Selfish Love: Book 2

Rating:
Summary: the conclusion of the story....
Review: after months of waiting, i finally got my hands on this volume. even though i don't recommend readers to pick up this volume without checking up the first, it's still easy enough to follow the story.

in this manga, we're finally able to see the resolution of the turbulent relationship between orito and ryuya. ryuya's past concerning orito are also explored, and we get to see the real person behind the smirking facade of orito. although not exactly original plot-wise, the characters are lovable, and that includes the supporting cast. koujima's art is nice and sharp as usual and even if the translation sometimes feel a bit stiff, it's not bad. there are bits of violence and non-con scenes in this installment though, and it's noticeably darker than the first volume. the story moves slowly at first, and kinda have a rushed feeling towards the end, but still very much enjoyable. what can you expect from this installment? well... there's gowns, swords, feuds, rivalry and jealousy... i leave the rest to your imagination.

book 2 contains the remaining chapters of selfish love with no extra or side stories, unlike volume 1. also, there's cameo appearances of some of koujima's characters from another of her work. which is fun for readers who had read some of her other mangas... took me quite a while to figure out which manga the characters were from... ha ha ha.

all in all, this installment is entertaining and provides a solid ending to all the angst and madness that is selfish love. the art is topnotch as usual (see my review of the first volume), and i greatly recommend this volume for those who loved the first book. enjoy!