Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kun, Vol. 4

月刊少女野崎くん [Gekkan Shōjo Nozaki-kun] #4

by Izumi Tsubaki

Nozaki-kun is a pro, but he doesn't always act like one...

Nozaki's daily life as a professional manga-ka may revolve around drawing and deadlines, but random weirdness is never far behind! When Chiyo tells Nozaki she wants to see more drama in his manga, he rises to the task...by trying to pull bizarre pranks on her for inspiration?! Then, Nozaki gets his hands on a girls' dating sim after an attempt to cozy up to his editor, and the boys have a sleepover to play it through, only to be shocked silly by the absurd plot twists! And wait, what's this?! Nozaki has a little brother who's as much of a weirdo as he is?! Just as the all-important, romance-boosting summer festival is rolling around, Chiyo has two Nozakis to contend with...?!

Genres: Manga, Romance, Humor, Comics, Comedy, Graphic Novels, Slice Of Life

160 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 22, 2014

About the author

See also: 椿いづみ (Japanese name)


She is a Japanese manga artist known for creating The Magic Touch and Oresama Teacher which have both been serialized on the Hana to Yume magazine.
Tsubaki began drawing manga in her first year of high school. She was soon selected to be in the top 10 of Hana to Yume Mangaka Course, and subsequently won the Big Challenge contest.

Reviews

[Mehsi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great volume in this series. Boxes, boxes everywhere!

[Ren Puspita · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yo yo yo, Nozaki and the gank back to the corner yooo

*ga jelas :v*

Bisa dilihat dari cover, kali ini pasangan favorit gw si S&M Seo dan Wakamatsu jadi highlight. Kenapa kok gw bilang S&M. Soalnya Seo emang cocok jadi sadist dan Waka itu maso abis. Kok maso? Ya iyalah, dibully Seo mau aja dia, lol! Ga bisa kebayang gimana reaksi Waka kalau tahu Lorelei yang didambakannya itu ternyata orang yang selama ini nyiksa dia. Keren buat jadi tema novel BDSM kayaknya #dikeplak

Seperti biasa, Nozaki &co tetap menggila di volume 4 ini. Semua ceritanya GILA! Dan sukses bikin gw yang sebelum baca nih komik berantem sama misua, terus ketawa guling - guling di lantai (aka ROTFL) dan lupa sama misua (eh ngga lah ya :v). Semua trope di shojo manga diledek habis - habisan dan ngga nanggung pula nyindirnya XD.

Favorite part of course...otome game. Gw kadang ngga ngerti bagusnya game ini dimananya. Pernah dulu install di HP dan...ngehang hpnya :|. Udah ngga jelas maunya apa, ceritanya gimana, yang bagus cuma yang ganteng - ganteng aja :v. Bagian saat si heroine game otome ngiyain aja semua tipe hero dan penjilat sejati sumpah bikin ngakak. Apa semua tokoh utama cewe di game otome itu nrimoan orangnya? :))

Kali ini ada tokoh baru, yaitu Mayu, adiknya Nozaki. Sama kayak kakaknya, Mayu juga ngga kalah anehnya, dan badannya lebih bagus. Tapi itu juga Nozaki mana pernah shirtless. Ayo dong Nozaki, telanjang dada sekali juga gapapa #salahfokus. Bonusnya sih, bisa lihat Mikorin topless, walau cuma sekilas :)). Keluarga Nozaki, surprisely cukup normal, walau bokapnya lebay. Keanehan Nozaki ma Mayu itu nurun dari siapa coba? :v

Kalau pasangan kak Hori sama Kashima...sejak awal emang biasa aja sih. Lebih sukaan Waka-Seo. Gw bahkan mendukung banget Waka-Seo jadian, hanya supaya bisa lihat Seo "nyiksa Waka". Chiyo sih, biarin aja jomblo dan memendam rasa terus sama Nozaki. Karena kalau mereka jadian, bisa jadi cerita ini cepet selesainya :v.

Senengnya, ada dossier di belakang manga ini yang isinya biodata semua tokoh. Penerjemahnya gokil abis. Apalagi masalah ukuran dada. Yang sadis mungkin ukuran dada Kashima yang dibilang kayak papan penggilesan :)))).

Menunggu volume 5 terbit...dan ini kayaknya bakalan lama nunggu vol selanjutnya. Lah di Jepun aja baru sampe vol 6 :'(

[Ray Flores · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5
I can’t get enough of these teenagers. And I love the addition of Mayu, Nozaki’s younger brother, ‘cause he gets along with Mikorin (I ship them!). But we also see a few scenes between Waka and Seo –she’s both his downfall and his medicine for insomnia, lol.

Overall, I like the interaction between all of these characters and I always have a good time, laughing out loud even. I like their friendships, jokes and possible couples.

The chapters are random so don’t expect to follow a regular sequence.

PREVIOUS REVIEWS:
Volume 1 | Volume 2 | Volume 3

[Apollo Mul · Rating 5 out of 5]

The kids are still Stupid and I still love them.

