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Again!! #2
Again!! 2
To Keep the Flame Burning -- Kinichiro’s traveled back in time, and whether this is reality or just an incredibly realistic dream, he’s doing high school all over again. He’s decided that bringing the school’s ouendan cheer squad back from the brink of dissolution is the key to a better high school life, but it might take some begging to get there. Kinichiro’s not much good at begging–but a former ouendan member known as the "Master of Groveling" might be able to pull it off…
208 pages, Paperback
First published November 17, 2011
11 people are currently reading
65 people want to read
About the author
Mitsurou Kubo
45 books23 followersMitsurou Kubo (久保 ミツロウ, Kubo Mitsurō) is a Japanese manga artist, writer, and radio personality born in Sasebo in 1975. She is known for writing on Yuri!!! on Ice, an anime series co-created with Sayo Yamamoto. Two of her manga have been released in English; Moteki by Vertical and Again!! by Kodansha USA. She and Mineko Nomachi have a radio program called Mitsurou Kubo and Mineko Nomachi's All Night Nippon.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
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July 23, 2022i really have no idea where this story is going but since it’s only twelve volumes total, i miiiiight try binge reading it all if i can get everything from my library :”)
i like the juxtaposition of aki and imamura’s stories with both going back in time and reliving high school, but aki goes from being popular and vibrant to being the school outcast while imamura goes from being an invisible outsider to having a group of ~quirky~ and supportive friends
i like the juxtaposition of aki and imamura’s stories with both going back in time and reliving high school, but aki goes from being popular and vibrant to being the school outcast while imamura goes from being an invisible outsider to having a group of ~quirky~ and supportive friends
April 8, 2020
4.5 stars
I really like this manga but I would prefer more of Imamura's point of view than the main female character(already forgot her name).
I really like this manga but I would prefer more of Imamura's point of view than the main female character(already forgot her name).
January 21, 2019
I still like the dichotomy between Aki and Imamura's situations, but I find it a little more difficult to like the members of the Oendan. The captain is prideful, but she only wants what's best for the club. Other than her, Imamura, and the pretty boy, the members include a sexist asshole and a guy who doesn't listen when a girl says no, and then calls her a bitch when he's rebuked! Am I really supposed to root for these two?! I think those traits are meant to be charming and funny, but all they really do is make me long for those boys to give up on the Oendan and find some better replacements.
Imamura's enough to keep me reading for another volume, but I don't know how much longer I'll want to continue if Okuma and Suga can't get their acts together.
Imamura's enough to keep me reading for another volume, but I don't know how much longer I'll want to continue if Okuma and Suga can't get their acts together.
July 17, 2020
4.5 -
This series is so unpredictable. Kinichiro is really stepping out of the mold he created for himself years ago. He’s struggling, of course, but he’s learning from it. It’s enjoyable to read about especially because he’s so extra.
This series is so unpredictable. Kinichiro is really stepping out of the mold he created for himself years ago. He’s struggling, of course, but he’s learning from it. It’s enjoyable to read about especially because he’s so extra.
July 19, 2018
There is a weird thread of realism and heart in this story that I really love. I like that I could see all this stuff really happening (besides the whole time travel aspect), and that the characters felt like real high school students. Kinichiro is unwittingly getting friends, and I'm loving it. Seeing Usami break down and ask for help was a needed point for her character, so I'm glad her stubbornness didn't last much longer. Kinichiro's reaction to the Ouendan cheering for him was such a cute moment (that was of course nearly ruined by teen boy hormones). Still really enjoying this so far! 4/5
September 2, 2019
A golden line from this book is, "Once you manage to push past the embarrassment, you can change the world." The main character, Kinchiro, said that, even after going back in time to 3 years back, he thought that he would have another anti social high-school life. He instead was asked to join the quendan, and cheer for the school. He was kicked off, by the captain, and when he got back on, he believed, that: "I did things over again to see this world," proving that, "Once you manage to push past the embarrassment, you can change the world."
March 30, 2020
3.75!
March 15, 2021
3.5/5
June 8, 2018
Still good! My face genuinely aches from smiling. Watching Imamura grow is gonna be a sight to see.
January 24, 2024
Haha! Imamura is now invested in something! 🙌🙌 I love how straightforward he is- it’s quite refreshing ❤️
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 25, 2018
Earlier this year I read Again!! Vol 1. I enjoyed it, and said I was going to continue on with the series. So here I am having just finished the second volume, making good on my promise to report back you all on what I thought about Again!! Vol 2 by Mitsurou Kubo.
The story continues with Kinichirou trying to thwart the cheerleading club’s efforts to get rid of the ouendan club once and for all. The overall pacing of this volume was extremely fluid. Sections from Kinichirou and Akira’s points of view flowed together very naturally, more so than the previous volume. Several new characters are introduced with extremely varied personalities.
