After spending almost all of Volume 2 with new characters, Volume 3 brings us back to our leading ladies, Ayaka and Yurine. It’s the start of their second year at Seiran Academy, and things are already off to an emotional start: Ayaka is jealous after learning that Yurine spent the break hanging out with their classmates and begins to question her position in Yurine’s life. Despite the flirting, surprise kisses, and declarations of love from Yurine, is Ayaka actually special, or could anybody be “special” so long as they seek to beat Yurine’s genius? Ayaka’s thrown into an existential tsundere crisis that’s not only entertaining, but sort of provides the framework for the rest of the volume.
Kiss and White Lily For My Dearest Girl © Canno
KADOKAWA CORPORATION
In the author’s note at the back of the book, Canno described this volume as “the battle book,” and I have to agree with the description. The volume contains an emotionally charged set of storylines (and the artwork to match—there’s lots of crying faces and dramatic arm-grabbing) that push Ayaka and Yurine closer together.
Another opportunity to beat Yurine academically presents itself, and Ayaka studies hella hard to get a high score on their exams. For the first time, her diligence actually pays off and she gets a high score in one subject, but at the cost of working herself into a cold. She passes out as their grades are returned, and wakes up in the nurse’s office with Yurine, who…isn’t even fazed that Ayaka finally beat her at something.
This naturally hurts and upsets Ayaka, driving her to demand that if she means anything to Yurine, Yurine needs to start taking her seriously. Their rivalry is once again renewed, but it’s different this time. There’s heat to it, especially now that the confrontation has essentially forced Ayaka to admit that she feeeeeeeeels thiiiiiiiiings (*whispers* gay things) when it comes to Yurine.
Like the previous two volumes, Volume 3 spends just as much time (if not more) focusing on a few other characters on Seiran’s campus, whose stories intertwine with Ayaka and Yurine’s day-to-day shenanigans. This time, while Yurine is trying to untangle Ayaka’s jealousy, she gets dragged into joining the gardening club by Yukina Ooshiro and Towako Mita, childhood friends and the club’s last two members. They’re desperate to keep their legacy around after they graduate, but up until now their club’s efforts to recruit new members have been sabotaged. Their arc turns into a bit of a mystery, with Yurine hovering at the edge of it as the president and vice president work out their own drama.
I liked this arc not so much for the new characters, but Yurine’s role in it. The more people she interacts with the more personable she becomes, which begins to make her worthy of Ayaka’s feelings. Since Volume 1, Yurine has been obsessed with Ayaka as the girl who can beat her and make her feel “normal.” But it’s becoming clear that the connection she’s developing with Ayaka through the rivalry (not the rivalry itself) is what’s going to kick her off her pedestal and make her feel like everyone else. Already, she’s a little less arrogant and definitely more considerate (part of her reason for sticking around the garden club is so she can grow white roses for Ayaka) than she was in Volume 1.
By now I’m convinced the whole school is basically gay, which is great! Even though some stories are proving to be more interesting (and less toxic) than others, it’s kinda nice to see a big batch of girls with romantic feelings for each other. It gives Canno free reign to explore all kinds of relationships, plots, and tropes with ladies (something which, let’s be real, we don’t get to see that often), and Canno’s taking full advantage of it.
All-in-all, I felt this volume was much stronger than Volume 2. Despite it being the “battle book” there’s a fair amount of humor, making it more entertaining, and it was important to see all that development with our leading ladies. I’m looking forward to expanding the Seiran circle with the next batch of characters, and hope that the character development we’ve seen in this volume continues in Volume 4.
Story: 5 out of 5 stars
Art: 5 out of 5 stars
Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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