad enough, Izumi actively pursues Ryunosuke through verbal spars and devious plotting, all the while knowing this is against school rules. (Yeah for rules!) At least he resists her and tries to reassure Ryoko by telling her his former relationship with the teacher was nothing and her interest now is nothing to worry about.
My favorite part of the book is the interaction between Ryoko and Kurama, a newly introduced character that she has met on bus rides. He likes her, and is bold in telling her so. He plays in a rock band and invites her to come see them. Although she tells Kurama about her boyfriend (all about, even the troubles), that doesn’t dampen his interest. These two seem better suited for each other. They seem more comfortable with each other and don’t have the little secrets and “what if” games.
Being always worried about something coming in between her and Ryunosuke, Ryoko keeps the invitation a secret. (Surprise!) Well, this seems just like romance game playing, and it gets tiring in the story. You’ll never guess who else shows up at the concert.
A childish romance story with adults and adult ideas tucked in. I think I can see how it could be an exciting story, but the drama just seems so forced. I know some people live this way, but I don’t really want to read about it. I just couldn’t enjoy or care about the characters in general. Now, I haven’t read the series from the beginning and I would think that would make a difference, especially since I see the new interaction between Kurama and Ryoko as the best part and I can conclude that as Ryunosuke and Ryoko’s relationship formed, that would have been equally interesting.
The story is clear and easy to follow, something I appreciate as a reader. The drawing is fine, well suited to the themes. The layout and design were even better. The eyes were the best, very expressive. A great example of “a picture is worth a thousand words”. I really do think the author/illustrator did an incredible job in this area.
Kurama’s performance on stage is the best moment in the book. A dream in most girl’s eyes. The ending is a bit of a rush, and a cliffhanger.
ComicsOnline gives B.O.D.Y. Volume 8 2.5 out of 5 leopard print scarves.
