Genres: Comedy, Romance
Rating: Teen (13+)
Price: $10.95
Hana and the rest of the hockey club have gone for a trip on Iriomote Island in southern Japan at the beginning of the third volume of My Heavenly Hockey Club by Ai Morinaga.
The club members decide to go for a hike, but Hana and Takashi find themselves split off from the rest of the group. And, if they thought things couldn’t get any worse, Takashi loses his glasses and is confronted with situations that show Hana just how blind he is without them.
With the two alone, there are several opportunities for Takashi to subtly show his affections for Hana. And, without his glasses, Takashi introduces several situations for comedic punch.
Finally, the two are reunited with the rest of the group and take off from their camping trip.
But the mischief really starts when Izumi’s second cousin comes to visit and he confesses that she is determined to marry Izumi. He, on the other hand, has no such feelings. To get her off his case, Izumi quickly grabs Hana and professes that he is in love with her. To get her to play along, he offers her cream puffs later. Yes, because all women can be swayed so easily with food.
And, as you’d expect with any plot situation in which one character poses as being in a relationship with another character, the rowdiness doesn’t end. But, finally, Izumi is forced to confront his cousin.
The characters feel as though they can’t single-handedly take over the plot. And the group dynamic of a bunch of guys and one girl feels overdone, too. The relationship tensions do provide for some needed action and is really what is best about all the characters: How they interact. The art works best when it helps set up punchlines and other comedic gags.
My Heavenly Hockey Club could be better. What feels like it’s missing the most is another long-term female presence. The plot was at its best during the final half — when Izumi’s cousin was in the picture. It brought out another side of Hana that was fun and engaging. But there needs to be a longer-term female presence for the book to be more successful.
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