Top Dog! Suguri is able to bond with Henry, a volatile German shepherd that everyone else is afraid of, and helps the dog to overcome the painful memories of its owner's near-death experience. Suguri and Henry are put to the test in a televised agility contest, but can they really show 'em who's top dog?!
The main focus was a dog competition. It's good to see Suguri work on her dog skills, but poor Lupin seemed very neglected in this volume. Also, there was a short story about a girl who cut herself and a kidnapping scene. The oddball subplots continue!
An excellent story -- I couldn't stop reading it. I was planning a blanket rating for all my volumes, but this story convinced me to do the books individually.
The one thing about reading this book in school is the awkward fanservice...yeah. But anyway, the suicidal girl-Mika-chan. I figured she was a cutter. I feel really sorry for her that she is so busy with cram school that she doesn't have time for activities like sports. I know how she feels-school is not life and sometimes school is really stressful so everyone NEEDS activities. It was irresponsible for Suguri to give the knife back to her. Obviously Suguri didn't understand and know how to deal with it, but she still shouldn't have done that. Also, just because someone is depressed, it doesn't mean they're suicidal. The men shouldn't assume that she's going to kill herself after she hurts herself. I felt really bad for her when her parents called..."Time to reset...with THIS." And I don't know why Mika-chan went with those men so willingly, that's just not realistic. Did she really think they would let her out of the car? Then Lupin saved her, but he was hurt, I felt so bad. I didn't like how she broke down so easily in front of Suguri. I also didn't like how she said she cut due to websites-it is more instinctive than that. She also wouldn't have been able to make up with her family so easily. But I also like how Henry and Suguri did the race and made Henry happy again.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
No one is more crazy for dogs than Suguri. She loves and accepts all of them, no matter what they look like or what their personalities might be. She believes all dogs are good, and it only takes a little love to bring the goodness out of them. The dog she encounters in this installment is a German Shepherd named Henry. Henry has been in a bad mood since his owner was hospitalized. Lucky for him that Suguri is around. She soon finds out that agility training and competition make Henry happy, so she becomes his handler, and his mood begins to lift. She must also find a way to bond with Henry, although it comes at Lupin's expense.
Although I like Henry's character, I did not enjoy this story as much as some of the other issues. I am a Lupin fan, so while I enjoyed Lupin's bravery at the beginning, he really played no further role in the story.
As always, Crazy for Dogs did not disappoint! I'm glad the cliffhanger from Volume 4 was resolved, and I like that Suguri has grown as a character and is showing herself to be more assertive and responsible. I especially liked the story line with Henry. I felt bad for Lupin, though. :(
So far I own 1-5 and 7-8. I can never seem to find the sixth one, which is depressing because I'd really like to know how Suguri handled giving up that german shepard she'd worked so hard to train.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
So sweet that Henry trusted Suguri enough that they bonded! It's an awesome feeling when an animal that doesn't like ANYONE will allow you to pet them and be near them.