Suzuka Vol. 8

Rating Mature Genre manga Author Kouji Seo Publisher Del Rey

Suzuka Volume 8 is another romance-based manga about the trials and tribulations of young love. It’s another plot that could easily be Americanized and marketed as another cheesy drama-filled hormone fest that teens simply go gaga over. The key word here is “could”. While Suzuka Volume 8 does for the most part focus on a group of high school students, the story offers more than just a mushy love story.

The circle of friends in this story are all aspiring athletes at a high school in Japan. Suzuka Asahina, whom the manga is named after, is a skilled high jumper who has caught the attention of Yamato Akitsuki. Yamato’s shyness is holding him back from telling Suzuka how he feels about her; yet his determination is leading him to constantly train in attempting to win the one-hundred-meter dash and be dubbed the fastest high school runner in Japan. His only obstacle is Arima Emerson, a bigger, better and faster runner who always claims the first place title. Yamato has made a promise to himself and secretly to Suzuka that he cannot tell her his feelings for her until he holds the new title. While Yamato is working to achieve his goal, his friend and former girlfriend Honoka is still trying to overcome their breakup and work out her emotions.  She doesn’t really know if she’s over Yamato, and she’s not quite sure of where her future lies, since her other friends all seem to have some kind of dream to strive for.

Author Kouji Seo did a good job at balancing out the different faces of the story. While romantic feelings have a strong place in Suzuka Volume 8, it does tend to shift itself over to the sports-related aspect every now and then. The characters are very driven and even though they’re experiencing internal struggles, they are still trying hard to focus on success. When it does tip the scales towards the romance, it’s done without too much melodrama. The characters don’t get whiny or petty, and the feelings come off with a genuine sense of caring and affection.  What I found especially heart wrenching was Yamato’s attempt to finally present his feelings to Suzuka. Her reaction gives the reader an assumption that she’s simply being heartless until an explanation of a past experience is shortly introduced, leaving quite the cliffhanger at the end.

This was a manga that I really enjoyed. I always love a good romantic story as long as it’s not corny and overdone and Suzuka Volume 8 did not present itself that way. The mature rating is there merely because of language; there is nothing else that would be considered offensive or unnecessary to some.  It’s a cute story that any romantic will enjoy. It’s not necessary to start this manga from volume 1, but I almost want to in order to get the full story.