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Yaya is a shy, introverted sixteen year old girl, who, having
lost her mother at a young age, lives with her over protective
and emotionally invalidating father. School isn't much better
as Yaya is the butt of her so-called friend's jokes. Although
very aware of this Yaya is too timid to fight back. Only on
the weekend, when she dresses in emulation of her favourite
band Juliet and hangs around with similar people, does she
get respite from the horror that is her week. All this is
about to change when Nana hits town, self assured and unafraid
she watches Yaya's back and rights the wrongs done to her.
They should be the best of friend, if only they could meet.
The problem with that is that via a child's magic compact
it is Yaya who, unbeknownst to her, transforms into Nana...
Volume
Three of Othello, by Satomi Ikezawa, is a tale
of teenage angst and body swapping. Volume Three contains
four more entertaining and intelligent chapters as well as
translation notes.
Many
things have changed since Volume
Two. Yaya is much more aware of Nana, and Moriyama
has finally declared his feeling for Yaya. Yet still some
things are less than welcome, with Nana's public antics she
has drawn the attention of Shohei Shingyoji, a promoter of
sorts. When he approaches her in the first part of the book,
chapter nine: Never could Forget, she has the suspicion
that this is the same Shohei who is a teen idol from her favourite
band Juliet.
In
chapter ten: Declaration of War, Ikezawa shows her
street cred, with the over thirties, by including Led Zeppelin's
song Black Dog in her manga as Nana discovers that
Shohei is indeed from Juliet and the person Yaya most lusts
after - when Shohei shows an interest in Nana, Moriyama steps
in.
In Double Booking the story continues to move away
from its school yard origins and into the difficulties of
an emotional ménage a trios, well trios at least on
the body count - given that each character also has some sort
of alter ego things could become complex very quickly. To
further the problems of having a multiple personality Yaya
and Nana (Mimi only comes out on weekends) take on different
commitments for the same time and place.
The last chapter, Something's Wrong with You, and Yaya,
makes a new friend in Hano, though Hano makes an enemy of
Nana.
Othello
continues to entertain me in a way that still surprises. What
should just be a female teen manga has so many other levels.
It grips your attention without the need to stoop to flashes
of panties or meaningless and repetitive fight scenes. The
art continues to be of a high quality as does the writing.
All in all it's a bit of a gem.
Charles
Packer
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