MY NEIGHBOR SEKI VOL 2 BY TAKUMA MORISHIGE

Seki is up to his antics again, hardly ever paying attention during class and having a bag packed full of games instead of schoolwork. He tries to impress Yokoi with a magic trick, Japanese chess with a seemingly tragic, heroic story, table top golf, zombie Othello, and so much more. The class also takes a trip to a camp, where Yokoi gets a rare glimpse at her neighbor’s childhood. Back in class, the two are noticed by Goto, who desperately wants to be Yokoi’s friend, but thinks all they’re up to is sneaking kisses and loving glances during class.

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Similarly to the first volume, most of this story takes place inside Yokoi’s head. She invents a storyline for the Japanese chess pieces based young the kanji Seki has drawn. She spends a lot more time thinking about what Seki’s doing and even less time paying attention. The addition of Goto, plus taking the story outside the walls of the classroom, was really needed to add some depth to the story, and provides a lot of opportunity to continue with the humor of the story. I think Seki’s “I did a magic trick, be impressed” face is my favorite so far in this series. It’s just so cute and outlandish. 

All of Seki’s games continue to be beautiful and drawn with a lot of detail. Yes, this story is ultimately about not paying attention in class, and how that negatively affects Yokoi, but this is a worry purchase for Seki’s continued antics and the humor throughout the story.

Sara’s Rating: 9/10
​Suitability Level:  Grades 4-12

Reviews of previous volumes in this series: vol 1 

Tags: Rating: 9/10, Suitability: Elementary School, Suitability: Middle School, Suitability: High School, Manga, Realistic Fiction, School-Age, Humor