Kou Yaginuma

In a modern manga world dominated by the one trick ponies of tsunderes and sex icons, it's nice to return a simpler time in the media where the story genuinely cares about developing the motivations of its characters. It'll make more of an impact for you to read the story with no idea on what exactly you're getting into, but here's a basic summarization: We see not only how important the stars are to our main heroine, but why exactly they are. We see our character's backstories, the reasons behind their actions, their hopes, dreams, strengths, weaknesses. And this is all within the first volume! Many mangas like to drag out their characters' inner workings for quite few volumes in an attempt to make their already convoluted plots seem "fleshed out". This is a storyline that, quite simply, cuts through the bullshit and tells a story. It's an excellent piece to start out with for anyone seeking to get into this media as a whole, and is wholeheartedly recommended.… (mer)

Twin Spica Volume 07 by Kou Yaginuma gives Asumi and her friends a chance to bond, reveals the truth behind Marika's illness, and further tests bounds of the students' ingenuity and endurance.

Asumi and her friends vacation in her home town. It brings Marika face to face with memories she knows aren't hers but still have been compelling her throughout her life. When she goes in search of the long forgotten rocket fort at the end of the train tracks, Asumi and the others have to rescue her. That rescue forces her to open up about a huge secret she's been forced to keep to herself.

Each volume, though, has one major piece of training. This time the students are taken to an abandoned prison. There they are broken into three groups and each group is given a deadline by which they must break at least one member of their team out and reach a flag posted outside the prison.

The prison break reminds me most of the first test (the one with the dominoes). The school tests are either one of skill, endurance, or of observation. This one is an observation test, the type of test that Asumi and her team excel at.… (mer)