This volume introduces Nozaki's family, which is great!! Sometimes in shoujo manga, it doesn't give a good glimpse into the family life of characters, and it was pleasant to see Nozaki's relationships outside of his friends. His brother is also a Big Mood (doesn't want to exert too much energy and calculates how much energy a task will take. Same, buddy).

[Biondy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ada orang tua dan saudaranya Nozaki. Di animenya gak ada sih. Akhirnya terjawab juga kenapa Nozaki tinggal di apartemen seorang diri :)).

[Sirene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wieder ein lustiger Comic aus der Reihe!

[Karina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 4.5 Stars: ★★★★ 1/2 (Maybe 4? Still deciding on a rating)
Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kun continues to be one of the funniest manga series I've ever read! Tsubaski brilliantly subverts typical romance tropes, so the cast of characters and the ridiculous situations they get into make this series so much fun! Vol. 4 definitely delves into more of the relationships between characters and introduces a lot of great story lines.

I've really missed this series and now that its finally on Netflix, I felt more motivated to continue the series! Chiyo isn't as prominent in this volume as Nozaki, Mikoshiba, Waka & Hori were, but every skit where they were all together was just fantastic! They dynamic and friendship between them is such a major part of this series that I love. Easily one of my favorite squads in a book series, they are all so wonderful dorks and I love them!!

My new favorite duo was Waka and Mikoshiba!! I also enjoyed the new character introduction: Mayu (I never would have guessed Nozaki had a brother?!), his panels were a lot of fun to read.

Overall there's just more hilarious moments in this volume between everyone and for the series as a whole, I appreciate how subtle the jokes are because it makes them that much more funny when you reach that last panel!!

I honestly cannot pick my favorite skit of this volume because each one was hilarious in its own way, especially the ones that focused on Nozaki getting inspiration for his manga. Some funny/favorite moments include:
↠ The first issue where Nozaki is getting more inspiration for "surprising" plot points
↠ (14): Where he enjoyed walking with Chiyo <3
↠ All of Mikoshiba's scenes XD ↠ Nozaki's sleepover ↠ The festival with everyone there! <3
↠ Those last 2 pages of Chiyo and Nozaki!!

Compared to vol.3, it felt like there were more clear story lines which made the plot connect more seamlessly.

Maybe its because I've watched more of the anime, but Nozaki felt more serious and agitated in this one compared to past volumes and the anime, maybe I'm just reading into it too much XD?

My only critiques is that because this volume is longer compared to the previous ones the pacing can feel a bit slow in minor parts. Also, I personally felt the moments with Ken (Nozaki's editor) kind of slowed the story down, especially when we learn all about how he & Nozaki started working together.

Monthly Girls Nozak-kun Vol. 4 brilliantly explores the stellar chemistry and dynamic between the main cast! The plot continues to subvert romantic tropes, expectations, and delivers fun new situations for our favorite characters to get into! Can't wait to continue with Vol. 5!
↠ Additional notes to be added!

[Shae · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoy this series. Probably more than I should. These characters are so fun. I can see why the anime didn't take each story and turn it into the anime. Still really enjoying it though.

[Beckiezra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was a bit annoyed with some choices made in the formatting of this volume. Since there generally have not been translation notes in the back (they were first randomly in the middle of the volume and later just small notes on the comics themselves which was actually helpful and fit with four panels in a way that wouldn't work in most manga) I didn't think to look for a page of notes and was a bit put off by the lack of explanation for some words. There were also extras in the middle and again at the end which was confusing because I thought the volume was ending early and the extras weren't really a break from the story anyway.

Still, the art was lovely and the story had me laughing out loud at times. The brother character was entirely new to me and I kind of want to see more of everyone's families now and maybe some character or relationship developments. The character introductions at the end were nice, too, though in the 5th volume a bit late. I've ordered all the volumes available at the library and I'm considering rewatching the anime while I wait.

[eri b.❀ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this volume so much!!! Even a little more than the past ones, maybe because it already caught up to the anime? Maybe because I'm in love with Mikoshiba and Kashima and they had such good scenes? Especially Mikoshiba he really got to shine!! Ah but what I really loved where the scenes with Kashima and Hori... I'm just... so in love with their love aaah ♡

[Wordsworn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love. This series. SO HECKIN' MUCH.

I really can't get over how much I love it. It made me genuinely laugh out loud multiple times--it's so ridiculous and wonderful! The characters are quirky, and yet some of them are still very easy to relate to...whether it's annoyance at a particularly irritating coworker, or (sometimes unintentionally) trolling a friend, or watching someone just keep on completely missing the point about something that should be simple or obvious.

5/5 stars, for all the legit LOL!

[Jenny Clark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Same as the other volumes, it's pretty fun but relies on a lot of tropes. I do like that the side characters actually get a decent bit of development as well.
Check out my YouTube channel for bookish videos and monthly wrap ups!

