Is it worth being nice if no one gives you the benefit of the doubt?

I enjoy seeing a different female lead from the spineless ones often in shoujo. SO REFRESHING! Maria is super blunt and perceptive, which tends to rub people the wrong way. Except for the male leads in the love triangle we got brewing. 

It’s refreshing that Maria already exhibits growth. You can tell the truth and have tact at the same time. A message many people could learn!

The artwork works well, and there are some shots of Maria that look especially pretty. The fish lips and deadpan looks are also comical when things go cartoony.

I know this series spanned multiple volumes, so I’m interested in seeing where it goes. I’m not sure if there’s enough hook here to keep me reading, but I’m here for volume two, at least. I think this was a very strong opening, and, as much as I make fun of them, I see the appeal of both the leads with Maria. But usually the black-haired ones always win (this only gets negated if the black-haired one is a childhood best friend lol).

 The artwork is really charming in this slice of life of a girl befriending an anxious bear. Some of Bear’s constant anxieties get repetitive. There are low stakes in this lighthearted tale, and it’s easy to read in one sitting. 

Also, the story has a retro vibe, but there are modern cellphones and texting too. 

 I'm not as familiar with Heidi's story, but the art style is charming.

There are some passages without words that probably skim over the story, but I didn't notice anything that took away from the narrative 

Big Nate is still funny and fresh! Nate jokes about Ms. Godfrey's weight for those who may be sensitive, but it's understood he's entirely immature.

The Nate-Francis friendship breakup was one of my favorites. 

 I absolutely loved the movie, and I enjoyed this behind the scenes look. This book has a great balance of pictures with adequate explanations dispersed throughout. The text here is engaging as we see the creative’s thought process. 

The gold foil lettering is a nice touch too! 

 This was more engaging than the first volume, continuing with the episodic adventures. I think it finds its rhythm more. We also get a new character added to the party!

But it's not enough for me to want to finish this series. my library only has the first two volumes anyway.

SN: Wieszczyk's artwork was gorgeous! 

This needed a stronger beginning for me to enjoy this. I liked the episodic self-contained adventures, but there were too many missing gaps. I wished we could have seen Pira’s mother start her coup d'etat (?) or at least the tail end of Pira running out to find Lono. 

The beginning we do have is Yonder commenting on how much older Lono has gotten, which didn’t set the story well. You can have this type of storytelling where you start in the middle and come back to the origin later when it’s planned properly. But the pacing and story here are a detriment. 

The changing art styles are fun tho