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かげきしょうじょ!! [Kageki Shōjo!!] #4
Kageki Shojo!! Vol. 4
The day of the Kouka sports festival has arrived! Because of her extreme height and boundless energy, Sarasa has been chosen to participate in the relay race. Sarasa usually loves to take center stage, but she can’t help but feel nervous with so much responsibility placed on her. Can she lead her team to victory?
160 pages, Paperback
First published July 5, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
April 29, 2023
This volume features the sports festival (mostly the part of it that Sarasa participates in, with some short scenes from the rest of it) and a short story set during Sei's high school days.
Something really interesting happened in the chapter with the relay race. (spoilered since no one who hasn't read the volume will get much out of it.) Even better, this was dealt with entirely through the storytelling and the characters' actions, with absolutely no explicit moralizing. Nicely done!
I've said many times that I'm not a fan of age-gap romances in shoujo manga. In Sei's short story, she has a crush on Andou, but he always, 100% deals with her girlish, essentially naïve approaches properly: first by responding neutrally and not even slightly encouraging her, and then by firmly shutting her down. I appreciated how this story dealt with body image in Takarazuka(-esque) troupes a bit more than in the earlier story featuring Ayako. Sei can't control how much taller she grows, which eventually makes her dream of becoming a musumeyaku difficult or impossible to attain.
Something really interesting happened in the chapter with the relay race. (spoilered since no one who hasn't read the volume will get much out of it.) Even better, this was dealt with entirely through the storytelling and the characters' actions, with absolutely no explicit moralizing. Nicely done!
I've said many times that I'm not a fan of age-gap romances in shoujo manga. In Sei's short story, she has a crush on Andou, but he always, 100% deals with her girlish, essentially naïve approaches properly: first by responding neutrally and not even slightly encouraging her, and then by firmly shutting her down. I appreciated how this story dealt with body image in Takarazuka(-esque) troupes a bit more than in the earlier story featuring Ayako. Sei can't control how much taller she grows, which eventually makes her dream of becoming a musumeyaku difficult or impossible to attain.
February 22, 2022
No manga is safe from the sports festival, even one that takes place at a school for the performing arts and only does said festival every ten years. Sarasa’s got an atypical case of nerves, but Ai might just have her back. Then a bonus story upstages the main event, as sometimes happens.
Look, I did a little digging, not a lot, and… fine, I’ll do a little bit extra…
…okay, I’m back after a bit more digging. This ten year sports tournament is an honest-to-gods thing in the Takarazuka Revue that this series is based on.
There goes my initial criticism that this is positively inane and nobody would fill a stadium to watch a bunch of actors showboat playing musical chairs. I was absolutely perplexed by this notion for the entire volume, so we’ll chalk it up to a me problem versus a story problem.
Still, the major drama is, not shockingly, focused on Sarasa and her substitution with one of the troupe members for the relay race. Naturally this draws the ire of the incredibly prickly senpai who adored Ai but can’t stand our heroine.
Some unexpectedly cruel words really get under Sarasa’s typically thick (oblivious, even) skin and really start to gnaw at her confidence to the point where she has an unexpected bout of anxiety. As I often mention, the smartest thing this series ever did was humanize Sarasa more.
I like the way this volume really puts the focus on the bonds between the girls in Sarasa’s class, as they rally to help her get through the event. Ai turns out to have some particularly strong advice from her days as an idol that comes through in the clutch.
Of course, that’s only after Sarasa tries to work through her issues in her own way and we get one of the most out-of-nowhere boob jokes combined with an Evangelion reference (or two) that made me laugh.
Believably, our bully gets no comeuppance whatsoever for all this, although Sarasa truly turns her situation into a very strong win that only elevates her status rather than diminishes it. So justice is at least karmically meted out, if not in the broader, more desirable sense.
The volume caps off with a very sweet moment when Ai catches a cold and wishes she was being doted on, leading to a huge friend visit and her own recognition that, maybe for the first time in her life, she has people who genuinely like her.
The side story is a huge piece about one of the Kouka grads who figures prominently in Sarasa’s story during the sports tournament and deals with the awkward teacher crush that some schoolgirls get.
I really like this one because it fleshes out Andou a bit more and shows how he’s had to go through his own trials learning to teach. To say that he handles this a little awkwardly is an understatement, but it ends rather neatly and has a great reminder that what you have in high school is rarely all you’ll ever have or is necessarily an indicator of who you’ll be in your life.
3.5 stars - I think I’ll leave it at 3, but it’s very close. This is a good series, but it only occasionally resonates with me in precisely the way I’m hoping it will.
Look, I did a little digging, not a lot, and… fine, I’ll do a little bit extra…
…okay, I’m back after a bit more digging. This ten year sports tournament is an honest-to-gods thing in the Takarazuka Revue that this series is based on.
