School Rumble

(Volume 4)
by

Jin Kobayashi

Del Rey, December 2006, 186 pp.
ISBN: 978-0-345-49150-3

Genre: Comics
Subgenre: Manga
Reviewed: 6/22/2008

Reviewed by: Conan Tigard

Book Cover

Manga Page

Synopsis

Kenji Harima still wants to confess his love to Tsukamoto Tenma, but she is thinks he asks ever girl that he can see out. While fixing the air conditioner outside of her room, he overhears Tenma state that he is the very lowest of human beings. This sends him into a blue funk. later, Hanai Haruki thinks that Harima has hurt Suô Mikoto, even though he hasn't, and they end up in a big ol' judo fight.

Later, everyone decides to go camping out in the woods and stay in a log cabin. When Tenma sees Harima talking with her younger sister, Tsukamoto Yakumo, in the woods, she gets the wrong impression. To tell the truth, he wanted to ask Harima about her sister, who he is totally in love with, and Yakumo wanted to ask him about animals, as he seems to be an expert.

Tenma challenges Harima to a test of courage in a one-on-one match. Harima readily agrees as  he sees it as a chance to be alone with Tenma. They start a foot race through the woods and suddenly it starts to rain. After Tenma falls into a creek, Harima carries her piggyback-style and they find an abandoned school house. Once inside, they a fire to warm up and to dry off. Of course, Harima doesn't know how to ask Tenma to remove her wet clothes so he can dry them, so he strips down to show her what he wants. She takes this action the wrong way too. Can he never do anything right?

School Rumble: Volume 4 is a manga book written and drawn by Jin Kobayashi. This story was Translated and Adapted by William Flanagan and Lettered by Michaelis / Carpelis Design. This book contains the following chapters:

#47 - Girl Fight

#48 - Outrageous Fortune

#49 - Tora! Tora! Tora!

#50 - Working Girl

#51 - Singles

#52 - The Wrong Man

#53 - Thunder Cop

#54 - Somewhere in Time

#55 - Twin Peaks

#56 - Haunted Honeymoon

#57 - Bodily Harm

#58 - The Four Seasons

 

b09 - Call of the Wild

b10 - Lady in White

b11 - Only When I Laugh

b12 - Bless the Beasts & Children

There are also some sections in the book for: A) Honorifics Explained, B) Cultural Note, C) The Guide to School Rumble, D) School Rumble Official Character Trading Cards, E) About the Creator, F) Translation Notes, and G) a Preview of Volume 5, although the preview is in Japanese. The book reads from right to left and back to front, just like a book from Japan. This manga book is intended for readers ages 13 and up.

Review

School Rumble: Volume 4 is another fun-filled volume of this highly entertaining manga series. I do love Kenji Harima the best of all the characters in this series. My problem with all the girls is that I keep getting them all confused with each other. Half the time I don't know who anybody is because some of them look just like the other girls. Then one of them cuts her hair and I have no idea who she is. Oh well, I guess it only really matters if I know who the main characters are.

As for the stories, they are all light and fun, although I didn't like when Eri thought Tenma was talking about sex when she was really talking about wrestling. In my mind, since the book is intended for 13 and older, I don' think sex should be mentioned at all. The artwork is great, as usual. The translation and adaptation could use some polishing, though. It doesn't flow as smoothly as it should.

Overall, School Rumble: Volume 4 is a great and funny manga book that made me smile a lot as I was reading it. Will Harima ever get to declare his love for Tenma? And if he does, will she believe him? Maybe we will get to find out the answer to these questions in School Rumble: Volume 5. I hope so, but I think that Jin Kobayashi will drag this out as long as possible.

I rated this book an 8 out of 10.