Wild Act (Wild Act (Graphic Novels)), Vol. 5

Meet 15-year-old Yuniko Sakuraba, who is fixated on the late actor Akira Nanae-so much so that she's taken to burglary to collect items that once belonged to him. But Yuniko is not obsessed and twisted; she's actually cheerful and vibrant, soon drawing the attention of 17-year-old star Ryu Eba. Eventually, the two fall in love. In Volume 2, Yuniko meets her mother, actress Maiko Sakura, for the first time-but her mother suffers from amnesia and doesn't remember her. Yuniko is told by fellow student and aspiring paparazzo Maki Tatsumi that Akira Nanae is actually her father, and in this volume Yuniko races to secure proof of this allegation before Maki can find it. This series contains almost everything: romance, humor, drama, mystery, action, high school, a perverted supporting character (thankfully little used), and animal mascots. Some plot points are a bit of a stretch, but the story as a whole hangs together because of Takada's nice artwork (reminiscent of Fuyumi Soryo's in Mars) and the genuineness of Yuniko and Ryu's emotions. Some nudity and sexual situations earn Tokyopop's assignment of the "Age 16+" rating. Recommended for most collections, especially for fans of Mars and Miho Obana's Kodocha. M