Title: After School Nightmare Vol 3
Author: Setona Mizushiro
Publisher: Go! Comi
ISBN: 9781933617244
May Contain Spoilers
Consumed with curiosity, Ichijo agrees to protect Shinonome and help him obtain the key in return for the real identity of the knight. Not pleased with his decision and suffering from her own crippling insecurities, Kureha and Mashiro are soon on shaky ground. When she turns on him in the dream world, she’s fearful that he’ll never forgive her. As Kureha avoids him, Mashiro finds himself drawn again and again to Sou. Why do thoughts of Sou, not Kureha, burn constantly into his thoughts?
I think that Mashiro is just a little too passive. Both Kureha and Mashiro share an inability to express their true feelings, and their shared weakness does not make for a smooth relationship! Kureha is almost disgusted by Shinonome’s offer to reveal the other players’ real identities. She considers it repulsive, an inexcusable invasion of privacy. Mashiro, obsessed with the knight, and the possibility that Sou might be lurking under the intimidating armor, agrees to Shinonome’s proposal. Then he worries that Kureha will be pissed at him for agreeing to help. Shinonome, ostracized by his classmates because of his superior attitude, doesn’t make matters smooth for his new partner. Instead, he seems to take a savage delight in causing tension between Kureha and Mashiro.
I love the tension between Sou and Ichijo! His fixation for Sou follows him even into the dream world. Dressed in a male student’s uniform, he’s confronted by another version of himself, this one clad in a skirt. Accusing him of being weak and of harboring an infatuation for Sou, his female self castigates him to just accept his feelings. Mashiro’s confusion over his emotions resonates throughout the entire book. At times he seems so weak, but when he’s called upon to defend Kureha or his own tumultuous insecurities, he can be so fearless. I really like the complexities of his personality.
I can’t think of another book that even compares to After School Nightmare. There is nothing else quite like it. The uniqueness of the plot, and the convoluted characters make for a gripping read.
Grade: B+
Rated for Older Teen 16+
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2:49 am
I read volume one of this series the other day and it was a lot better than I had been cautiously expecting. Now to get the next two volumes so I can catch up…
4:00 am
As the characters’ personalities are slowly defined, I think this series is getting better and better! It’s their interactions in such a strange setting that makes it so interesting.
8:31 am
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