In comparison to Vol. 1, this second volume of the series is more of a grab bag of storylines, each showcasing a different character in the Nozaki-kun universe. There are certainly some interesting characters, and I laughed out loud a few times at how oblivious Nozaki could be. But I’d forgotten a lot of people, so I think this is a series where I have to just binge one installment after another. Sounds like a plan.

I also really liked learning tidbits about how manga artists draw manga — I didn’t know that artists used different types of patterned paper (screentone paper, Google tells me) to fill in shading and create different visual effects. It seemed to work something like Letraset, which I did play with a bit as a youngster thanks to a relative with graphic design materials. ( )

This series doesn't really have a plot, just lots of jokes that run for varying numbers of pages. In this volume, Nozaki is his current editor's fanboy, to the point that it seems like he has a bit of a crush on him. Sadly for him, his editor has no interest in socializing with him and just wants him to do his work well and turn it in on time. Mikoshiba demonstrates his inability to keep from saying things that embarrass the heck out of him, and Kashima may have a crush on the president of the school's drama club (he, by the way, is constantly annoyed with her). At the end of the volume, everyone tries to help out a sick Nozaki by finishing his manga pages for him.

The things I most enjoyed about this volume: Nozaki's unrequited affection for his editor, and Wakamatsu and his horrifying relationship with Seo. The bit with Nozaki and his editor was kind of adorable – I suppose I should have felt bad for Nozaki, but he was as clueless about his editor's desire for a purely professional relationship as he was about Sakura's crush on him. Nearly everything his editor said and did was wonderful, as far as he was concerned.

The stuff with Wakamatsu made me both cringe and laugh. Seo became both the reason he developed insomnia and the sole cure for his insomnia. Also, the poor guy was literally incapable of driving Seo away. Everything he did just made it look more and more like he liked her.

This volume was good, although my enjoyment was a bit more subdued than it was for the first volume (not that it had any effect on my rating).

(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.) ( )