There goes my initial criticism that this is positively inane and nobody would fill a stadium to watch a bunch of actors showboat playing musical chairs. I was absolutely perplexed by this notion for the entire volume, so we’ll chalk it up to a me problem versus a story problem.
Still, the major drama is, not shockingly, focused on Sarasa and her substitution with one of the troupe members for the relay race. Naturally this draws the ire of the incredibly prickly senpai who adored Ai but can’t stand our heroine.
Some unexpectedly cruel words really get under Sarasa’s typically thick (oblivious, even) skin and really start to gnaw at her confidence to the point where she has an unexpected bout of anxiety. As I often mention, the smartest thing this series ever did was humanize Sarasa more.
I like the way this volume really puts the focus on the bonds between the girls in Sarasa’s class, as they rally to help her get through the event. Ai turns out to have some particularly strong advice from her days as an idol that comes through in the clutch.
Of course, that’s only after Sarasa tries to work through her issues in her own way and we get one of the most out-of-nowhere boob jokes combined with an Evangelion reference (or two) that made me laugh.
Believably, our bully gets no comeuppance whatsoever for all this, although Sarasa truly turns her situation into a very strong win that only elevates her status rather than diminishes it. So justice is at least karmically meted out, if not in the broader, more desirable sense.
The volume caps off with a very sweet moment when Ai catches a cold and wishes she was being doted on, leading to a huge friend visit and her own recognition that, maybe for the first time in her life, she has people who genuinely like her.
The side story is a huge piece about one of the Kouka grads who figures prominently in Sarasa’s story during the sports tournament and deals with the awkward teacher crush that some schoolgirls get.
I really like this one because it fleshes out Andou a bit more and shows how he’s had to go through his own trials learning to teach. To say that he handles this a little awkwardly is an understatement, but it ends rather neatly and has a great reminder that what you have in high school is rarely all you’ll ever have or is necessarily an indicator of who you’ll be in your life.
3.5 stars - I think I’ll leave it at 3, but it’s very close. This is a good series, but it only occasionally resonates with me in precisely the way I’m hoping it will.
May 18, 2026
The Curtain Rises ★★★★☆
Vol. 1 ★★★☆☆
Vol. 2 ★★★★☆
Vol. 3 ★★★★☆
The sports festival arc is fine. I'm more blown away by that side story. Once again, it touches on tragedy of not being able to pursue your dreams due to circumstances outside of your control. Not only is Kumiko Saiki great at foreshadowing, she captures the despair the characters feel so well.
Vol. 1 ★★★☆☆
Vol. 2 ★★★★☆
Vol. 3 ★★★★☆
The sports festival arc is fine. I'm more blown away by that side story. Once again, it touches on tragedy of not being able to pursue your dreams due to circumstances outside of your control. Not only is Kumiko Saiki great at foreshadowing, she captures the despair the characters feel so well.
March 2, 2022
I think the slow pace of this series is starting to get to me.
March 7, 2026
I didn't really love the main part of the story but I did like the side story
February 26, 2025
Character 3.5| Setting 4| Plot 3.5| Art 4| Enjoyment 4
Rating: 3.8
This volume is a about Sarasa having insecurities about running in the relay due to some bullying from an upper classman. I am kind of sick of no one saying anything to this girl she's just mean for no reason? Maybe Saiki will give a tragic backstory as I've seen each character have some kind of tragedy.
I like that everyone sees it and tries to cheer her up, this class is so behind eachother!!
We also get bonus story on Sei, I loved seeing the teachers in that era chat and we could see their personalities shine there!
Rating: 3.8
This volume is a about Sarasa having insecurities about running in the relay due to some bullying from an upper classman. I am kind of sick of no one saying anything to this girl she's just mean for no reason? Maybe Saiki will give a tragic backstory as I've seen each character have some kind of tragedy.
I like that everyone sees it and tries to cheer her up, this class is so behind eachother!!
We also get bonus story on Sei, I loved seeing the teachers in that era chat and we could see their personalities shine there!
March 18, 2022
I was wondering why this volume was rated so low… and then I found out. Literally nothing happens. Nothing. I already hate school sports festival arcs but this one took the cake. That was the first half. The second half is Naracchi getting a cold. That’s it. Usually there is some character development or back story but not with this one… The plus side was Seiko’s back story which was pretty good.
March 2, 2022
I like the premise. I like the art. And I love the characters but… WHYYYY IS IT SO SLOW…? I feel like this series is missing the excitement that I need.
May 7, 2022
Still earnest fun, look forward to more!
July 7, 2022
Seeing the girls grow into their roles is pretty freaking fun. I really enjoyed the short story at the end!
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews