Flower in a Storm, Vol. 1
Riko Kunimi is a regular 17-year-old girl in an average suburban high school. She’s trying to fit in like everyone else, but two things make it very difficult. First, she has superhuman strength, and second, Ran Tachibana—the richest and most powerful 17-year-old in Japan—wants to marry her. Really, Riko has no say in the matter, because Ran will employ every part of his vast resources to catch her in the world’s most expensive game of cat and mouse. Ultimately, the premise is abandoned in favor of chronicling Ran’s over-the-top antics; but one cannot blame Takagi for jumping ship. While brash and slightly dumb, Ran is a hilarious standout in this harmless fluff piece. Even the delicate black-and-white renderings of Riko, the heroine, pale to the detail found on Ran. A hidden gem is Takagi’s poignant short, included at the end of the manga, called The Need for Artificial Respiration. When the next volume is released, readers will hope for more of Takagi’s shorter works, too. Grades 8-11. --Courtney Jones