Review: Blue Flag vol 1 – Kaito
Blue Flag, Vol. 1by Kaito, Adrienne Beck
Series: Blue Flag #1
Publisher: VIZ Media LLC, Violet Gaze Press
Publication Date: April 4, 2017
Genres: Graphic Novel, Young Adult, Romance
Pages: 224
Source: Library, Kindle Unlimited
My rating:
An unexpected love quadrangle with a dash of unrequited love as two classmates, a boy and a girl, begin to fall for each other when each of their best friends have already fallen for them.
Love is already hard enough, but it becomes an unnavigable maze for unassuming high school student Taichi Ichinose and his shy classmate Futaba Kuze when they begin to fall for each other after their same-sex best friends have already fallen for them.
For some reason, Taichi Ichinose just can’t stand Futaba Kuze. But at the start of his third year in high school, he finds himself in the same homeroom as her, along with his childhood friend Toma Mita, a star athlete. But one day, Futaba opens up to Taichi and admits she has a crush on Toma. She then asks for his help in confessing to him! There’s just one problem—Toma seems to already have a secret crush on someone else.
I śaw the cover of this manga at my library and immediately picked it up. And I’m so glad I did! It’s a “sure, I’ll help you date my best friend!” story set in a Japanese high school, with plenty of humor and a thread of something more serious underneath.
Taichi knew his third year of high school would be difficult but ending up in a class without his close friends? Ugh. Not to mention Futaba, the awkward girl that Taichi strongly dislikes, is in his class again, but at least his elementary school friend Toma seems happy to see him. It’s that friendship that makes Futaba ask him for help with her crush on Toma after an awkward bookstore encounter. From “coincidental” meetings to elocution exercises, Taichi’s spending more time with Futaba than Toma – and discovering that his dislike of her is a thing of the past.
Toma is basically the star of the third year. He’s athletic, smart and basically talented at anything, not to mention very attractive. Even though they were friends in elementary school, Taichi can’t understand why Toma still keeps talking to him. Futaba is on the far opposite end of the spectrum, shy, clumsy and awkward. Taichi describes her at one point as a small defenseless animal, like a hamster, and that imagery persists (hilariously) through the volume.
And then there’s Taichi. It’s easy for the reader to draw parallels between him and Futaba. Taichi drifts through his school days, hanging out with the same friends, playing the same games. After all, if you don’t try anything new, you can’t be disappointed or have any regrets when things don’t go well. It’s easier not to try. But even when Taichi reveals that Toma has a crush – on someone who’s the polar opposite of her – Futaba keeps trying as she’s done with giving up on what she wants, even if it feels destined to not go well. How can Taichi not respect that?
Of course, there’s lots of humor along with the wannabe romance and the art is perfect for both. While it’s no secret that I prefer full color manga, I honestly can’t imagine this in anything other than black and white. My favorite part is the varied expressions of the characters, especially when one of them is doing something completely ridiculous – or, like the panel above, when Taichi is getting smacked over the head with The Feels.
This is only the first volume but it ends in a good spot, especially with the big reveal of who Toma’s crush is. I’ve already checked out the next volume and can’t wait!
