It's Just Another Manga Monday: Strobe Edge Vol 4 by Io Sakisaka

It's been a while since I posted a manga Monday. I guess because it has been a while since I've actually read a manga. I really should get back on track with that.

Regardless, I did manage to read Vol 4 of Strobe Edge and the relationships become more complicated. It was a girl likes guy who likes girl who likes guy who has a girlfriend story, but is now turning into a girl likes guy who likes her back while his first crush still likes guy who is still going out with girlfriend, but maybe he has feelings for the other girl. Confusing? I know.

Book Description (From Amazon):

Release date: May 7, 2013 | Series: Strobe Edge (Book 4)

Being in love can light up your life… A sweet love story that will warm your heart!
What is love, anyway? Ninako Kinoshita’s friends tell her it’s one thing, but Ninako wonders what this mysterious feeling really is. When she meets Ren Ichinose, the handsome, enigmatic guy that all the girls worship, her life takes an unexpected turn. With just a few words and a smile, he changes her world...

Ando confesses his feelings to Ninako and tells her to give up on Ren—especially because there are limits to loving someone who already has a girlfriend. Meanwhile, Ren finds it harder and harder to deny his attraction to Ninako… But will Ren choose to do anything about it, particularly when his girlfriend, Mayuka, needs him?

Reads R to L (Japanese Style) for teen audiences.

My Review:
So in this volume, Sayuri and Daiki seem happy now that they are a couple. It seems like Daiki has forgotten all about the crush he had on Ninako as he tries to plan a surprise Christmas gift for Sayuri. Sayuri on the other hand is starting to feel a little unsure of her relationship with Daiki. She's thinking maybe she was just in the right place at the right time when he was feeling vulnerable and it could have been any girl. But Daiki has something to tell Sayuri that could change their relationship and not for the better.

Ando corners Ninako and tells her that Ren has a girlfriend and he will never walk away from his girlfriend, Mayuka. Ando tells Ninako that he has feelings for her and she should just choose him because he'll never hurt her. Although he's been a player in the past, he is putting all that behind him and only wants to date Ninako. Ninako confesses that she still loves Ren and even though he will never return her feelings, she can't commit to dating Ando when she would just be using him to forget about Ren.

Ren keeps getting thrown together with Ninako and has begun to realize he might actually have feelings for her.  He does the only thing he can which is to distance himself from Ninako.  Mayuka needs him.   I wonder if he will realize at some point that staying with her out of obligation will do neither of them any good.   But a bombshell is dropped on Mayuka and she seems even more vulnerable than usual, so Ren decides to ignore his feelings for Ninako and devote himself to supporting his girlfriend.

Ando warned Ninako that she might be fine being friends with Ren, but that love is greedy and that eventually she'll want more than Ren can give. Will she stay content to just be friends? Or will that become too painful to sustain?



Strobe Edge Vol 5 is due out July 2. Can't wait to find out what happens next!