I really enjoyed the first book much more than the sequel. The whole process of getting together and doing it for the first time is so awkward and goofy, it came across as being realistic and very amusing.

However, in the sequel our couple have been together for a year, but are still stepping on each other's toes. Wataru gets friendly with Kazuki's cool and smooth talking upperclassman, basically allowing the other guy to pursue him and rousing Kazuki's jealousy. You'd think that after a year Kazuki would know Wataru well enough to realize that he's just dense and naive, and go easy on him instead of stirring up needless drama. There is some really cheesy dialogue on par with Star Wars III. The ending is also unoriginal: they make up and make out, which is how the first two arcs ended.

In the next arc, our couple are on vacation. Maybe this is due to the lackluster translation, but the passages about their activities are quite dull and even boring. I got sick of reading about how cool Kazuki looks and how people always turn his way. There are some cute moments, like when Kazuki suddenly kisses Wataru in the car, shocking some grade school onlookers, but for the most part I would press fast forward, so to speak. When Kazuki's brother finally appears and declares opposition, it's rather anticlimactic. The narrative talks about how impressive and intimidating he is, but this did not come across in anything he says. The couple's reaction to the brother's threat is sweet, though. I don't want to give it away, but this arc has a very satisfying conclusion.

Overall I feel that the book suffers from inflated text and cliche situations, but the characters are just so appealing that I will have to read the third volume and reread parts of this one, too!

First of all, I'm very disappointed with DMP's editing of the context... So many missing quotation marks... and some lines that are supposed to be /thoughts/ aren't even italicized or anything. Some of the translation was a bit rough and awkward in diction as well... but, that part I can excuse since they try to translate as literal as possible. Please keep in mind that English and Japanese writing styles differ, and it is impossible to translate so that it fits the English reading mind 100%. I do wish they keep honorifics though... One mistake they're still repeating is the placement of the illustrations... sometimes they appear few pages before the scene actually happens, and sometimes after it happens. At the very least, I was hoping the layout be correct, but apparently not.

As for the actual story itself, despite all those technical errors, I just totally love the couple even more now! Kazuki and Wataru in here is so... precious Kannagi-sensei's writing is romantic, deep, and insightful. The relationship between K and W is just so down-to-earth, and their worries and struggles are really realistic. (It is clearly an example that plot-movement is more important than loads of fanservice)

In the second chapter, for once we see Kazuki being troubled, and it's Wataru who reassures him - since it has always been the other way around. As LKK stated, we begin to see flaws in Kazuki's character, so now their relationship feels even more reciprocal. Not only that, but the new characters Asaka and Shohei feel very necessary to the plot even if they are side casts.

And as always, I love Odagiri-sensei's illustrations to death.

If you're looking for smut-type of plot, or even action filled drama, you definitely won't find here. Rather, the events that happen in the novel are really normal and typical, but it's how they effect Kazuki and Wataru that are the highlights - it's the ever fluctuating and strengthening of their relationship that really matters.