Sana is an irrepressibly chirpy child star with pigtails and huge eyes. Her mom wanders around in traditional geisha dress, topped off by a pet chipmunk that lives in her hair. Sana spends more of her time with her chauffeur and assistant Rei, a handsome young man who may be a little too interested in her. This is girly comedy, revolving around goofy fantasies: fame, wacky relatives, the freedom to do whatever you want because you’re universally loved.

Kodocha:
Sana’s Stage Book 1
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Sana’s biggest challenge is dealing with Akito, a boy in her class who bullies everyone. The teacher has lost all control out of fear of him. When Sana stands up to him and even disses him on TV, he takes revenge. Their battles, as expected, wind up teaching them more about each other. He’s a young version of the loner with a tragic secret. Fifty years ago, he’d be a young Brando. Twenty, a young Christian Slater.

The English adaptation is by Sarah Dyer, which helps keep the book readable and interesting. I was also helped by footnotes that explain a lot of the cultural nuances. Scattered throughout the book are short notes from the author, who flits from topic to gossip in a manner reminiscent of Sana.

Overall, it’s a fun comedy. If you stop to think too much about it, you might find the lead more annoying than amusing, so just go with it and enjoy.