A review by bluehairedreads
Strobe Edge, Vol. 4 by Io Sakisaka

4.0

4 stars.

"Are you sure you're seeing him for who he really is?"

"What's with you? What part of Ren is childish?"

"I get it. It's not that you're not seeing it. It's that he's not showing it to you."

Bro, when I tell you my jaw dropped reading that! Io Sakisaka really popped off with the dialogue in that scene omg. I'm liking this series more and more. I really love the way Io Sakisaka shows the characters' emotions, especially certain emotions that are really complicated and hard to articulate. The scene of Mayuka turning to Ren after she found out her dad is getting remarried and you just see him realize in that moment that he has feelings for Ninako and simultaneously buried them deep inside because he feels like he needs to be there for Mayuka. To be steady and constant in a way that nothing else is in her life, even if that means shutting something inside himself down and pulling away from Ninako. Damn those panels were really good. I love how the way the characters emote. It's just so clear and you understand them even without the dialogue.

Also I HATE Ando. He genuinely pisses me off and I just can't stand him at this point. I feel like his first love was into Ren and that whole situation where he still went out with her while knowing that she was interested in Ren, only to realize that the girlfriend was never really interested in him, plays a part into why he is the way he is with Ninako. It feels like he is trying to prove to himself and Ren that the only reason he lost his first love was because he didn't put in the effort to fight for her. I think that plays a part as to why I really don't like him. Because it feels like he is using Ninako as a way to compete with Ren and by getting her to choose him, is like saying "See? I one-upped you." Maybe I'm reading too much into it but that's where I'm at. I really don't like him and how selfish he is.

It's interesting seeing Daiki getting a girlfriend, since I thought that he would be the many second lead of the series. I like seeing his relationship with Sayuri though. I'm grateful that even though the dad wanted to move, he still gave Daiki the choice to decide if he wanted to stay or go. I like that he didn't just drag him too, without considering Daiki's life and feelings.

Those last pages still really shook me. I'm not sure where volume 5 is gonna go. We can already tell that Mayuka knows there is a connection between Ren and Ninako and that she feels threatened by it. We also see the ways that Ren holds back from Mayuka, like with the sweets things, even though he does that so she won't feel guilty. Honestly, I just feel bad for everyone (minus Ando...). It feels like everyone is having their hearts broken in some way and I'm sad for them. Love is tough.