Magic Patissiere Kosaki-chan!! (2015)
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Volume 2
Author/Artist: Taishi Tsutsui
Original Story: Naoshi Yomi
Publisher: Jump Comics Plus
Synopsis:
The magical girls go undercover at the pool to prevent Dr. Maiko's latest mischief.
Story/Characters:
We open on a pool episode, which is pretty basic. The next chapter is a little more interesting, with Onodera's sister Haru getting suspicious of what's going on and our trio having to both do their jobs while still protecting their identities. Next, we have Chitoge mooning over Raku, which Tsugumya confuses for being some kind of spell, so she takes human form to deal with Raku herself. The only thing is that she ends up falling under the same spell. (As a Tsumugi fan, I really enjoyed this chapter.) We then have Claude show up as a black market vendor of magical goods, only his suitcase got swapped with Chitoge, resulting in the girls' getting their hands on the item Dr. Maiko was hoping to buy, a shrinking potion. Tiny time misadventures follow. (Don't ask me how the girls' glasses shrink to match but not their clothes.) Next, Raku invites Kosaki-chan to a movie date. The challenge is that Rurlin has to focus to maintain Onodera's transformation, but of course it doesn't work out that easily. Marika's father makes his debut as an zealous theater worker trying to get rid of a certain mouse with a case of the munchies. This leads in to the next chapter, where Marika is trying to balance a part-time job with her magical girl responsibilities after her dad gets fired.
We next have Dr. Maiko on the verge of completing his female homunculus, but he lacks the final ingredient of a compassionate girl's tears. As his alter ego Maiko-sensei, he sees Onodera as the perfect mark. However, as he coaxes her into discussing her problems as a way to get her to cry, we briefly see a different side of him that indicates there may be a little more depth to his character. When he has what he needs, his homunculus is complete. Said homunculus is Paula McCoy, who manifests magical girl powers of her own and sets out on her own mission, putting her in conflict with the girls. As a nod to the relationship between Paula and Tsugumi in the original story, Tsugumya joins the fight and Paula quickly identifies her as her archnemesis. When we get the full story, it's a bit amusing how petty Paula's motivations turn out to be.
Art:
The quality of the art remains as strong this time around. I rather like Tsugumya's human form, particularly when she still follows her feline nature. The shrinking potion two-parter has some interesting visuals to it and the Paula battle sequence is quite good.
Other:
We get a congratulatory note from Komi with an illustration of Chitoge and Marika.
Conclusion:
If you liked the first volume, then you'll like this one. It builds on what's been established, introducing such elements as the partners being able to take on human form and Paula as a new enemy. I also can't understate the importance of Onodera's talk with Maiko-sensei, as it'll prove to be some big foreshadowing. This one's worth a read in my book, so give it a shot.
Rating:
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