Kigurumi Guardians Vol 2
Rating: 4/5
Buy or Borrow: Buy
Source: Copy courtesy of the publisher!
Hakka has rescued her classmate from the evil invaders, but the Guardians' battle is only just beginning! Strange things are happening around the popular idol, Ranan, and she might be taking people's hearts. But Hakka has other concerns—her brother walks in on her and Ginger in the middle of their kiss!
The first volume of Kigurumi Guardians was a bit of a surprise for me, I wasn't sure what to expect going in. I was expecting something a little bit ridiculous but fun....I wasn't expecting to end up loving this series so much after just one volume that I impatiently waited for all of the other volumes to be published! It became an instant favourite which rarely happens with me. I've been anticipating this volume so much and I got so happy to finally have it in my hands and read it!
I've got to say, there's something about Ginger in penguin form holding up a sign saying "wtf are you doing?" after Hakka tries to fight him that had me cackling so hard. I think it was the cute little Kigurumi penguin cursing that did it.
Unfortunately for Hakka she gets caught with a human Ginger moments after a repart...so she has to pretend he's her boyfriend. I mean.....unfortunate for her, but not for me. My shipper heart was quite happy with this development and I was living for it throughout this volume. I so badly want the two of them to end up together, it's not even funny. There was a lot this volume that fed my shipper heart, I'm not going to lie.
Nobara and Basilico helping them out was freaking hilarious, and it was really nice to get to know Nobara more in this volume. To see what's under the mask she wears and what her life is like. There's an interesting tidbit about the President (Chigaya) thrown in to, which has me all kinds of curious and provides an interesting mystery and potential plot element.
I feel like our three Guardians, Hakka, Nobara and Satsuki, all really bond and become a lot closer to each other in this volume. They're helping each other out, boosting each other up, and defending each other. They're being there for each other, and they're going to become quite the team and I'm enjoying watching them bond and get closer and start to come together as a team.
The fast pace continues as we deal with a couple of different situations and scenarios in this volume, ending with a brand new upcoming battle...and some bitchy girls no doubt out to cause trouble. So we'll have the usual Guardian trouble...and some good old fashioned school drama too by the looks of it! The art is once again, very well done. Cute when it needs to be, and gorgeous at other points! Genuinely, this series is such a lot of fun, even when it's being a little bit ridiculous! The characters are relatable and easy to cheer on, and it's heartwarming watching them working towards becoming a team! Each Guardian has an interesting relationship with their Kigurumi too, and I'm intrigued to see more of the differences between them all!
Kigurumi Guardians Vol 1
Rating: 5/5
Buy or Borrow: Buy
Source: Copy courtesy of the publisher!
THE CHOSEN ONE
Hakka Sasakura's life is about to turn upside-down. She comes home from a day of admiring her student body president to discover that a mysterious creature resembling a man in an animal suit has taken up residence her home. What's more, she has been chosen to work with this strange being to fight off invaders from another dimension and save the world...and she has to kiss him to do so?! Lily Hoshino, the beloved artist behind Mawaru Penguindrum, offers her cute and twisted take on the magical girl genre. You probably never thought Sailor Moonneeded more hot older guys in full-body mascot costumes, but Kigurumi Guardians will bring you around!
Okaaaay so I thought this was going to be fun and kind of a little bit ridiculous, and while it was both of those, it was also hilarious and cute and I completely loved it. Genuinely, with one volume, this has lodged itself firmly on my list of favourites!
Kigurumi Guardians is fast paced and had me chuckling from the start. Ginger is so sassy and you kind of want to smack him one multiple times. Hakka is super relatable, with her little crush, and then her reactions upon being thrown in to the situation that she finds herself in. I was rooting for her from the start and totally on her side, and cringing for her when she did the thing with Ginger before she knew the truth. Chigaya, the student body president, is pretty damn extra. I'm not going to lie. I haven't decided if I like him or not, but he's extra. Our entire cast of characters are memorable and easy to relate to. Even Nobari who's not always pleasant, I wasn't sure I'd like her but I started to warm up to her. She had the exact reaction I'd have had too...a swift punch to the face, Edward Elric style. Poor old Basilico gets quite the beating, but his interactions with Nobari crack me up.
Hakka, Nobari, and Satsuki plus Ginger, Basilico and Fennel make for a lively team, and I'm excited to see them bond some more and work together more. Plus I want to know more about Ginger, Fennel and Basilico plus Chigaya and Maskaki. Maskaki cracked me up so much because he's like Chigaya's babysitter or parent at some points, reigning him in and making him behave. I'm fairly sure Chigaya is going to antagonise Ginger to the extreme.
I really love Hakka and Gingers relationship, they bicker and sass each other and it's hilarious, but they also have some really nice bonding moments too and I'm looking forward to seeing them work together more and seeing them bond some more! In case you can't tell, I totally ship them. I ship Nobari and Basilico too. I actually have a lot of ships and I'm excited to see relationships develop! I'm hoping there actually will be a little bit of romance!
Kigurumi Guardians is a fun idea, and while I had certain expectations going in, it blew them all away and took me completely by surprise. It's well executed, with cute art, and plenty of humour. I spent most of the volume chuckling, I'm not going to lie! It's so damn cute, and it gave me the warm and fuzzies, as well as leaving me desperate for the next volume and excited for this series. I'm seriously calling it now as one of my favourites of the year!
