Shortcake Cake: Volume 4 manga review

Shortcake Cake Graphic Novel Volume 4 cover image

Ten Serizawa is a high school freshman who has a two-hour commute through the mountains, both ways, in order to attend Nekochiya High School.  Ten's friend, Ageha Haruno, suggests that she move into the boarding house where she 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. 4 (Chapters 18 to 23) opens, we are in the aftermath of Riku Mizuhara kissing Ten.  Now, what?  Meanwhile, fellow housemate, Chiaki Kasadera, continues to pretend to be dating Ten so that 16-year-old Rei can stop pestering Ten for dates.  But Chiaki has feelings for Ten, feelings he won't admit to her.  Plus, Ten gets a job!

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

THE LOWDOWN:  Reading the Shortcake Cake manga continues to feel like the equivalent of a warm cup of cocoa.  Warm weather cocoa is fine when its Shortcake Cake, the off-beat shojo high school slash boarding house romantic manga.

Shortcake Cake Graphic Novel Volume 4 offers the push-and-pull of a love triangle that has the potential to turn quite intense.  I did not think I would like this Ten-Chiaki-Riku love thing so much, but I do.  Now, I think Shortcake Cake has the potential to be quite romantic and quite melodramatic.  My cocoa may be about to turn vinegary.

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

A-
7.5 out of 10