Nisekoi Volume 9 - Kamikaze.
Nisekoi Volume 9 - Kamikaze
This is my review of Nisekoi Volume 9. From this volume on, the hair on the characters featured on the cover of the volumes now have more shading as well as being lighter in colour as well. In my opinion, the change is alright and doesn't really bother me, although there some volume cover illustrations that are too pale with this shading and would have worked better with a darker hair colour.
There is a big running event tomorrow and all the boys in the class are dreading it, so in order to motivate them, their teacher offers them a prize which is to kiss the cheek of any girl they like and this works. Raku is motivated to win, to protect Kosaki, while all the other boys are motivated to stop Raku from winning, as the guy is just too lucky with harem and everything. Before the race, Marika hands him some lemon slices soaked in honey and a brew of her family’s secret energy drink, while some of the boys convince Raku not go all out for the race as the prize is unlikely to happen - this works. Raku starts the race on the back-foot and he catches the back of the pack, but they block him off, so he can’t make any progress (The strategies that the boys employ to slow down Raku have been masterminded by Shu). Suddenly, some of the boys get sniped from Seishiro, breaking the formation and allowing Raku pass, but they have laid some traps down and Raku falls for every single one, hampering his progress, but fuelling his desire to win.
Raku charges along at a rapid pace, blitzing the through the blockade, but is slowed by some footballers trying to tackle him, although they mysteriously fall ill as do anyone who had a drink handed to them by Marika. The next strategy is to steer Raku off-course by using bogus signs, but the boys holding the signs get lost. Raku starts to get tired, but seeing Kosaki reinvigorates him to keep going as his thundering pace. Raku begins to catch up to Shu, who hands him a box of kittens, to slow him down, then Chitoge appears and takes the kittens whilst asking why he is doing this. His response is that as he has her, if he wins then he can (fake) kiss her and no girl has to suffer being kissed by a guy they don’t like, which triggers the reaction you’d expect from Chitoge. As Raku catches up again, 2 guys attempt to slow him down, only for Seishiro to snipe them, leaving it a straight fight between Raku and Shu, which leaves Raku the winner. Raku receives the kiss pass and is shown to girls he can choose from, which are some of the female animals that are school pets. The chapter ends with Chitoge drinking from a can that Raku had drank from, thus an indirect kiss, while all the boys take out frustration out on Shu for losing. This is incredibly cathartic as Shu has become one of the most frustrating characters as recent incident involving him have done nothing but worsen Raku's normal life.
Chitoge wants Raku to be more lovey-dovey during their dates, so during their next one on April 1st, she lies to him that there are 500 Beehive members keeping watch. Realising the situation, Raku ups the lovey-doveyness by bringing Chitoge close to him, but the closeness causes her to flip out and flip him away. Nearby street vendor is selling a special couple-only drink (drink with 2 straws in it) and Chitoge recommend that they buy it, but it's not lovey-dovey enough for Raku and he suggests the Pocky game (2 people eat a Pocky stick from either end with the aim to eat as much as possible, without snapping the Pocky stick), only for Chitoge to smack him after the first bite, although she does apologise afterwards - look character growth, she admits when she is wrong. One of the heels on Chitoge's shoes collapses and she asks to lean on Raku's shoulder, so he goes for the more lovey-dovey approach of carrying her in his arms, which she swiftly gets out of. After she apologises again, Raku explains his behaviour because the Shuei-Gumi creed has a rule: "Defend your woman, even if it kills you", which is enough to guilt Chitoge into revealing the truth. They both manage to laugh it off and Raku escorts Chitoge home by taking her hand, giving her the right amount of lovey-dovey that she wanted from their date.
The chapter begins by following a new student to Bonyari High School (the high school the gang attends), who is harassed by some older guys. As she begins to pass out, Raku appears, along with some Shuei-Gumi members, who clear them off and take the student to school.
The student eventually wakes up and tells her friend Fu about her escapade and is determined to find him; she then heads to class, where she meets one of her classmates, Paula McCoy, who doesn't attempt to be sociable in any way. Later, the student is carrying some documents, until some boys knock into her and causing her papers to go everywhere, but luckily Raku appears to help her again. She doesn't initially recognise him, so she asks if he could help her find her saviour as well as another 2nd year. Before she can reveal the name of 2nd year student she's looking for, Raku's name is revealed to her and that scares her because she had heard that Raku was the heir to a Yakuza crime syndicate, who has an entourage of hot women along with an even hotter girlfriend and who uses his father's influence to run the school behind the scenes - this is all false of course (probably except the part about the entourage and girlfriend). She assumes that Raku puts on nice guy act to lure in girls and demands that he stay away from her sister, before a stray gust of wind flashes her underwear at Raku. Raku denies seeing anything, but still makes an unnecessary comment, the student's shrieking is enough to draw the attention of Kosaki who is revealed to be the older sister of the student, Haru.
