Reviews

Library Wars: Love & War, Volume 9 by Kiiro Yumi

buuboobaby's review

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3.0

3 stars

I didn't find the chapters in this volume as engrossing as the previous book. Iku and Dojo's relationship took a backseat to a groper story. The art, as usual, is stunning.

annaeccentric's review

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

the_one_krissy's review

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adventurous lighthearted
  • Loveable characters? Yes

4.0

nenekoii's review against another edition

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medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Loveable characters? Yes

4.5

broomgrass's review

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3.0

these are ridiculous and I love them

ivorypalaceprincess's review

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5.0

THEY JUST KEEP GETTING CUTER AND CUTER I LOVE THESE TWO SO MUCH

Also just...the whole children's library storyline was the CUTEST thing, I adore it so much, oh my goodness

Just. This whole volume. It's so so good

bluehairedlibrarian's review

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funny inspiring sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

This has been my favorite volume so far. Iku is dealing with the stress of knowing Dojo is her prince and not knowing what to do with the very complicated feelings that brings up. Meanwhile Marie has been attacked by an anonymous groper, so the crew does a sting to catch him. It ends with Iku and Tazuka taking part in a series of tests in order to advance in rank, giving the characters - and the readers - the chance to see Iku's ingenuity and abilities beyond running fast and beating people up. Also Dojo is starting to loosen up about his feelings, though still pretending they don't exist.

Delightful. Completely delightful.

peyton_'s review

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5.0

I was wondering what kinds of words the MBC banned, aside from the obvious. Barber was not a word I immediately considered and I am glad that people are starting to fight back.

greyscarf's review

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4.0

Kasahara & Shibazaki are successful ensnaring the library creep & the Task Force turns its attention to the upcoming exams for the rising corporals. Kasahara, Tezuka & Shibazaki all prepare for the skills test: taking over the children's activities for an hour. The prankster boys from issue #3 return to tell Kasahara their petition has lead to their favorite books being unbanned. Which leads readers into another controversy at the Weekly New World. An interview with a popular hot actor causes him to sue the magazine. The actor talks extensively about being raised by his grandfather, a barber. However, "barber" is one of the censored words on the MBC's list, meaning that the mag has had to replace every instance in their story, upsetting their subject. The community rallies in support & demands the reinstatement of the word.

So I mentioned in my last review that I was curious to see how the Task Force's mission would go down & this mission actually introduced some odd stuff about Kasahara's femininity. Or more specifically, how she thinks she's lacking in that department. Shibazaki helps get her all dolled up as bait for the creeper but her teammates reactions to her are kind of weird. They tease, but then apparently "forget" that she's a girl when she's in uniform. Which is kind of weird considering they've been giving her a hard time throughout the series about whether she can make it as a team member, being as she's the only girl to get as far as she has. And then there are moments like Dojo's comment that she must be a woman after all when she knows a little bit about the symbolism of the chamomile blossoms on their badges or her repeated mention of her small bust size. . . they just puzzle me more than anything.

I think this confusion occurs mainly because when it comes to Kasahara, there's a lot of talk around the concept of femininity without any real concrete examples as to what it means to her. Readers know that K's parents would rather she found a husband than a career & we've seen what Shibazaki's motivations are to keeping up a traditionally feminine appearance. We just haven't seen specifically what Kasahara wants. . . despite some textual examples like her enjoying stuffed animals or owning some stylish dresses for special occasions. I guess it's just growing pains as she becomes more confidant?

In other plotlines, Tezuka's awkwardness with the children & his frantic attempts to study up on how to play well with children were adorable. His friendship with Shibazaki does well to draw him out of his perfectionist shell & out of the shadow of expectations by his family. He pops in & out of the story but when he shows up, I'm always happy to see that he's loosening up a little bit more. He might actually act like a real person instead of a robot one day!

julieabe89's review against another edition

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adventurous funny slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

 In this manga, our three trainees get to go for a promotion exam within the Library. Kasahara and Tezuka are nervous, while Shibizaki is cool and collected as always. I adored watching Kasahara be all awkward around Instructor Dojo. I really hope they open up about their feelings for each other soon!!!