October 2011 – Page 2

Library Wars Volume 6

Library Wars is a predictable yet cozy series. There’s no doubt that Iku and Dojo are going to wind up together, and the plot does meander around their relationship with some cursory treatment of intellectual freedom and censorship issues. What I’ve really liked about the past two volumes is that instead of setting up predictable and artificial plot devices to keep the hero and heroine apart (Sudden Fiance! Artificial Misunderstanding! Evil Male Model!) the focus is on some of the secondary characters, giving us a chance to get to know the other characters better. The last volume focused on Komaki and this volume highlights Iku’s roommate Shibazaki.

Shibazaki has always been an interesting foil for Iku. She’s incredibly intelligent and self-possessed, which serves as a contrast to Iku’s impulsive and emotional behavior. Hikaru Asahina, a library patron, abruptly asks Shibazaki out and she agrees to see him after being pushed into the situation by a co-worker who is worried that her own crush is nursing some feelings for Shibazaki as well. Shibazaki thinks Asahina is a nice young man, but she becomes more interested when he mentions that he’s involved in studying issues centered around book burning. Asahina manages to crack through Shibazaki’s well-rehearsed facade. Some of his qualities remind Shibazaki a little bit of Iku, and we learn why she has a tendency to become attached to people who conduct their lives without pretense. Shibazaki was targeted by a bunch of mean girls in junior high, so in high school she dedicated herself to becoming popular with a cool and intellectual approach that resembled the practices of an undercover agent. Shibazaki’s personality traits of teasing reserve and constant deflection suddenly make a lot of sense!

Sibazaki’s slow approach to making another genuine friend is set against another storyline where everyone else in the library forces deals with a censorship issue. I thought this was a strong volume of Library Wars. The Shibazaki storyline was fresh and interesting, but there was plenty of Iku and Dojo action when they were dealing with the latest crisis of the week. I’m looking forward to the next volume.

Detroit Metal City Volume 10

The final volume! I’ve missed a couple volumes leading up to the grand conclusion of Detroit Metal City, but since most volumes of DMC are fairly similar it was easy to get into the story. DMC is broken up, and there’s a new metal king in town, “Lord God.” Lord God is a wannabe male model who has taken to death metal instead, turning his catwalk posing into a stage move called the “God Walk.” Negishi has run off to Paris to indulge his dream of producing syrupy sweet romantic music, but it seems like the French hate his true self. He is resolutely ignored whenever he plays his music on the streets of Paris to the point where when he gets hit in the face with a raw egg, he responds with thanks for getting some sort of reaction from someone. The remaining members of DMC want to put on one final show, but will Negishi come back from Paris in time?

Of course, there is never any doubt that Lord Krauser will make a final appearance in the last volume of DMC and he makes his entrance in grand style, after sending along video of him systematically violating every single symbol of Paris he can find. Krauser and Lord God have an epic showdown, and Negishi’s attempt to show his other side to his love Aikawa goes just as well as one might expect. My main problem with Detroit Metal City is that it was never as funny and shocking as the first volume. Once the reader knows the set-up, the subsequent volumes were all very similar. Still, I’m glad that a series this gleefully profane was brought over here. I will certainly never be able to think the same way about the national monuments of many countries, after seeing what Lord Krauser did to them.

Review copy provided by the publisher.