Forbidden Dance, Vol. 2

天使のキス [Tenshi no Kiss] #2

by Hinako Ashihara, Takae Brewer (Translator)

An alternate cover edition for 9781591823469 can be found here.

Aya sneaks out of the all-important National Ballet Competition to look for her best friend Nachan. It's a race against the clock as Aya searches for her distraught friend while trying to get back in time for her own performance. But when Nachan threatens suicide, will Aya be able to tear herself away in time? The world of dance can make or break you, and dancers must find within themselves the will and the resolve to overcome any setback in order to make their dreams come true.

Genres: Manga, Romance, Shojo, Drama, Graphic Novels, Teen, Realistic Fiction

192 pages, Paperback

First published June 26, 1998

About the author

Pseudonym of Ritsuko Matsumoto, Japanese manga artist.

Debut with "Sono Hanashi okotowari shimasu" in 1994 on Bessatsu Shoujo Comics.

Japanese name: 芦原妃名子

Reviews

[Imogen Brand · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aya is my favourite character by far the more determination to dance the more I want to cheer her on to win The National Ballet Championship. Her character delevelop combined with the beautiful dance artwork adds to the charm of the manga.

I hoped Nachan story would have been developed further it ended on a positive note but note a very realistic one which is a bit disheartening as it shows the dark side competing can cause in young dancers not many manga would show.

[Soobie has fog in her brain · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, this volume is quite implausible but I really liked it, especially the part when Aya dances in front of everyone.

But I also like her strength and honesty toward Diana. Not sure I liked the extra content at the end of the volume dealing with dieting. On the contrary, Ashihara's trip to England was quite funny.

[Annette · Rating 3 out of 5]

The second book didn't appeal to me nearly as much as the first book, there wasn't nearly as much valuable information as the first and some of the characters weren't very interesting in this one but I still have high hopes for the third.

[Sarah Lu · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have a different cover.

[Lauren · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sad to report, volume 2 was a disappointment. Too many of the "silly" human/character sketches rather than the expressive/emotional ones. No cliffhanger either :-( Lots of pretty ballerina illustrations though if that's enough to keep you reading!

[Zen Cho · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ahaha, talk about totally implausible plot twists! I'm also super amused by how the British characters speak perfect Japanese and the mangaka is basically like, "Er, I don't speak English, heh heh :D".

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series revolved around ballet and the author draws you into that world in an exciting way (and I don't even like ballet). All of the characters were really well developed in the series and the plot moved along.

[Amanda H. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read;
May 2008
June 10, 2012

[Amy Peavy · Rating 4 out of 5]

What will happen next.

(Finished on the way to Georgia)

[Online Eccentric Librarian · Rating 2 out of 5]

More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/

So.... what to do with a plot when your heroine triumphs and wins the big event to make her guy notice her? Add in a rival, of course! And a perfect one as well - the elusive European who speaks perfect Japanese and travels all the way to Japan RIGHT at the moment when our heroine gains her beloved Akira's attention. JUST so she can drape herself all over him in front of our Aya. Yep, it's shoujo manga, folks.

Plot: Aya needs to win the Ballet competition but someone has placed glass in her slippers to cut her feet and sabotage her! She knows it could only be the highly competitive Yoshino but she won't be daunted! When she finds the real culprit, however, she will be devastated! Meanwhile, the best ballet dancer in the world, the beautiful Diana, shows up in Japan and is all over Akira. What is their past relationship? And are they a couple now? Aya is so jealous she can barely dance but even as she idolizes Diana, does the other woman have a secret only Aya can fix?

Yep, we hit all the cliche tree branches in a freefall to the bottom of mundane land. More jealousy, more catfights, more unpleasant female behavior. This is one of those series where I have to wonder if our mangaka is either inspiration free or misogynistic. Probably the former since the story was ludicrous, the plot twists and characterizations preposterous, and the whole thing an exercise in silly. What might have been a respectful and serious romance set in the ballet world has instead morphed into a light and fluffy filler with little substance or charm.