Title: A Galaxy Next Door Vol. 2
Author: Gido Amagakure
Publisher: Kodansha Comics
Language: English
Format: Paperback
Pages: 192
Genre: Romance, Supernatural
Publication Date: July 19, 2022
The Story
In volume two of A Galaxy Next Door, the manga creation aspects of the series take a backseat as Goshiki and Kuga focus on developing their relationship. After the first volume where our confession happened, I wondered how they would continue the story since all of the major points had been hit.
The answer was through episodic chapters!
First, they went to the zoo where they became fascinated by giraffes, then Goshiki was looking to broaden her skills as an assistant. She landed a position with a manga artist named Sano who happened to be one of Kuga’s old assistants. Next up, they visited Kuga, Fumio, and Machi’s father’s grave to pay their respects. Next up… it’s the holidays and a visit from Kuga’s cousin Chihiro! Lastly, we head to a hot spring where things take an odd turn when Goshiki gets a call from her mother back on the island!
While things were rather episodic, there was a common theme throughout the volume and that was the deepening of Goshiki and Kuga’s feelings for one another. Plus, Goshiki wrestled with the thought of whether or not she should keep her background to herself or to let others in on the secret that she’s some special alien island princess. All of it made for a rather cute volume that took us deeper into both of the main characters!
Characters
The biggest focus here was on Kuga and Goshiki as they deepened their relationship. Later in the manga, Kuga even questions whether or not they should seek help from Goshiki’s home island on lifting the marriage curse between them. While we ended up with a confession of love in the first volume, here, we ended up with them practically proposing to one another! Talk about fast-tracking a relationship! Although… I have my suspicions on this aspect of it.
Sano seems like a background character. All we really know is that he used to be Kuga’s assistant and now he’s a manga author who is about to make his debut. Goshiki is helping him out but there was a bit of a misunderstanding at first between him and Kuga. Sano thought that Goshiki was in love with Kuga so he tried to be sly and tell him about it; however, Kuga dropped the bomb on him that they were already dating! Outside of this and a quick visit during Christmas, there wasn’t much to his character yet.
Chihiro seems to be getting a bit more involved. While she did pay them a visit for Christmas, she ends up saying to have a sleepover and talk some more with Goshiki. Here, they develop cute nicknames for one another and begin to bond. Goshiki tries to open up about her background but Chihiro tells her that it’s okay to have secrets… and then makes it a point to say that even she has secrets of her own… some that even Kuga doesn’t know about… (The plot thickens!). This made her a much more interesting character as it definitely sows the seeds for some future plot points!
Final Thoughts
It seems as if this series has settled into your typical romance story… and that’s okay because what we are getting here is still really interesting. I really like Goshiki as a character as she seems very trustworthy and easy to get along with but she’s still so shy and insecure about things. Plus, with her being isolated on an island this whole time, she’s very naïve about a few things, too which adds to her cuteness.
I also like how Kuga is the kind of character who takes charge on a lot of things but does so in the most nonchalant way possible. He just kind of goes with the flow but does whatever is necessary when he has to. Plus, he shows his own shyness and insecurities as well when he starts thinking about his feelings for Goshiki. They really balance each other out.
With Sano and Chihiro entering the picture a little more, it makes the cast feel pretty rounded out. Not sure if this series will introduce any new characters later on but I really do enjoy small casts that take up the majority of the focus. It’s another series that doesn’t really need a third wheel to try and get in the way of things. Just let everything breathe naturally and let things fall into place. So far, this series is doing exactly that which is why it is turning into such a great read!
I’m sure that Goshiki and her mom are going to have some more time to shine in another volume as there is that whole side of Goshiki that has yet to be fully explored. That should also be really interesting when the time comes! My bold prediction is that this series will end with Goshiki and Kuga taking a trip to the island to have their wedding as part of her culture! If that’s not the ending then I can definitely see it being a huge highlight moment later on! We’ll see, though.
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This item was purchased for review.
