Shortcake Cake Graphic Novel Volume 5 cover image

In order to attend Nekochiya High School, Ten Serizawa, a high school freshman, takes a two-hour commute through the mountains, both ways.  Ten's friend, Ageha Haruno, suggests that she move into the boarding house where Ageha stays.  If she does move in, Ten will have to contend with three high school boys who, to varying degrees, are attracted to her.

As Shortcake Cake, Vol. 5 (Chapters 24 to 29) opens, Ten admits to herself that she has a crush on housemate, Riku Mizuhara.  But he previously admitted that he liked her and she turned him down!  Now, she has to figure out how to tell him about her feelings for him.  Meanwhile, Chiaki Kasadera is wondering how he will tell Ten that he has a crush on her.  But Chiaki and Ten had been pretending to date in order to rid her of a younger boy who was being a pest!

[This volume includes bonus manga and chapter-page illustrations.]

THE LOWDOWN:  I will say what I have been saying since I started reading the Shortcake Cake manga.  This series is the reading equivalent of a warm cup of cocoa.

Shortcake Cake Graphic Novel Volume 5 takes a slightly jarring turn, or as jarring as this series can be.  The Ten-Chiaki-Riku love triangle might actually end up being intense; at least one person will be hurt, although I expect much hurt to come.  This may not be a great shojo series, but when you can't get enough shojo high school romance, this shortcake will look quite nice on your reading plate.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of high school shojo romance will want to read the “Shojo Beat” title, Shortcake Cake.

B+
7 out of 10