The student eventually wakes up and tells her friend Fu about her escapade and is determined to find him; she then heads to class, where she meets one of her classmates, Paula McCoy, who doesn't attempt to be sociable in any way. Later, the student is carrying some documents, until some boys knock into her and causing her papers to go everywhere, but luckily Raku appears to help her again. She doesn't initially recognise him, so she asks if he could help her find her saviour as well as another 2nd year. Before she can reveal the name of 2nd year student she's looking for, Raku's name is revealed to her and that scares her because she had heard that Raku was the heir to a Yakuza crime syndicate, who has an entourage of hot women along with an even hotter girlfriend and who uses his father's influence to run the school behind the scenes - this is all false of course (probably except the part about the entourage and girlfriend). She assumes that Raku puts on nice guy act to lure in girls and demands that he stay away from her sister, before a stray gust of wind flashes her underwear at Raku. Raku denies seeing anything, but still makes an unnecessary comment, the student's shrieking is enough to draw the attention of Kosaki who is revealed to be the older sister of the student, Haru.
The chapter continues on from the last one and the ruckus caused by Haru attracts both Chitoge and Marika, who tries to befriend Haru and convince that it is ok to be all over a guy in public (even if he has a girlfriend), respectively. Marika tries to get Raku to dump Chitoge and go out with her by comparing the 2 to cars with Chitoge being a used model that has seen better days - this got a chuckle out of me. Kosaki still doesn't believe her sister, so Haru blurts out that Raku saw her underwear, which Chitoge sends Raku flying in response.
Later, Haru passes the after-school activities board and spots a flyer for the animal caregivers club and heads to their area after school, but begins to leave when she spots Raku. She then confronts him when she overhears him talking about wishing that Kosaki was here alone with him, but Cyclops Gengar Vermillion Bird flaps their wings, thus flashing Haru's panties at Raku and he makes an unnecessary comment, again.
That night, in the bath, Kosaki asks if Haru is still mad at Raku (which she is - the guy saw her underwear twice) and she explains why Raku is a great guy, because he is so nice and kind. Haru is still looking for her Prince Charming from this morning (at the start of the chapter), but has something of his: a pendant that has a lock in it just like the one Raku has; also, Raku has lost his pendant as well.
Later, Haru passes the after-school activities board and spots a flyer for the animal caregivers club and heads to their area after school, but begins to leave when she spots Raku. She then confronts him when she overhears him talking about wishing that Kosaki was here alone with him, but Cyclops Gengar Vermillion Bird flaps their wings, thus flashing Haru's panties at Raku and he makes an unnecessary comment, again.
That night, in the bath, Kosaki asks if Haru is still mad at Raku (which she is - the guy saw her underwear twice) and she explains why Raku is a great guy, because he is so nice and kind. Haru is still looking for her Prince Charming from this morning (at the start of the chapter), but has something of his: a pendant that has a lock in it just like the one Raku has; also, Raku has lost his pendant as well.
Japanese Confections Onodera has another staffing crisis, so Haru volunteers both herself and her sister, but that is not enough, so they call in the handsome helper they had last time - Raku. Haru is displeased by the sight of Raku and is convinced that he is not needed, so much that she is willing to do work for 2. Kosaki leaves the 2 alone and they begin agreeing on how good Kosaki is, which frustrates Haru. Raku then reveals he is her Prince Charming from chapter 75, which she doesn't immediately doesn't believe, so he has to backtrack and says that he is lying. They get back to work and Raku compliments her on her cooking skills, which she is defensive towards, but she is impressed at his cooking skills and they start agreeing on Daifuku (Japanese sweets made up of a chewy rice cake with a sweet paste, usually sweet bean paste, inside), but catches herself. She then decides carry a large amount of trays, so Raku decides to help her carry it, as he doesn't want her to get injured and she relents and allows him to help her. Kosaki walks in on them and remarks on how well they're getting on, which causes the 2 to drop the trays and get in trouble with Haru and Kosaki's mother.
