Ao Haru Ride, Vol. 8 (8)

Every time I read this it just gets better and better. It’s a classic. Lol!!! It’s not even that old, but it still feels so fresh. I suppose the feeling of young love and youth transcends all trends. It’s something that everyone ( I hope) goes through. Even now 14 years after my first true love and graduating high school I can so clearly remember those feelings. Everything from nerves, excitement, agony and pure giddiness. It was so reckless and so fun. Ok enough about this old lady haha 🤣. This mangaka must remember her youth fondly too. Because she’s so good at creating believable and likable characters that are put to the test. These are the moments that you’re toeing the line between still being able to be a kid and on the cusp of adulthood. These are truly the moments that will either haunt you for life or be your shining beacon of fondness in the years to come. We’re making life lessons here folks!! It’s hard! So Futaba is trying to move forward, but Kao ain’t having it. And the real kicker is he realizes he could lose her. And right at that pivotal moment of clarity it’s already too late. Gah!!!! This volume was good!!! It had so many great interactions between Kao and Futaba. And that ending? Great turning point and I’m already looking forward to volume 9. OMG that one-shot A Familiar Face, that had me crying 😭 I loved it!! I was that girl. Never have I related to a fictional character so much before. It was short, but it conveyed so much. The realistic way two classmates could possibly interact out of the blue one day and how that could lead to a chance to get to know one another more. The girl didn’t have any confidence yet still didn’t want to hurt her pride at failing at anything. No risk equals no gain. The ending is open ended, but you just know he’s gonna catch her. He’s all in, just waiting on her. So sweet and poignant. Ahhhh youth. My heart hurts.

After the disappointment of the previous volume, Sakisaka has hit her narrative stride again. I wouldn't be surprised if her editors announced the extension of her story's run, causing her to make a sudden shift in narrative so the story didn't wrap up too quickly. However, I have no evidence to suggest that is what happened. Regardless, this volume was excellent. Narumi & Kikuchi have been woven into the narrative now. The conflicts they create bring out weaknesses in Futaba & Kou that need to be dealt with. Although this entire story is about that process, this volume featured new levels of introspection in both main characters. Also of note was the art. There were many excellent examples of Sakisaka's skill, but some pages stood out to me. On page 11, Sakisaka utilized white space & creative borders to turn the same patch of screentone into both a background and a shadow over Futaba. On its facing page, page 12, Kou's hair and school jacket were rendered with the same ambient screentone, giving Kou a dreamy, atmospheric feel. This was a decorative touch that was completely unnecessary, but which became vital for establishing mood. Page 14 was another highlight. It featured a series of moment to moment transitions that froze time, heightened tension, then resolved with a surprise. Exemplary sequential art.

She is such a wonderful artist. She creates such amazing stories of the petulant years of our youth. Anyone who follows her work can easily identify with the characters, feelings, & settings. And the girls! Oh mercy, she draws such exquisitely beautiful girls. Their messy hair. Their cute uniforms, their amazing eyes... oh these eyes! You just want to fall into them & get lost. This is yet another wonderful tale about the yearnings teens go through. The ups & downs of emotions, the hopes, dreams, & realities. Art, so very good. Beautiful girls, roughly handsome guys. This creator's watercolor covers & inside pages are just incredible! Dialogue, so very true to the heart. I think we've all been in the situations in this series. Characters, believable, likeable, loveable, relatable, admirable, adorable.

I enjoyed this volume but its not a favorite. I wish there was a bit more excigement . kinda love toma!!!

A can't miss in a great series

The book was not damaged and the pages were somewhat thick... loved it...

it’s great thanks

~4 Stars Kou is in a bit of a spiral here, because he's forced to say something to Futaba, while still trying to help his old classmate, and getting pressure from Kominato because he's being an idiot about it all and ignoring his own feelings. Meanwhile, Kikuchi is being his sweet self, and seeing an opportunity and going for it. He's so very honest and open about his feelings, and I really appreciate that. It's definitely a contrast to Kou, too, and something that Futaba hasn't had too much of. The last bit of the book featured a one-shot, definitely an earlier work of Sakisaka's. It was cute, with a little less finesse than her stories have now, but cute nonetheless. We're left on a bit of a cliffhanger in this volume, and I'm curious where it's going next. Whether Kou is going to fix things or make them worse from here. (A review copy was provided by the publisher, VIZ Media, for an honest review. Thank you so, so much!)

Expressive Artwork, and large easy to read font. I enjoyed the author’s Asides in the margins. Overall, and adorable manga.

The characters are well drawn but the story seems slow to progress. There are confessions of feelings, opening of old wounds and Futaba trying to sort out her life. I think the last 3 books should have been released as one book. It is just a continuation but nothing much happens so it gets a little frustrating to read.