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Title:  Aishiteruze Baby #4

Author:  Yoko Maki

Publisher:  Viz

ISBN:  1421505711

May Contain Spoilers

When Kippei’s distant relative, 14 year old Miki, tries to take Yuzuyu away, Kippei is determined to stop her.  When she pulls a knife on him, he’s alarmed by her erratic behavior.  He soon learns that she isn’t getting along with her family, and she’s desperately unhappy. When he questions her about the burn marks on her arm, he begins to feel concerned for her.  Little does he know that Miki is despondent and is contemplating suicide.   

This volume of Aishiteruze Baby was a little more serious than the previous releases.  The author attempts to tackle the somber issue of bullying and it’s effects on a once cheerful young girl.  When Miki confronts a teacher for abusing a fellow classmate, she quickly finds herself an object of derision at her new school.  The teacher turns a blind eye to the increasingly violent attention her peers direct at her, then calls her parents to report  that she has an attitude problem.  With everyone against her, Miki becomes withdrawn and moody.  With her parents displaying their disappointment with her, she begins to think that Yuzuyu can take her place in the family after she ends her sorrows. 

Miki’s dilemma is slowly revealed as the summer vacation slips away.  With no one else to talk to, she finds herself confiding in young Yuzuyu.  Kippei invites her to stay with the family during vacation, and the two begin to form an awkward friendship.  Miki seems to have a crush on him, and when she sees him kissing Kokoro, she finally succumbs to her depression and feelings of worthlessness.  Will Kippei be able to persuade her there are people who truly care for her?  Though the conclusion was overly simplistic, I enjoyed this story arc.

The volume ends with Kokoro finding herself the object of a classmate’s adoration.  Though he seems like a nice guy at first, when Kokoro turns Itagaki down, he forces a kiss from her in an empty classroom.   Now I’m wondering whether or not Kokoro is going to tell Kippei what happened, and how he’ll react to the news.  Itagaki seemed like a nice guy at first, but now he’s crossed over the creepy line.  He deserves a whack upside the head (or worse), and I hope he receives it in the next volume. 

Grade:  B-

Rated for Teen