Behind the Scenes!!, Volume 1

May 1, 2016

Gr 7 Up-Ranmaru grew up in a family of fishermen, but now he is a first-year college student. He has trouble fitting in with the other students, but when he accidentally stumbles onto a film set, he finds his calling with the Art Squad, a group that is in charge of creating sets, props, costumes, and makeup effects for all four of the college film clubs. Ranmaru is artistically talented and has his own collection of art supplies, which makes him a valuable member of the team. This is a funny, fast-paced, and lighthearted manga, filled with many entertaining scenes in front of and behind the camera. Unfortunately, some readers will find it hard to empathize with Ranmaru, which may detract from the story. Ranmaru has low self-esteem and keeps apologizing for things and overreacting to any and all criticism, sometimes crossing the fine line between a comic character and an annoying one. Hatori's artwork is filled with energy, action, and surprised reaction shots.

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 15, 2016
Grades 6-10 Nervous Ranmaru gets the surprise of his life when he wanders into a zombie attack. But once he comes to after fainting, he discovers that it is just the work of the Art Club, the group responsible for making the costumes, sets, props, and more for the college's film clubs. Ranmaru is positive that he will mess everything up for the club members, but they see something more in him and are determined to make him a part of the group. Hatori's mega-popular comedy-romance series, Ouran High School Host Club, guarantees her an audience for this book, but even those who haven't read her earlier work will enjoy this light, if chaotic, series starter. There are a lot of characters to keep track of, making each individuals' insights vital. The plot is thin, the characters career wildly, and the art is filled with sparkles, motion lines, and dramatic close-ups. But even if this series doesn't look to be breaking any fresh ground, it is still a fun, sweet addition to shojo manga collections.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)