[Sinta Nisfuanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

isi komik ini sebenarnya gak penting, tapi selalu sukses bikin ketawa, dan karena itulah saya tetap setia untuk membaca lanjutannya :))

[Noseinabook · Rating 3 out of 5]

This manga is truly witty and adorable 😊

[serena · Rating 5 out of 5]

we're getting CRUMBS of romantic progression between sakura and nozaki!!!!! (primo slow burn)

introduction to mayu!!! so salty the anime doesn't have a second season bc id love to see mayu in the anime

also i ship mayu x mikorin

[Aurora Dimitre · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ooooh getting on close to the end of the anime here, so I'm super excited going forward. Still, there's a lot here that the anime did cut (i.e., the weird subplot where Nozaki, Wakamatsu, and Hori all decide to play a dating sim, that was fun), and so this is... this is just a hilarious series.

[Tania · Rating 4 out of 5]

Estos morros nunca me fallan. Siempre me hacen reír y no les pido más.

[Lecturas Rotas · Rating 5 out of 5]

veo el anime: me rio
leo el manga: vuelvo a reír

[Katie❄️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

For me I’ve decided not reading the sideways page tags is best for me. They made it feel more like a chore to read and when I stopped I started to really enjoy the story more.

[Megan Johnston · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funnyyyy the otome game took me out

[Haylee Huddleston · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone is so oblivious. All of them. Every last one. Except Ken.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Absurd, silly fun. After just a few weeks' break between this volume and v. 3, I couldn't tell two of the male characters apart. I can't be too hard on myself for that. They don't have even the single personality quirk one expects from a comedy character, and their hairstyles and faces are identical.

[Diné *The Lazy Kitsune* · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is finally explained why Nozaki lives alone, and we get to see his family. Chapter with Miyako was hilarious. A few chapters were in anime, but most of the volume wasn’t so it’s definitely worth reading.
Kashima and Hori are still my favorites🌪

[Heather D-G · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an incredibly fun volume that gave all the characters time to shine. The life of a high school mangaka with all its twists and turns!

[Ren (A Bookish Balance) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25/5

[Yue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enters Mayu, Nozaki's little brother.

Favorite chapters: everything that has Kashima and Hori on it (like the festival) and Wakamatsu and Seo (like the festival); Ken-san and Nozaki's first meeting... But the best of the best, the pajama party, with all the boys (Nozaki, Wakamatsu, Mikoshiba, Hori). I was laughing the whole chapter.

I want more yonkoma (4-koma - 4 panels) manga. Seems like this kind of manga is the funniest.

[haven ⋄ f (hiatus) · Rating 5 out of 5]

read 2. I forgot about some of this lol.
---
And here I was, thinking that the last volume was hilarious! This completely topped that! This is probably one of my favorite series.

There are more characters introduced, and with them, backstory gets brought to a light. I really enjoyed the Dad's reaction over time. Nozaki is so oblivious and so focused on his manga. It makes for some pretty great misunderstandings.

Can't wait for the next!!

[Audrey Lei Lacambra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seo and Waka is <3 <3

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hilarious! Especially the otome game chapter, which was probably one of the most glorious chapters I've ever read in comedy manga.

[Yoshiro · Rating 4 out of 5]

PopKulturowy Kociołek:

Nozaki niestrudzenie pracuje nad stworzeniem perfekcyjnego dzieła, o którym będą mówić i pisać wszyscy. Pragnie on uczynić swoją mangę bardziej interesującą i dynamiczną. Nie ma ku temu lepszego sposobu niż „przetestowanie” kilku różnych wariantów fabularnych. Nikogo nie powinno ponadto zdziwić, że Umetaro postanowi wykorzystać do tego swoją asystentkę. Początkowy zachwyt Sakury szybko jednak zostaje ochłodzony i pozostaje tylko rozczarowanie (czyli jak zawsze).

Kolejny raz ważną częścią historii jest dynamika przyjaźni i miłości pomiędzy poszczególnymi postaciami. Fani cyklu raczej przywykli już do tego, że nie prędko Nozaki dostrzeże uczucia Chiyo (nic na to nie wskazuje, aby nagle miało się coś zmienić). Znaczące postępy „uczuciowe” robią jednak inni bohaterowie. Wakamatsu i Seo nie tylko coraz lepiej się rozumieją, ale również z każdą kolejną chwilą zaczynają mocniej akceptować coraz silniejsze emocje pomiędzy nimi (bez kilka zabawnych wpadek jednak się nie obejdzie).

Miłą odskocznią od „romantycznej” treści mangi jest wprowadzenie do historii nowej postaci. Jest nią brat Nozakiego, co pozwala twórcy na odsłonięcie przed czytelnikiem kilka szczegółów jego przeszłości. Znaleźć można tutaj jednak również pewne słabsze momenty. Jednym z nich są retrospekcje związane z redaktorem Nozakiego, które bardzo spowalniają scenariusz i nie zawsze wnoszą do opowieści coś ciekawego (w kilku miejscach są one raczej niepotrzebnym zapychaczem).

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