ココにいるよ！2

Koko ni Iru Yo! #2

by Ema Tōyama, 遠山えま

Arme Hikage! Seit sie denken kann hatte das verschüchterte Mädchen nie eine Freundin und sogar in ihrer Klasse kennt kaum jemand ihren Namen. Trost findet sie nur in ihrem Internet-Blog, in dem sie regelmäßig von zwei mitfühlenden Bloggern Tipps und Unterstützung erhält. Doch dann gesteht ausgerechnet Schulschwarm Hinata ihr urplötzlich seine Liebe und stellt damit Hikages gesamte Selbstwahrnehmung auf den Kopf!
Aber während für Hikage ein Traum in Erfüllung geht, haben ihre neidischen Schulkameradinnen nicht vor, die entstehende Beziehung zu tolerieren…

Genres: Manga, Romance, Shojo, Slice Of Life, Drama, Contemporary, Manga Romance

168 pages, Paperback

First published July 23, 2013

About the author

Japanese Name: 遠山 えま

She made her debut in September 2003 in the monthly manga magazine Nakayoshi with her story, Tenshi no Tamago ("Angel's Egg", no relation to the anime movie of the same name). Gokkun! Pūcho is considered her best representative work. Tokyopop has licenced it under the title Pixie Pop. All of her works are published by Kodansha, and they are enjoyed mainly by preteen and teen girls. None of her series have yet become anime.

Reviews

[Sonja Rosa Lisa ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hikage Sumino ist ein schüchternes und unscheinbares Mädchen, das bisher sehr einsam war. Doch nun interessiert sich ausgerechnet Hinata Muto für sie, der beliebteste Junge der Schule. Das passt den anderen Mädchen überhaupt nicht, was sie Hikage deutlich spüren lassen. Doch Hikage will sich diesmal nicht unterkriegen lassen.
**
Mein Leseeindruck:
Die Geschichte war ziemlich schnell gelesen, da hier auch für einen Manga recht wenig Text vorkam. Hier kamen einige Zeichnungen ganz ohne Text aus. Trotzdem hat mir dieser zweite Band sehr gut gefallen. Besonders die Botschaft, die hinter der Story steckt, mag ich sehr. Auch die Zeichnungen konnten mich überzeugen. Den nächsten Band werde ich somit auf jeden Fall auch noch lesen!

[Phoenix2 · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story got better after the slow start. The art is good and the characters start to get more open with the leader. Though, the big twist is kind of easy to detect.

[Kristin ✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really thought Hinata would be the pig, and the other guy the rabbit. It's kinda funny because this means that Hinata has been the person to tell her not to relay on him and not go after himself, interesting.

[Lottie Eve · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is getting better but... it's getting a bit melodramatic...

[Bibliothecat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review for complete series



Hikage has always found it difficult to make friends as she is too shy to speak to her classmates. After an accident, she misses the first days at her new school and finds upon her return that her new class has already formed clusters of friends. Not belonging to any of them or having other friends to call her own, she shares her thoughts on her online blog where two strangers comfort and encourage her.

I am no poet but the English blurb is awful. I Am Here! is a beautiful manga that seems to get a bit of undeserved hate and it definitely deserves a better marketing text. This manga does feature a couple of shoujo clishés - I know some people hate them like the plaque whereas I am usually not too bothered provided they are done well. There is much more to Hikage's story than just a bunch of clichés though.

Yes, Hikage is a complete outcast and her love interest Hinata is the most popular boy at school - haven't we all heard that one before. But a stark contrast to other series is that it's primarily Hinata who seeks Hikage out whereas all she is looking for is friendship. Hinata also has reasons for liking her beyond I-saw-her-and-I-liked-her. Hikage is so unfamiliar with friendships and social life that romance isn't even on her radar when the story starts and I think the development between the two is done just right. Hinata definitely did well by her by giving her the time and space she needed as well as helping her get out into the world.

Now, Hikage as a main character seems to get her fair share of criticism from readers. I can kind of see where people are coming from - she is shy and she cries a lot . But I absolutely do not see her as a weak character. People are different and there are so many different forms of strength. Even though it is only ever said that she is shy, I think it is safe to say that she has some form of social phobia. As someone who has gone through high school with social anxiety I can tell you: yes, it can seem like the hardest thing in the world to enter a classroom yet alone say something. Social anxiety can be downright crippling to the point that it makes you physically sick. If my assumption that Hikage is more than just shy is correct, I find the portrayal of her behaviour more than realistic. She is desperately lonely and yet terrified once eyes are turned on her. It makes her knees shake, cry and run home to hide under a blanket, not knowing how she will face the next day. By the end of the story, Hikage might still be a shy girl, but she grows a lot throughout the series and learns to stand up for herself and maker herself heard. It takes a lot out of her and I think it may be hard to relate to for some just how difficult those situations are.

