Aho-Girl (2013)

[アホガール]

Volume 2

Author/Artist: Hiroyuki
Publisher: Kodansha Comics Magazine

Synopsis:
Yoshiko continues to interfere with Akkun's studies, while Sayaka worries about him not having any friends.

Story/Characters:
We start with Akkun trying to show off how he can entertain himself without friends, only for Yoshiko to spoil it for him. Dear Sayaka is such a sweetheart about the whole thing. We then have their teacher Oshieda-sensei trying to counsel Yoshiko, only to get wound up in Yoshiko's pretzel logic. After that, Akkun's birthday is coming up, so Yoshiko and Oppai iinchou infiltrate his room to get ideas for a birthday present. After that trainwreck, we get the brilliant idea that nyotai-mori is the answer. (This may actually be the first time I've encountered nyotai-mori in Japanese media, funnily enough.) We move on to introduce Akkun to Yoshiko's dog before the two of them (that is, Yoshiko and the dog) go to run some errands. It goes as well as you'd expect. Mrs. Hanabatake would've found more success if she'd just sent the dog on his own. Speaking of Mrs. Hanabatake, we have her first encounter with Oppai Iinchou and their legendary rivalry is born.

On a school trip to the woods, Yoshiko proves to be in her element and Akkun tries to leave her, but his efforts are thwarted by Sayaka. Next, Yoshiko takes the park kids to a hero show. Another counseling session with Oshieda-sensei leads to a dance-off (long story). We then have Ryuu'ichi (the punk who looks up to Yoshiko) fumbles through his efforts to befriend Akkun. Then Yoshiko helps Ruri study. The subsequent aho vortex is truly formidable. Between Chapters 30 and 31 is a side story in a more conventional layout than the usual 4-koma series.

We then get introduced to a new character, Inui, who treats Yoshiko like a dog (which may be giving her too much credit). Next, Oppai Iinchou tries to get Akkun's contact info and things spiral out of control, as usual. She then has an embarrassing SNS exchange, not realizing it's Yoshiko who has Akkun's phone. After that, poor Sayaka gets dragged halfway across the country so Yoshiko can personally think the farmer who raised the bananas she's eating. Sayaka's pain doesn't end when Inui makes a return. Lastly, Akkun has to get creative when his usual traps fail to keep Yoshiko out of his room when he's trying to study.

Art:
The art continues to be solid. I find Oppai Iinchou's antics to be particularly funny. A common gag is to scale up one character's desperation across the panels and it never stops being funny.

Other:
We get character profiles for Oshieda-sensei and Inui, a bonus chapter between Chapters 30 and 31, Banana-Hiroyuki's continuing adventures in search of publication and a bonus 4-koma.

Conclusion:
If this series' sense of humor clicked with you in the first volume, you should appreciate what you get here. It's definitely worth a read in my book.

Rating:
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