There is subtle humor throughout the manga. Those who have watched a lot of anime and read a lot of manga may find a certain comedic element in many of the scenes simply because they never stray into the more trope filled territory that you might expect, especially for something in a sports manga. One of the more blatant examples of this is when Kinichirou is trying to convince prior members of the oeundan club to return. When an old member who is now head of the karate club states that he will rejoin ouendan if Kinichirou can beat him in a karate match we ready for our non-sportsman protagonist to pull out his protagonist powers and beat this annoying third year in a match. But Kinichirou defies our expectations by stating that no, he isn’t do this, it’s sort of a dumb idea, and that they don’t really need his help that much anyway.
I really loved this aspect of the manga. These sort of scenes happen repeatedly throughout the volume. The majority of the high schoolers don’t have the sort of unwavering, over the top commitment to ouendan, or any club for that matter, that Usami does. They don’t immediately join back up. They aren’t swayed by speeches or by how into others are. It’s easier to convince them not to do something than to spur them to action, which, again, feels all too real.
The art is just as wonderful as the first volume. The characters have very different designs, and each are memorable in their own right. One aspect of the art I really loved was how Kinichirou of now and the past Kinichirou are shown on the page together. The prior Kinichirou, the one who had already graduated high school, is shown behind his current self or else facing in the opposite direction. The two are directly opposed to one another. In fact, the long haired version of Kinichirou standing over the short haired version’s shoulder brings to mind the images of a spirit or phantom. Is it watching over him or is the past a dark smear that will return? I’m not sure which one is meant to be evoked, but I am nonetheless intrigued.
Also, I want to give a huge shout-out to whomever the letterer for this volume was. (I don’t have a copy on hand to look up the name. A name will be included once I’ve found a physical copy again.) I really loved how the English words Ookuma included in sentences when he spoke were written in a different font. While I can’t name the font off the top of my head, I can say that it’s one I don’t often see used for dialogue in manga which made it stand out and get the idea of using words in a different language across without the use of editor’s notes or end notes amazingly well.
Both Kinichirou and Akira begin to truly question why they are there and what happens next. Kinichirou admits that he only wanted to save the ouendan club originally was out of sheer curiosity. Now that it’s on less shaky ground what comes next? Akira, on the other hand, is doing whatever she can to avoid thinking about Kinichirou’s fear that meeting her boyfriend earlier in this timeline has caused some kind of divergence from the original path. Some interesting ideas as to what going back in time has caused and what sort of options are open to them because of this are hinted at towards the end of this volume. Are we perhaps getting a bit more plot based around the time traveling aspect of the plot? Only time will tell.
Again!! Vol 2 by Mitsurou Kubo is a series that combines some light sci-fi elements with regular high school life and I cannot recommend it enough. If you haven’t already started this series I do recommend giving it a try.
This review was original found on Looking Glass Reads./b>
The story continues with Kinichirou trying to thwart the cheerleading club’s efforts to get rid of the ouendan club once and for all. The overall pacing of this volume was extremely fluid. Sections from Kinichirou and Akira’s points of view flowed together very naturally, more so than the previous volume. Several new characters are introduced with extremely varied personalities.
There is subtle humor throughout the manga. Those who have watched a lot of anime and read a lot of manga may find a certain comedic element in many of the scenes simply because they never stray into the more trope filled territory that you might expect, especially for something in a sports manga. One of the more blatant examples of this is when Kinichirou is trying to convince prior members of the oeundan club to return. When an old member who is now head of the karate club states that he will rejoin ouendan if Kinichirou can beat him in a karate match we ready for our non-sportsman protagonist to pull out his protagonist powers and beat this annoying third year in a match. But Kinichirou defies our expectations by stating that no, he isn’t do this, it’s sort of a dumb idea, and that they don’t really need his help that much anyway.
I really loved this aspect of the manga. These sort of scenes happen repeatedly throughout the volume. The majority of the high schoolers don’t have the sort of unwavering, over the top commitment to ouendan, or any club for that matter, that Usami does. They don’t immediately join back up. They aren’t swayed by speeches or by how into others are. It’s easier to convince them not to do something than to spur them to action, which, again, feels all too real.
The art is just as wonderful as the first volume. The characters have very different designs, and each are memorable in their own right. One aspect of the art I really loved was how Kinichirou of now and the past Kinichirou are shown on the page together. The prior Kinichirou, the one who had already graduated high school, is shown behind his current self or else facing in the opposite direction. The two are directly opposed to one another. In fact, the long haired version of Kinichirou standing over the short haired version’s shoulder brings to mind the images of a spirit or phantom. Is it watching over him or is the past a dark smear that will return? I’m not sure which one is meant to be evoked, but I am nonetheless intrigued.