While this is definitely a romance manga, friendship and belonging are an equally big theme throughout I Am Here!. This manga is filled with lovely metaphors that just seem to hit the nail on the head. I love how Hikage describes feeling the warmth of belonging to a circle of friends for the first time, the way friendship and companionship are shown throughout the series really raises this beyond your average romance manga. Hikage also tends a sunflower throughout the story which equals her own growth as she finds herself out in the open sky turned toward the sun.

I Am Here! might still not be Tōyama at her best, but the art is very pretty and I love how she draws emotion onto characters' faces. It's a beautiful and heartfelt story that can encourage shy readers to go out there and do their best as well. It's definitely a favourite of mine and doesn't deserve bad press just because Hikage isn't a kick-ass heroine - she's a heroine in her own right.

[Elaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series is so cute and still ultra adorable! I am so proud of the main character and I could relate so much.

[Alice4170 🌙 · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5 ⭐️

[lin · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5⭐

[Shirley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love how Sumino Come up for herself. She was Just like me in school.

[LM · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this volume of Koko ni Iru Yo! more than the first one. The story is still so melodramatic and angsty, but it was still able to tackle more serious issues.

Because Hikage gets closer to Hinata, mean girls start to bully her. This was so hard to read about since they were – like their name suggest – so mean. Luckily, with the help of the two people on her blog who support her so nicely, she’s able to stand up for herself, and her other classmates joined her. Personally though, I found it a bit unrealistic that everyone would like Hikage this fast suddenly. It annoys me as well that all the female characters only have boys as their motivation.

Looking at the characters, I have to say that the drawings of them sometimes look a bit uncanny and too stiff. Some faces and proportions also look weird. But I still love the character design of Hikage and I liked her as a protagonist, but I wish that we would see her family or something or anyone who cares for her. Also, I kinda ship Teru and Hinata?

[Sinai C. · Rating 3 out of 5]

More As-I-Read-Commentary!!

We start off with the girl-bullying again. Sigh...why must all girls be so rude to the girl who gets with the main guys? LIke, sheesh- be happy for her!

O.O Black Rabbit...just who...on earth are you? O.O I think the pig might be the other guy then!!! Ahhh!!

Those girls are awful...even her almost-friend has to back down. Ughhh...8th graders.

Awww!! Megapig and Black Rabbit are really being so nice to her...I like this moment. They really are her friends <3

Omg...this mob is seriously so weak-willed...omg...the dramatic speech was pretty over the top...but at least the mood changed...hopefully she won't get so bullied anymore.

...Hinata-kun...did you not realize that you were talking to this girl the entire time...what the heck??? DUDE. ARE YOU DENSE???

GOODBYE BLACK RABBIT-SAN??? OH NO YOU DON'T! GET YOUR BUTT BACK HERE, SIR!!!

[Mikaela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hmmm.. i wonder who are Mega Pig and Black Rabbit? Haha i have a feeling its Hinata and Teru. XD hahaha i dont know. Lol awww i'm glad she spoke up and in front of her classmates too! Glad her classmates apologized for leaving her out and not noticing her because it really does sucks when nobody does. Nobody wants the feeling of being around people who make you feel alone.


Awww now her classmates are including her in their conversations. That's nice. :) hmmm.. Hinata-kun is being shady. I really think he's black rabbit!

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Waaaaah~ I have a feeling that Hinata's Black Rabbit!!! I'm glad Sumino made friends and cleared up the misunderstanding~ buuuuut, I wonder what that Aya girl is going to do since she said "It's not over yet." whatever. I hope she doesn't show up anymore!!

I'm loving the story~ It's adorable and very exciting to read. I'm looking forward to the next chapter~

[Jewel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Suuuuper good! Extremely amazing! Finished all the volumes in a day. Simply couldn't stop reading!

[Karina Rari · Rating 4 out of 5]

nicht ganz so toll wir der erste aber immer noch klasse und wird weiter gekauft ;)

[Katie (Katie's Corner Blog) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Covers Chapters 6-9

See full review @ Katie's Corner