Ogami-san Can’t Keep It In Volumes 3 and 4 Review

Volume 2 of Ogami-san Can’t Keep It In toyed with the idea of getting lead characters Ogami and Yaginuma into a relationship before finally committing in its late chapter. But now that the two are dating, how will their relationship change and has it been for the better? Let’s find out!

As Volume 3 opens, we find Ogami worrying that her relationship with Yaginuma hasn’t changed at all. Their daily routine has remained the same as it was before their heartfelt confession at the end of Volume 2. Part of the problem is that Ogami can’t touch Yaginuma without activating his power and blurting out the horny thoughts in her mind, but all the same, she wishes they could hold hands or perhaps even kiss.

Yaginuma meanwhile is worried about Ogami acting strangely and begins to worry that they’re not a good match for each other. Hikaru suggests to Yaginuma that maybe they should do something more coupley, like him giving Ogami a gift and while that does alleviate his concerns momentarily, it’s not long before he grows anxious again.

While out shopping together one afternoon, Yaginuma and Ogami run into one of Yaginuma’s middle school classmates: Tago. It turns out that Tago has quite a lot in common with Ogami, so the two hit it off, with our heroine also hoping to learn more about what Yaginuma was like before they met. But when Yaginuma sees the two chatting he begins to wonder if Tago wouldn’t be a better fit for his girlfriend…

Then in Volume 4, we get a very similar storyline when the new character, Kaoru Sagiyama, is introduced. Not only is she Yaginuma’s childhood friend, but she’s a distant relative of his family and also has a special power all of her own. Because of the fact she has an ability of her own, she can touch Yaginuma without blurting out her inner thoughts like other people do. Now it’s Ogami’s turn to feel jealous of their relationship and wonder if she’s truly suited to being Yaginuma’s girlfriend.

What I like about both these instalments of Ogami-san Can’t Keep It In is that it’s forcing the two leads to think about their relationship but also their individual desires and fears. While on paper it sounds like these two storylines would be quite repetitive back-to-back, mangaka Yu Yoshidamaru manages to approach them from different angles and focus on different angles.

Ogami and Yaginuma might both be jealous of their respective partners becoming close to someone else, but their reasons as to why are completely different. Both situations give the two a newfound appreciation for each other and the willingness to work together to overcome their problems. I also really liked how Yaginuma’s sister played a bigger role, both as a support for her brother and as someone from Yaginuma’s lineage who doesn’t have an ability.

Understandably, due to the hardships he’s faced, Yaginuma is glad she’s powerless but his sister feels the opposite, having grown up alongside him and Kaoru who are different, special even. This storyline demonstrates that Yoshidamaru is good at depicting more emotionally driven content alongside the general humour the series has at its core. I’m pleased that the observation I made when reviewing Volume 2 – that the series had found what it wanted to be – remains true here.

Ogami-san Can’t Keep It In Volume 3 and 4 come to the West thanks to Kodansha and continues to be translated by Max Greenway with lettering by Dietrich Premier. The translation reads well with no problems and there are also some translation notes at the end of each release. No colour page for Volume 3, but there is one included in #4 showing off the main cast.

Volume 5 of the series is scheduled for a release later this month with #6 following in August and then the final instalment in January 2025.

Overall, Ogami-san Can’t Keep It In Volumes 3 and 4 focus on very similar storylines but manage to differentiate from one another well. With the introduction of some new characters and the sense that Yaginuma and Ogami are making progress in their relationship, this remains a series well worth following.

Our review copies from Kodansha were supplied by Diamond Book Distributors UK.