Girl Got Game (aka: POWER!!) Vol.#02

By: Eduardo M. Chavez
Review Date: Friday, July 16, 2004
Release Date: Monday, March 01, 2004



Creative Talent
Writer/Artist:Seino Shizuru
Translated by:Aya Matsunaga
Adapted by:

What They Say
Just when Chiharu decides he can hang with Kyo, he accidentally trip and catches himself - on her breast! Kyo - afraid that her bosom buddy might discover her true identity - concocts a plan to maker herself seem more like one of the guys. Hiding behind her new man-to-man defense, how far will Kyo go before she turns into a sex machine for all the chicks?

The Review
TOKYOPOP's Girl Got Game may not have a lot of basketball but it can get you pumped for some one-on-one... What kind is up to the reader.

Packaging:
Just like the first volume, volume two's cover features three framed character art images - each with their own color in their own drawn in panel. This cover art is surrounded by TOKYOPOP's basketball court floorboard spine. Hmm... Hideous! I am not sure if I have seen a cover that looks uglier. The back cover has the same feel but only has to pieces of character art in one color. If TP could have flipped the front with the back I would have found nothing wrong but I still would have wondered what this series is about. "What! This is a sports romance!!??"

Logo Check!! (2003 Megs)... even though the original title is in English, TOKYOPOP changed the title to "Girl Got Game". Their yellow and purple logo conjures memories of the LA Lakers but it is surrounded by stars giving it a cutesy feel probably for a younger shojo demographic.

This volume is a little short on "Girl Got Game" as it has two long one shots by Seino-sensei: Change! (renamed "Makeover" by TOKYOPOP) and Uso Tsuki na Kanojo (renamed as "False Girlfriend"). Seino also includes notes about the two one-shots in her ato-gaki. These two titles are tied into her explanation for only two chapters of Girl Got Game. To apologize Seino includes some info on her recent experiences along with a fan letter Q&A page. TOKYOPOP finishes the GN with a preview blurb for the next volume and ads for: Kill Me, Kiss Me, Rebound, Forbidden Dance, Fruits Basket, Demon Diary and Love Hina.

Artwork:
Seino's character designs are simple but fun. Her characters do not have a lot of detail but for this light-hearted romantic sports comedy it really works (but I wonder if she purposely draws all socks to look like the style of loose-socks made famous by ko-gals). Where I wish Seino would put more effort is her backgrounds. With this title having a sports theme I would have liked more detail for the courts and gyms the games/practices are held on but Seino tends to only use backgrounds sparingly leaving certain details up to the imagination of her readers. I guess it would be tough to put a lot of work into backgrounds with her hyper layout. It may work well with the comedy aspect of this title but it actually hurts the basketball as panels are often too small or poorly positioned to present the action well.


Orientation/SFX:
In typical TOKYOPOP form this GN is in right to left format and the SFX are left un-translated. I wish TP could go back and give this title (heck, all of them) a glossary like they are doing currently with select titles.

Text:
Not having read Kodansha's version I am not sure how accurate the translation is, but I can say it sounds good. TOKYOPOP does not use honorifics but these characters often refer to each other with their last names which is quite common amongst high school males (I had first hand experience with this).

Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers)
It was bound to happen. Eventually, someone had to find out what Kyo was hiding. There was no way she could keep it to herself forever. But why did it have to be this way? Why did it have to Chiharu? And what does he think about her now?

The stereotypical "getting to know you" trip, fall, and break that fall by grabbing on a girl's breast came into play (it had to happen. Shojo titles are not immune to this). At first panic was all that was felt among the two. Kyo was in a position where she could only lie to her friend; while, Chiharu could only feign innocent as he has never felt a bosom before. Getting kicked off the team, expelled, arrested for forgery or maybe even deported were not impossible results for this lie in Kyo's imagination. Either way she had to get her story straight and make sure she can get her manly side going. There is no way a real guy could have breasts, and as a "real" guy Kyo has a swollen chest. She also is a sex maniac. Yeah, that's the ticket! The more she hits on the girls and watches porn the less likely anyone would believe she is a girl.

Chiharu may be a little gullible, but the guy knows there is something wrong. These two have been roommates and it was Kyo who recently worked so hard to get to know him, so it is no longer easy to fool the guy. A little sleuthing (testing on some real man-boobs), looking at Kyo's face, and touching her hand Chiharu was certain something was up. Yet, for some reason when he confronts Kyo, he does not press the issue. Even with a shirtless Kyo, he would not continue the questioning. Instead he let her be. Let her be a guy.
As a guy Valentine's Day could be heaven or hell. Kyo is not a guy and he has no intention of having relationships with the hordes of young ladies that filled his locker and desk with chocolate. She would rather give chocolate - maybe to Chiharu. Wait! Chiharu!? Sure the guy is kind and good on the court but why him? Why would it hurt so much to see someone else give him chocolate? Maybe a one-on-one game of street ball will answer that? Nothing solves one's problems better than sweating it out on the court alone with your best friend. Hey they may be on to something!

Comments
With only two chapters of "Girl Got Game" in this volume you might have expected this volume to be full of filler (and yeah the one-shots were just that), but there was some good character development here. With the difficulties switching from Chiharu to Kyo, now it is Chiharu's turn to make an effort and be understanding. His execution may not be perfect, but as Chiharu grows he realizes when to let things go and when to be there for support. Friendship like that should go a long way... But will that make for a good romance? We should find out soon, I guess.

For those looking for a fun different kind of shojo title this might just work for you. "Girl Got Game" may not be strong in any area, but together it is a lot of fun. Kyo and Chiharu's dynamic together carries this story and as their relationship grows one can only hope for that fun to continue for the rest of the series.

For those looking for a sports manga you will most likely be disappointed. Basketball is like a release for these characters. They use it to express themselves or to release stress. I can only imagine that is the reason Seino seems to have put so little research into the sport.

If there had been a few more chapters to continue the nice trend that was building I would have graded this volume higher but with only two chapters and a two month wait I felt cheated. I know TOKYOPOP could only publish what they had available for this volume but $9.99 for two chapters (and two long one-shot I could care less about) is a little too much for me. But what can you do, right. Either way I enjoyed myself even if there was not much content.