Saikano, Vol. 2: Volume 2

by Shin Takahashi

"Parental advisory: explicit content"--Cover.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1591164745
• ISBN13: 9781591164746
• Release Date: October 2004
• Publisher: Viz Media
• Length: 200 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.0" x 7.5"

Customer Reviews

A sweet and sad love song

I had first heard of the anime adaptation of Saikano, but being more of a manga fan myself I went to read that instead. The series itself is interesting, as you don't find out who's fighting who, and what it's all over. Maybe it's better that way, you can't really put yourself for any particular side or point of view about the war itself. Because the war isn't really the story. Shuji and Chise begin their relationship like many normal high school couples, in that sweet, awkward, and innocent manner that many of us remember. However, their relationship is complicated by the fact that Chise is the ultimate weapon in this war, and as she becomes more capable in her duty as a weapon, her humanity is stripped away. As the war moves in on their sleepy town, they try to fall in love. For myself, it takes something very well written to get me emotional, and I found myself nearly in tears by the end of several volumes. You know where the series is headed, and especially by the sixth volume, it's very apparent that it will not be a happy ending for Chise and Shuji. It's an extremely emotional story, but also very violent and sexually explicit at times, so a warning to parents. However, it's never thrown in there just for the sake of having sex and violence; it's vital to the storyline. The violence shows the horror of war and how it intimately effects those involved. Sex is present because the characters are desprately trying to hold on to something. Chise wants to feel love to remind herself that she truly is human. In essence, this is a sweet, funny, sad, and heartbreaking series to read. In honesty, it is the best that I have read, and is well worth the money.

A Love Story for everyone

I usually hate any love stories. I just meet them with cold unethusiasm because no one seems to get it right enough. Well, this story doesn't just get it right, it gets to the point that anyone-even the cynic- can see love as the most beautiful and painful thing there is. The thing I noticed about the story is that the situation with Chise is treated in a very unusual way- probably the best of any high-schooler-in-a-war-zone story I've ever seen. The military talk is technical, official, and it completely goes over Chise's head- which is why it's perfect, because realistically they wouldn't break formalities to accomadate one confused schoolgirl, even if she is the megaweapon. So it sounds authentic, but not tedious at all. It sets up the book as more believable and Chise as more likable. The story's in Shuji's point of view most of the time, but it goes to Chise once in a while. So you hear everything first hand from one of the lovers. And you see how much his love for Chise consumes and scares him, but not in a sappy way-in a very heavy, desperate, and determined way. It literally puts love in perspective. There's a lot of words, but they're emotional words, and you'll find yourself going slower than you usually would with a manga so Shuji's deep inner thoughts on love reaches you better. You'll read them over and over and then sit quietly in reflection. This manga is something that has a lot of reread value, because of course everyone's feelings on love changes as time goes on. The art is... what I'd call evanescently innocent. Most of the pictures look a little ghostly. But the characters are cute abnd childish for the seriousness of the story, and sketchy. Though highly stylized, it fits the plot perfectly. Saikano's trademark feature, though, would be the nonstop blushing. The relationships between all the characters-major and minor- are simply amazing.I f you've ever been in love, it'll break your heart- and if you haven't, you'd wish you'd had been just so you could understand.

The Cream of the Crop

Saikano is, hands down, an amazing manga... it's beautiful in many aspects. The art, the sad love story, and even the dialogue... everything is written and drawn flawlessly. It's easy for anyone to understand, yet it really pulls at your emotions. I don't find it "depressing," but it is a serious series. You'll probably, like me, be hooked by the first volume. It's all just such a GOOD read and so... sincere! Note... If you like more of a cheerful manga, then Saikano is not for you. Also, be warned that it contains death, war, sex, violence, language and etc.

Amazing story! And... A warning for parents.

If you ever have reached that point where you think that there really isn't anything innovative left in today's anime and manga then you must not have read Saikano (Saishuu-heiki Kanojo). This is one story that manages to juggle various genre, and successfully reach the hearts of both guys and girls alike. It's a modern day love story, it has mecca-driven sci-fi style, it's a story of war and of friendship, of loss and of pain... It's a little bit of everything for everybody. It's a story destined not to let you down. I say all this with a small warning for parents. The story begins where the two main characters are innocents, so nothing happens, but the thought of sex is ever present. There is not much physically... in the beginning... But be warned that by the seventh volume our protagonist's story will definitely be NC17 worthy.

A beautiful story...

Some people say they'd do anything for the person they love. You'll see lots of that (and MORE, MUCH MORE) in Saishuu Heiki Kanojo, the story of Chise and Shuji, two highschool sweethearts that have an unusual relationship because of the communication problems they have, not mentioning that Chise is a weapon...The plot of the story isd just fantastic and what's most important it makes you THINK. You won't just eat the argument up whan you read the comic book.I'd qualify it for 16+ ages due to the explicital sexual content in some of the books and the extreme violence.