Also, I want to give a huge shout-out to whomever the letterer for this volume was. (I don’t have a copy on hand to look up the name. A name will be included once I’ve found a physical copy again.) I really loved how the English words Ookuma included in sentences when he spoke were written in a different font. While I can’t name the font off the top of my head, I can say that it’s one I don’t often see used for dialogue in manga which made it stand out and get the idea of using words in a different language across without the use of editor’s notes or end notes amazingly well.
Both Kinichirou and Akira begin to truly question why they are there and what happens next. Kinichirou admits that he only wanted to save the ouendan club originally was out of sheer curiosity. Now that it’s on less shaky ground what comes next? Akira, on the other hand, is doing whatever she can to avoid thinking about Kinichirou’s fear that meeting her boyfriend earlier in this timeline has caused some kind of divergence from the original path. Some interesting ideas as to what going back in time has caused and what sort of options are open to them because of this are hinted at towards the end of this volume. Are we perhaps getting a bit more plot based around the time traveling aspect of the plot? Only time will tell.
Again!! Vol 2 by Mitsurou Kubo is a series that combines some light sci-fi elements with regular high school life and I cannot recommend it enough. If you haven’t already started this series I do recommend giving it a try.
This review was original found on Looking Glass Reads./b>
August 13, 2019
Our time travel/redemption story comes back strong with an exciting second volume that forces our two favorite re-doers to come to terms with some harsh realities, each in their own way. For Imamura, this means actually having to commit to a personal stand for the Ouendan beyond just convincing other people to step up, and the evolution of this in this volume is incredibly satisfying (and not just a little bit moving). Meanwhile, Fujieda has to face the humbling fact that by trying to get ahead of her fate she's getting in her own way.
Not that there aren't still some holes here and there---the backstory of the Ouendan's split wasn't quite as satisfying as I wanted it to be, but the characters continue to be compelling. I enjoy the introduction of the former Ouendan members who manage to be kind of obnoxious but also weirdly sympathetic. You can equally understand Usami fell out with them and want them back in at the same time. The three main girls continue to have a lot of guts and are more complex than I've seen in a lot of the more lighthearted school stories out there, and Imamura is an antihero I can get behind.
Not that there aren't still some holes here and there---the backstory of the Ouendan's split wasn't quite as satisfying as I wanted it to be, but the characters continue to be compelling. I enjoy the introduction of the former Ouendan members who manage to be kind of obnoxious but also weirdly sympathetic. You can equally understand Usami fell out with them and want them back in at the same time. The three main girls continue to have a lot of guts and are more complex than I've seen in a lot of the more lighthearted school stories out there, and Imamura is an antihero I can get behind.
September 29, 2021
This volume is basically “we’re getting the band back together.” Everyone’s trying recruit some of the past members to the ouendan. We get introduced to Tatsuhiko who is a meek and a little hand-grabby, some of it stems from his more touchy-feely Western upbringing and the other from not respecting Usami’s personal space (it’s played for laughs but comes off really creepy). Suga, basically 2nd-in-command, who is staunchly sexist and doesn’t believe Usami should be a member at all.
This series isn’t bad, but I can’t bring myself to care about the ouendan. It just doesn’t capture my interest. However, I did like Imamura struggles with self-acceptance, lonliness, and the lack of memories/friends he never had a chance to make before. When he gets down on himself, wondering if anyone even wants him around and if all he does is ruin things, it will be relatable to a lot of readers though CRINGY at some points.
2.5 - 3
Review of volume 1
This series isn’t bad, but I can’t bring myself to care about the ouendan. It just doesn’t capture my interest. However, I did like Imamura struggles with self-acceptance, lonliness, and the lack of memories/friends he never had a chance to make before. When he gets down on himself, wondering if anyone even wants him around and if all he does is ruin things, it will be relatable to a lot of readers though CRINGY at some points.
2.5 - 3
Review of volume 1
August 5, 2020
Sigo con esta historia. Este volumen no llega a ser tan interesante como el anterior pero aún así me ha gustado. Hay más personajes que aportan un poco de locura, el protagonista parece que ha encontrado su camino, y su compañera de aventuras temporales aún no se ha dado cuenta de que no puede revivir el pasado y tiene que actuar de diferente manera. Si para uno todo va bien para otro no tanto. Espero que el club pueda darle su merecido a la malvada de turno.
Seguiré con la serie porque si bien no es una obra maestra me entretiene bastante, además están todos los volúmenes publicados así que no hay problema con esperar por nuevas entregas.
Seguiré con la serie porque si bien no es una obra maestra me entretiene bastante, además están todos los volúmenes publicados así que no hay problema con esperar por nuevas entregas.
