Library Wars: Love & War Volume 5

Continuing from the previous book, Iku is trying to cope with her parents visiting her, since they don’t know the true scope (and danger) of her job. Mom wants her to leave, but Dad is convinced after a conversation with her boss. That’s an implication that’s a bit unpleasant, with overtones of the men making decisions for her because she’s too immature to be sure of her choices.

I originally found Iku charming in her puppyish devotion to do a good job, but her childishness has become grating. I find myself asking why anyone puts up with her, let alone keeping her around. Maybe that’s why most of volume 5 focuses on a story of one of the other team members and the hearing impaired girl, a childhood friend, who has a crush on him. It’s twisted politically to try and get the Library Forces in trouble, leading to scenes of Iku yelling at her bosses, disobeying orders, and running off to cry.

I’m having a hard time recognizing what I ever saw in this series. I think I wanted it to be science fiction, doing more with the censorship premise, while the manga is firmly shojo, concentrating only on visual, emotional reactions and who’s secretly in love with whom. It’s too silly for me to want to keep up with, but it’s probably imagination-spurring for the younger teen reader. (The publisher provided a review copy.)