Manga Reviews (2010-2019): The Golden Sheep vol. 2 by Ozaki Kaori (a Neo-Tokyo 2099 Manga Review)

Ozaki Kaori’s “The Golden Sheep” is an even better second volume that is much more lighthearted than the first volume. Recommended.

MANGA TITLE: The Golden Sheep vol. 2

STORY AND ART BY: Ozaki Kaori

FIRST PUBLISHED IN JAPAN: Kodansha

PUBLISHED IN USA BY: Vertical Comics

RATED: 14+

Available on December 10, 2019

After rumors start to spread at school that Tsugu and Sora have run off together to Tokyo, Asari tries to get closer to Yuushin. Yuushin, having lost his living punching bag, is left with aimless aggression, until he asks his coach to let him take the pro boxing test. In Tokyo, the old friends collide and painful truths are laid bare…

From Ozaki Kaori, creator of “the gods lie.” comes the manga series “The Golden Sheep”.

The story begins with a young man trying to kill himself by lighting charcoal in a closed car. A girl comes and smashes her guitar into the window, as you see tears streaming down her face.

The series revolves around Tsugu, a guitarist who along with her mother and sisters are moving back home to the mountainous region.

For Tsugu, she looks forward to seeing her good friends Yuushin, Asari and Sora which she hasn’t seen since she was younger.

And as we see the friends reunite once again and Tsugu feeling so happy that she’s back, what she doesn’t know is how much things have changed.

Because right after she met her friends, we see Yuushin’s friends severely bullying Sora and pushing his head on the water.

We then learn that Asari has a big crush on Yuushin and she’s jealous of Tsugu moving back.

But we see how life is for Sora, not wanting to go to school because he doesn’t want to be beaten up and bullied. He ends up not going to class and Tsugu worried about him, goes to take his homework to him, and is joined by Asari and Yuushin. And as the two watch television and talk about digging up a time capsule they had created, Asari is upset that Tsugu did not remember what she put in there, and she storms off.

This leaves Yuushin and Sora together and when Sora’s grandmother brings food and Yuushin calls it gross, Sora gets upset but is punched in the face by Yuushin, who tells him to “just die”.

Because of Asari’s jealousy, she then starts bullying Tsugu at school (with Tsugu not knowing it’s Asari).

Needless to say, when Yuushin takes Sora’s dog and Sora goes to get it back, he is once again bullied and beaten, but this time Tsugu catches him in the act. When Tsugu goes to rescue Sora’s dog, Yuushin’s bully friends encourage him to throw a rock towards Tsugu, but she cries and runs off.

Which leads us to the first opening chapter of Sora wanting to kill himself and Tsugu rescuing him and the two decide to runaway from home.

With the second volume, Tsugu and Sora runaway to Tokyo and go to meet with Tsugu’s grandfather who owns Honest Croquettes, which hasn’t been open for awhile.

The two learn how to make money through working and while both of their parents want them to return home, the two are content with their new life.

Meanwhile, back home, Yuushin is upset that Sora is not home and he can’t bully him anymore. This leads to Yuushin wanting to change his life and focus on boxing and quitting school.

As for Asari, with Tsugu gone, now she can get close to Yuushin, but when Yuushin tries to force her to have sex with him, she is not ready and because of their actions, they end up causing a rift with their own classmates.

How will life be among these four individuals?

With the first volume of “The Golden Sheep”, it was a hard manga to read as it focused on a guy getting bullied quite badly. I felt the manga was a bit depressing and I wasn’t sure if I wanted to read it anymore.

The second volume is much more different as it focuses on Tsugu and Sora’s new life in Tokyo, living together, but working hard for the money. But will living together and working together bring these two individuals close with one another?

And for their crappy old friends, how will life be for them, now that Tsugu and Sora are no longer attending school? And they can’t bully them anymore?

The second volume is no doubt delightful and entertaining but I do like how the manga is quite slice of life and the uncertainties that come with being a teenager about life, love and more!

Overall, Ozaki Kaori’s “The Golden Sheep” is an even better second volume that is much more lighthearted than the first volume.

Recommended.

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