Anonymous Noise: Volume 8 manga review

Anonymous Noise Graphic Novel Volume 8 cover image

First, Nino Arisugawa finds comfort in singing with Momo Sakaki, a boy who was her next door neighbor.  Then, Momo suddenly moves away.  Secondly, Nino soon finds comfort in a young songwriter, Kanade “Yuzu” Yuzuriha, who calls Nino, “Alice.”  He tells her that she should sing instead of scream, but he also moves away.  Now, Nino is in high school and is confronted by reunions while being the lead singer of the band, “In No Hurry to Shout” a.k.a. “In No Hurry.”

Anonymous Noise, Vol. 8 (Chapters 41 to 46) opens as Nino and Yuzu have been tasked with writing a song for the popular fashion-model duo of Juri Mizukami (girl) and Sui (guy).  However, a previous bid by the duo to record a CD was a failure, which has made Juri and Sui's management reluctant to be involved in this process again.  Nino and Yuzu think they have just-the-right song for their clients, but when Juri and Sui turn out to be more musically inclined than people realized, Nino and Yuzu are suddenly plagued with doubts about their songwriting abilities.

Meanwhile, Tsukikia Kuze starts looking for her former roommate, Momo, who has disappeared, and all she has is a lead that is questionable.  Plus, In No Hurry is about to begin its first solo concert tour, which might have a surprising closing date.

THE LOWDOWN:  The Anonymous Noise manga focuses on a crazy love triangle – one girl singer and two separate boy-songwriters.  This musical shojo high school romance manga, however, is always looking for a new beat.

Anonymous Noise Graphic Novel Volume 8 offers a new song, the tale of Juri Mizukami and Sui, the fashion-model duo that could have been a music recording duo,  It is nice that creator Ryoko Fukuyama offers a romantic respite that focuses on another musically inclined couple.  Readers don't have to worry, though, there is plenty of Nino/Momo/Yuzu drama.

The translation and English adaptation by Casey Loe continues to convey the explosive nature of young emotions and of that constant star of teen angst and self-doubt.  Joanna Estep, who always delivers quality lettering, fashions a font for Anonymous Noise that keeps up the beat.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Shojo Beat high school romantic dramas will want to jam to Anonymous Noise.

A
8.5 out of 10