Reviews

Sawako, Tome 3 by Karuho Shiina

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reddyrat's review against another edition

4.0

Life is looking up for Sawako. She is making more and more friends at school and the bullying is somewhat lessening. But like any bullying victim, she's cautious. She can't believe that people actually like her. And doesn't know how to react when people are nice.

A main plot point of this volume occurs when her friends challenge Sawako to call them by their first names. This is a big deal in Japanese culture. You call most people by their last names. And almost always use honorifics. People don't go on a first name basis unless they're friends. Even then, they usually use honorifics like -kun or -chan. It's hard to properly understand the big deal about this unless you're Japanese. Luckily for Gaijin like me, I can call Japanese friends by their first names without honorifics and it's excused because I'm an ignorant foreigner. That's a good thing, because I didn't know about the honorifics when I went to Japan.

Yano-san and Yoshida-san (using last names) have been very nice to Sawako. However, they still call her Sadako - the mean horror movie nickname. I'm assuming this is out of habit, but it makes me question their characters. Especially when Sawako is so adamant about using formal names. It does occur to them at one people that they shouldn't call her Sadako, but they haven't changed yet. I hope they do.

Sawako makes friends with one of the most popular girls in school. She's the female version of Kazehaya. Nice to everyone and liked by all. Sawako is incredibly flattered to be the recipient of such attention and wants to be just like her. She is upset though that Kurimi-chan and Kazehaya have such an easy friendship. She's too scared to talk to him. Plus, she wonders if that means that Kurimi-chan and Kazehaya are something more.

Neither Sawako nor Kazehaya have acknowledged that they "like" each other yet. All the signs are there - extreme nervousness, cautious formalism, shy niceties - but they're blind to it. At the end, there's a potential wrench thrown into their growing relationship. I wonder how or if it will cause a problem.

samae's review against another edition

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4.25

*4.25

dynamicdylan's review against another edition

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5.0

I love Kazehaya-kun. Ah! So adorable, he's always smiling and laughing. I am scared for the day I see this bundle of joy cry. I will weep.

ennitsud's review against another edition

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5.0

i'm dumb. i read this in the wrong order ;-; but it's bc i already watched the episodes for volume 2... and it's my third time rewatching akjdhfklasdf

but kurumi can still eat butt bc i still hate her.