Takane & Hana Graphic Novel Volume 11 cover image

When her 23-year-old sister, Yukari, refuses to go to an arranged marriage meeting, 16-year-old Hana Nonomura takes the meeting with 26-year-old Takane Saibara.  He is heir to a vast business fortune, and Hana and Yukari's father works for the company owned by Takane's family.  Their father fears that Yukari's refusal will cost him his job.  After they meet, Takane, the heir, and Hana, the high school girl, start to fall in love.

Takane & Hana, Vol. 11 (Chapters 58 to 63) opens the morning after.  After what, you ask?  Last night, there was a birthday party for Takane at the mansion he now shares with Hana and her family.  Last night was also when Takane kissed Hana on the nose.  Now, it's morning; now, what?  Plus, Takane's cousin, Yakumo Takaba, has returned to Japan, and he wants to get reacquainted with Takane.  But there is an ominous vibe about Yakuma that spells trouble for Takane & Hana.

THE LOWDOWN:  The Takane & Hana manga is a typical shojo romance manga.  It is what one would expect from a shojo manga that focuses on a high school girl and a man a decade older than her.  So, yes, there is an a twist... or two... or three.

Takane & Hana Graphic Novel Volume 11 is a pivotal volume.  The previous volume, Vol. 10, was filled with the typical shojo wackiness, but... and it's a big but, it has a shocker at the end.  Takane kissed Hana; now, Vol. 11 finds everything confused, and harsh words abound.  Vol 11 even throws in a crazy relative who arrives looking to start trouble.

JN Productions' translation is tight, and Ysabet Reinhardt MacFarlane's delightful English adaptation of Takane & Hana hits one of its high points with lots of sparkling dialogue.  Yuki Shiwasu always finds a way to keep this series fresh, and while Vol. 11 does not offer the shocking ending the previous volume did, I see a good shojo moon arising for future volumes.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of teen shojo manga will want to read the Shojo Beat title, Takane & Hana.

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8 out of 10