Medaka Kuroiwa is Impervious to My Charms Volume 2 Review

Back in July, I reviewed the first volume of the Weekly Shounen Magazine series Medaka Kuroiwa is Impervious to My Charms. Although the series got off to a rocky start, it proved enjoyable enough that I decided to carry on. Does Volume 2 offer an improvement on the earlier criticisms I had? Let’s find out! 

Here in Volume 2, we reunite with Mona and the boy whose heart she’s trying to win – Medaka. So far she’s tried a wide range of tactics to try to make him admit that she’s cute, including dressing up in bunny girl cosplay at the end of the previous book. Mona realises that her antics have been going a bit too far, especially after the two end up hiding in a cupboard while Mona is in her sexy outfit. She’s forced to admit that she’s not been giving him a reason to like her but, feeling bad for his actions, Medaka corrects her and tells her that she’s cute. Could it be that her advances have been making a difference?

Before Mona has a chance to make sense of Medaka’s spontaneous compliment, the school festival is upon them and their class is running a rabbit-themed café. Medaka is still keeping Mona at arm’s length, but she’s determined to get his heart thumping. With some help from a classmate, Tsubomi Haruno, she manages to talk him into going around the festival with her. Mona hopes that by going through attractions like the haunted house and eating food together, Medaka will relax and openly admit his feelings once more. Plus there’s a rumour that if you cross the bridge between school buildings hand-in-hand with your crush during the festival, you’ll be bound by eternal love…

Much like Volume 1, the early chapters in the second book revolve around Mona trying her best to make Medaka swoon. But before this can become too repetitive, author Ran Kuze has the good sense to change things up. This is partly thanks to Medaka’s male classmates cornering him and telling him to stop being so mean to Mona; even if he’s a monk-in-training who can’t fall in love, there’s no reason for him to act so cold toward her. Medaka readily acknowledges that his conduct so far has been far from fair and strives to do better, especially once Haruno also yells at him for upsetting Mona. Then there’s the introduction of another new character, Asahi, who may prove a rival for Medaka’s affections. 

There’s differently a lot more variation when it comes to how every chapter plays out here, compared to the first volume. And introducing more characters into the mix has improved the series considerably. It’s not that Mona or Medaka are bad characters by themselves, but it’s more entertaining to see them in group settings with more people to bounce off of. I was also happy that my previous criticisms of Haruno being a creepy stalker type have gone unfounded; she’s mellowed out considerably for these chapters and proves a good friend and wingman for Mona. 

We’re already at the point where Medaka Kuroiwa is Impervious to My Charms is proving to be a sweet romantic comedy. Mona doesn’t quite understand that she’s fallen in love with Medaka, but the author is already working to make her face her feelings by introducing a rival. Medaka, likewise, is slowly starting to face the feelings that are in his heart. I appreciate the author is making sure the series doesn’t fall into being repetitive and that gives me a lot more confidence in it going forward. I can certainly say I enjoyed this instalment more than the first one and I hope I’ll continue to feel that way as the series goes on. 

Medaka Kuroiwa is Impervious to My Charms Volume 2 comes to the West thanks to Kodansha under their Vertical imprint. This release is translated by Nicole Frasik having taken over from Anh Kiet Ngo (although they are still credited for handling the digital edition) with lettering by Arbash Mughal. The release reads well with no issues to note and seems consistent with the first book despite changing hands. Volume 3 of the series is currently scheduled for an English release in October, so not too long to go if you’re eager to get your hands on more. 

Overall, Medaka Kuroiwa is Impervious to My Charms Volume 2 proves to be a notable improvement on its first outing. With a lot of my fears laid to rest, we’re left with a romantic comedy that’s shaping up to be fun and quite charming. I am certainly eager to see where it goes from here. 

Our review copy from Kodansha was supplied by Turnaround Comics (Turnaround Publisher Services).