The chapter begins with Haru moaning to Fu about Raku, which she believes that Haru is exaggerating until she finds out that he saw her underwear twice. They spy on Raku and stereotypical interaction between Raku and his harem, which is civil until Marika appears and makes a move Raku. Ruri spots them and Haru asks her about Raku which she tells them that he is a clueless moron and she should leave the 2 alone. Later, Haru encounters Raku at a vending machine and he buys the drink she wanted, which is also the last one the machine had in stock. Raku hands her the drink he bought and in exchange she hands him 100 yen (the price of the drink), with is much contempt as you'd expect. Haru then points out a discrepancy with his lie from the last chapter and works out that he knows her Prince Charming, but won't tell her who he is, although she does have his pendant. Raku exclaims that the pendant is his, which Haru doesn't believe, so he asks if it turned out that he was her Prince Charming and her response would be to smash the pendant into tiny pieces and throw into the ocean. In an effort to keep his pendant intact, he suggests that she hands the pendant into the lost and found office, so he can pick it up later, but when he tries to, Haru catches him and storms off with the pendant, but is nearly crushed by some falling scaffolding only for Raku to save her again. In fear of his pendant being smashed, Raku tells her that her Prince Charming saved her and he knows him, so he can return the pendant to him, which she declines, but there is time to figure out how to get the pendant back.
Paula McCoy is now crashing at Seishiro's place, as she has a load of vacation days saved up and is spending them in Japan, to have some fun, although her true reason is to help Seishiro get with Raku. At school, Paula asks if Seishiro has asked Raku out yet, which she hasn't, primarily because Raku is her mistress’s boyfriend, but Paula points out that she could become his concubine. Seishiro dismisses the idea, because she doesn't believe any guy could fall for her, despite (in Paula's opinion) she has the most powerful weapons a girl can have - boobs.
Later, Seishiro is tidying up the P.E storeroom, when Raku comes in as he has also been asked to help tidy up. Soon after Raku entered, the doors to the storeroom suddenly close and won't open, which Seishiro deduces to be Paula's handiwork to the amazement to Raku, as he hadn't realised that she was back in Japan. Seishiro decides to break the doors down, but Raku stops her, so she doesn't destroy school property and they wait for someone (probably a guard or someone) to come round and check on the storeroom. They start talking about Paula and it turns out that Paula is quite like Seishiro was at the beginning: too serious, always pushing herself and never allowing herself to relax. Raku notes that Seishiro has changed and, in a way, has become cuter, which startles her and she gets her shirt caught on a nail and rips her sleeve, so Raku decides to give her, his shirt and as they're changing, Kosaki opens the door, before immediately closing it out of embarrassment.
Later, Seishiro is tidying up the P.E storeroom, when Raku comes in as he has also been asked to help tidy up. Soon after Raku entered, the doors to the storeroom suddenly close and won't open, which Seishiro deduces to be Paula's handiwork to the amazement to Raku, as he hadn't realised that she was back in Japan. Seishiro decides to break the doors down, but Raku stops her, so she doesn't destroy school property and they wait for someone (probably a guard or someone) to come round and check on the storeroom. They start talking about Paula and it turns out that Paula is quite like Seishiro was at the beginning: too serious, always pushing herself and never allowing herself to relax. Raku notes that Seishiro has changed and, in a way, has become cuter, which startles her and she gets her shirt caught on a nail and rips her sleeve, so Raku decides to give her, his shirt and as they're changing, Kosaki opens the door, before immediately closing it out of embarrassment.
Raku and Seishiro have been summoned by Paula to meet her a certain spot within a forest, to discuss something Chitoge. They go, knowing it is probably one of Paula's schemes, as anything relating to Chitoge must be treated seriously - according to Seishiro. They come across a suspension bridge which they need to cross and Paula plans to use it to trigger the 'Suspension Bridge Effect' (Put 2 people in a dangerous situation and they will mistake the adrenaline from the situation for romantic attraction). Raku asks for Seishiro's hand whilst crossing the bridge, only to notice that she has a fever - she herself had noticed the symptoms, but did nothing about it. Paula spots Seishiro in a weakened state and immediately blames Raku only for him to correct her, so she tries call for an ambulance only to find there's no signal. Raku leaves Paula and Seishiro to soak a handkerchief in a nearby river, so Paula tries to carry Seishiro out of the forest, but struggles as Seishiro is too big for her. Raku returns to carry Seishiro, with Paula emotional over the (obviously slim) possibility that Seishiro might die, so Raku tells her she needs to trust people, which she disagrees with, as trusting others is a sign of weakness, so Raku points out that Seishiro allowed herself to get sick because she trusts Paula. They finally make it out of the forest where the encounter Haru and Paula asks if she would help and she agrees to, seeing no reason to - she still leaves Raku behind, taking Seishiro and Paula to the doctor. The chapter ends with Paula telling Haru that they aren't friends, despite her friendly attitude.
The bonus comic for this volume continues following the adventures of Magical Confectioner Kosaki, where she is given a cloth to transform behind and works as well as you'd expect.
The bonus comic for this volume continues following the adventures of Magical Confectioner Kosaki, where she is given a cloth to transform behind and works as well as you'd expect.

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