May 5, 2020
I did read this, decades ago, before I had been sheltering-in-place and homeschooling my children for 7 1/2 weeks! But I remember almost nothing about it except that yes, I read it, and the reluctant hero sort of trope does not do much for me, but there was some character development and some funny moments and if the third one is in my bag of manga from my beloved manga-loaning friend, sure, I'll read it. But if it isn't, who knows?
February 1, 2023
"Once you manage to push past the embarrassment, you can change the world."
Imamura is really trying to make this club turn into something again. That he persists even though he himself doesn't even quite know why is so compelling. I keep reading, wondering how this is going to come together and how is Imamura going to be changed by this second chance? How will those around him be changed? I really do think he's going to change the world.
Imamura is really trying to make this club turn into something again. That he persists even though he himself doesn't even quite know why is so compelling. I keep reading, wondering how this is going to come together and how is Imamura going to be changed by this second chance? How will those around him be changed? I really do think he's going to change the world.
December 16, 2018
It bothers me how often the translator of this series uses the expressions "God" and "oh God", etc. It may be a realistic representation of the way people speak, as a simple expletive, but it carries connotations that were likely not present in the original Japanese. It might sound overly picky, but it's a phrase I try to deliberately avoid overusing, as a translator. I'm curious if the expressions they translated as such were always the same words in Japanese, or if the translator used "oh god" as a catch all translation for multiple different Japanese words.
February 12, 2019
3/5 Stars.
I did enjoy this SLIGHTLY more than the first, but it’s still a 3 star. We learned more about the past of the club, and got a look into the past members. We also learned more about how Aki feels about going back into the past.
I did get confused at parts, but overall it was a good volume.
I did enjoy this SLIGHTLY more than the first, but it’s still a 3 star. We learned more about the past of the club, and got a look into the past members. We also learned more about how Aki feels about going back into the past.
I did get confused at parts, but overall it was a good volume.
July 30, 2021
I wasn’t sure about the first volume of this series, like it was interesting but I wasn’t 100% there. I kept reading though and I’m glad I did, it really hits in this second volume and these kids are so weird and earnest about what they wanna do and their feelings. I’m excited to see where the rest of this series goes!!
October 7, 2021
Are students in Japan that mean and suspicious? That poor girl is being isolated just because of some slip-ups with her friends and the cheerleader captain is a huge b**** over an old grudge.
Overall I like the way that the story is continue but this volume just makes me grateful that my high school years weren’t that bad.
Overall I like the way that the story is continue but this volume just makes me grateful that my high school years weren’t that bad.
June 22, 2018
This series continues to be a lot of fun. Kinichiro has finally accepted that he is stuck in the past, but that doesn't mean things have gotten any easier. The cheerleaders are still plotting, the Ouendan is still in pieces, and the Captain still hates him. Time to turn up the charm!
August 11, 2018
All out war erupts between the ouendan pep squad and the cheerleader army, keeping this entry in the series pretty amusing. The time travel aspect contributes a couple gags but little else to this high school humor series.
August 22, 2018
Really liking this one. Relationships are building, the hope for change.
Love the way this author builds characters. The mangaka is also one of the people who worked on Yuri on Ice (one of my fave anime).
Definitely check this one out.
Love the way this author builds characters. The mangaka is also one of the people who worked on Yuri on Ice (one of my fave anime).
Definitely check this one out.
September 3, 2020
THIS is such a beautiful and strong manga. I'm so enamored by it and vol 2 really picks up the pace. I can't even express how much fun this is and I'm looking forward to vol 3 so I can really enjoy that one too. Just incredible and amazing. Ugh, can't think of anything I'm enjoying more.
September 25, 2021
I’m enjoying this series! The art is fantastic – all the characters have a different look and vibe. I think the story is really interesting, and I really love Kinichiro. He really takes advantage of his second chance and I admire his very fuck-it-let’s-go approach to it.
May 22, 2018
Just as fun as the first one! Super happy I started this one. Mitsurou Kubo is a genius
July 12, 2018
So close to four stars. I like the characters and the story. Although the story is a bit schmaltzy, the rest of the content makes the schmaltz bearable.
September 1, 2018
I didn't believe a coworker who didn't like this series and called it dull based on its first volume. There was so much potential! So many storylines waiting to be unlocked! Now I've read volume two and feel like a wet blanket for agreeing with that earlier assessment. Why bother with the "going back in time" conceit if they're just going to progress through high school normally anyway? Why not just flash back to comparable middle school experiences?
I like the character designs and overall interactions, but they feel low-stakes to the point that I'm not sure why I'm reading - and that's coming from a Barakamon fan! This series seems to have plenty of fans who like to roll up inside it like a warm blanket though, and more power to them.
I like the character designs and overall interactions, but they feel low-stakes to the point that I'm not sure why I'm reading - and that's coming from a Barakamon fan! This series seems to have plenty of fans who like to roll up inside it like a warm blanket though, and more power to them.
November 1, 2018
3.5 stars
Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews