The Secret Notes of Lady Kanoko: Volume 1

by Airiko Tsujita, 201 pages

Kanoko is an observer of human nature. She sits in the back of her junior high classroom and giddily watches the little dramas and comedies and sleight of hand play out before her. Boy A likes girl B who's sweet on boy C who couldn't care less but occasionally talks to her just because he enjoys watching Boy A squirm with jealousy.... And of course, Kanoko takes notes--detailed, insightful ones, in fact. And what's the first rule of being a good observer? Being just that--an observer. You can't get an accurate picture if you're part of the image, yourself. So detached Kanoko is understandably frustrated and unnerved when a few of her test subjects decide to do the unthinkable and, ignoring her grumbles and protestations, insist on voluntarily interacting with her on a regular basis. In other words, she makes some friends.

I was a little confused at first, as Kanoko transfers schools every chapter so she can widen her behavioral science experiences with a fresh crop of guinea pigs. Inevitably, however, somebody up and talks to her and appreciates her unasked advice and grows up a little in the process, as does she. And her original trio of friends from her first school do not abandon her, nor she them, so there's a nice little thread of continuity there. It's rather sweet, actually.

And this first volume stands alone quite nicely in the event that another publisher is unable to pry the series' English language license from Tokyopop's cold, dead hands. *grumble grumble fume fume*