Collection of 4 Short Stories     Aug 21, 2008     reviewed by Obsessed    

Short-Tempered Melancholic is a collection of four short stories from the early years of Arina Tanemura. By far the best work is the title work.

In Short-Tempered, the reader get a nicely packaged story of a female ninja, Kajika, determined to protect her family’s secret weapon. The story moves quickly and maintains the reader’s interest. In fact, I would have loved to see a series with Kajika in it. She is an addictive character.

Two of the stories have their hit and miss moments. Rainy Afternoons is a sweet story, but the main female, Minori, is so clueless that it detracts from the story quite a bit. It is similar to This Love is Nonficiton. The characters are enjoyable, but something is lacking. The story fails to be engrossing (and is somewhat contrived) and is easily forgotten.

The last work, The Style of the Second Love is the oldest work, but shines. The love triangle in the story is played out nicely and you actually want the characters to get together in specific pairs. Moreover, Nakamura has to be one of the most enjoyable male leads I’ve seen. He funny, determined, and clingy enough to be cute.

The art is beautiful and standard Tanemura. However, the panels are less crowded and less screentone is use. (A plus for some).

Overall, this is a collection of works that has a few flaws but still a good read. Plus fans of Tanemura will deem this a must have.

Obsessed also recommended: I.O.N., Full Moon, Kamikaze Katitou Jeanne, Time Stranger Kyoko,
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