After completing the entire series, I thought I’d do a quick, spoiler free review of my thoughts on Daytime Shooting Star as a whole.
If you’ve read my previous reviews of the series, you’ll know that I was not a big fan of Mr. Shishio. I didn’t like how insecure and vulnerable he made Suzume, nor the positions he put her in. That entire relationship was fairly uncomfortable to read…however, I really enjoyed the series.
Most of my ratings were between 4 and 5 stars for this manga, and since I mentioned that I didn’t want to spoil anything, as I’d like others to be able to go into this series and see events transpire for themselves, I’d say that it was a fun read. It was filled with moments of drama, and some cute moments as well.
Out of all the characters in the story Mamura was one of my favourites. His character really grows on you during the first few volumes, and it continues from there.
I highly recommend checking out this series, if you enjoy shojo romance, however if you’re like me and find say…Ezra and Aria’s relationship in Pretty Little Liars really problematic, you’ll probably feel as I did towards Mr. Shishio. I can say…and this may be considered a bit of a spoiler, that I was very satisfied with how the series ended.
Overall, I would give the series a full 5 star rating.
About Fumi Oono, second-year high-school student. Stuck with the debts of her father, she needs a job—fast. While she did indeed manage to find one as a…
Nino Arisugawa, a girl who loves to sing, experiences her first heart-wrenching goodbye when her beloved childhood friend, Momo, moves away. And after Nino befriends Yuzu, a music composer, she experiences another sad parting! Luckily, she reunites with Yuzu in high school, but Nino still yearns to see Momo again. In a bid to get Momo’s attention somehow, Nino strives to improve her singing skills. She soon lands an audition that’s being held by a “Momo Kiryu”—could he be her Momo?!
Thoughts
I read volume one way back, (it took me forever to get my hands on the second) and I really enjoyed it. My review of book one was 4 stars (really 4.5) because I thought the character introductions, mainly the parts about Nino’s childhood with Momo and Yuzu were very lengthy, and I would’ve liked to have seen those parts split up here and there throughout the series…kind of like little reveals. Now, reading volume two, I can completely understand why all of that exposition was added in so early on, especially in Momo’s case. Without having that there, it wouldn’t have given either of the boys equal footing when it comes to Nino, and wouldn’t have allowed for the big reveals in the second volumes! Of course, I won’t give any spoilers…but I’m looking forward to completing this series, and I wish Yuzu all the luck in the world while collecting his milk points…since I too was a short high schooler…and I stayed short lol.
About Basketball club manager Yuki has a secret-she’s in love with the team captain! But when Naruse, her cheeky kouhai, discovers her big secret, she’s…
About Sometimes the greatest romantic adventure isn’t falling in love—it’s what happens after you fall in love! After missing out on love and dating because she…
This month I’ve been trying to catch up on my manga TBR…and I actually got through it last night which now means I can order my next handful of books, hooray!
I read a variety of books ranging from thriller to romance, and I have to say I was extremely happy with each of these. Everything I read, I rated a full 5 stars.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
The Kings Beast Volume 2 & 3
I’m really enjoying this series so far. I’ve had a lot of fun revisiting Rei Toma’s world, especially from the Ajin’s perspective. The artwork is also stunning. I felt this third volume picked up immensely and I can’t wait to read the next. I don’t want to give away any spoilers, but one of my favourite things that I noticed in this series is whenever Rangestu’s true self comes through, her eyes are drawn softly. She looks more like she did as a child, and more like her twin in these frames. It’s such a small detail but I absolutely love it.
A School Frozen in Time Volume 1
This first volume had me on the edge of my seat. I wasn’t expecting to have my heart racing, or to be so scared I couldn’t fall asleep! It was a really great read. I finished it in one sitting. It was very fast paced and the events leading up to this volumes climax progressed quickly. I would like to add at trigger warning as this book heavily discusses topics of suicide and self-harm. Please proceed with caution. I was expecting it to be sad like Orange or Your Lie in April, since Your Lie in April is by the same person, however…I had my pants scared off! So it is not at all some sad, high school, friendship manga. It made me care about these characters and then it ripped my heart out…in a good way!
A Sign of Affection Volume 3
This series keeps getting better and better. I really adore the artwork, and I think it’s so cute that many of the artists who work on the shojo romance series are friends. I’ve noticed their artwork being featured in each others manga’s! I think that’s so cool. It’s actually made me miss older series where having characters from other manga’s featured in a short was normal. It’s also lovely to see all of these artists uplifting and encouraging one another.
As I mentioned before in my review of the first volume, when reading A Sign of Affection, you can’t help but like Yuki. She’s such a fantastic character, and all the characters around her are equally likeable despite their flaws. I think that’s what I love most about this series aside from the beautiful artwork and the way the author uses the the silent spaces in the text and panels to show the reader Yuki’s perspective. It’s truly well done, and I appreciate the fact that I’m seeing more positive representation of deaf characters in books and film. I hope that this representation continues…it’s something that’s very close to my heart.
Love Me, Love Me Not Volume 6 – 9
The levels of cuteness in this series are too much! It’s so adorable. I can’t wait to get my hands on the next volume. I love how every manga I’ve read by Io Sakisaka is capable of stirring the many feelings that come with love, especially first loves. It’s incredible how she can do that every single time, with a new set of characters. I never feel like I’m reading the same thing twice, or seeing the same characters pasted into different books.
Daytime Shooting Star Volumes 10 & 11
I really don’t want to spoil anything for those who haven’t read this series yet, so instead of my usual rant about you-know-who (I’ll call them S), I’ll be focusing on how fantastic the character development has been. I can’t express how many emotions I’ve felt reading this series. Following these characters has been a rollercoaster! I highly recommend it but will note that the initial relationship in this series is toxic, and I just hope Suzume regains her self-confidence and finds her happiness.
Blood on the Tracks Volumes 2 & 3
This series is so good, but so creepy. I’m constantly at a loss of words while reading Blood on the Tracks. The way the artwork and the story come together to create this eerie…anxiety is incredible. Some of the images are so haunting, that I found myself focusing in on them. I will give a trigger warning for this series as well, as it deals with mental and physical abuse…and you see it more especially in the 2nd and 3rd volumes. The mother’s behaviour is extremely disturbing. There are so many red flags, I’m honestly so worried for all the other characters around her. I would highly recommend this for people who enjoy thriller and horror genres.
Ardin Patterson 