Exams…the accursed time in every student’s life. For the Happiness Class, it’s no exception, although they have the added bonus of a random test to measure their happiness and misfortune. The girls can’t study for that, but they can prepare for the traditional subjects. But since Tsubaki steals something from Hibari for their teacher, you know the happiness test is going to be big.
If that wasn’t a big enough clue, perhaps the fact Kodaira shows up wearing a gas mask just as her students start passing out will be enough for you.
Legal issues regarding this aside, my first thought was that Anne and the others would be doing an escape room challenge. I had Zero Escape on my brain thanks to the mask, and escaping someplace would be a good challenge for some in particular. *coughHibikicough* But rather than leaving, they need to find someplace — namely, the goal. Hibiki and Hibari encounter each other right away, but they have to find the others and figure out where to go. There’s just one problem: they are all in children’s bodies!
While Botan’s endless list of medical issues and Anne’s odd luck do push the limits of realism, since there has been no indication of magic in the manga, readers will know there’s some type of logic behind Hibari and the others’ appearances. It’s an obvious explanation that most readers will figure out quickly, well before the characters do.
This part of the story is excellent for two reasons. One, we can see how far the girls have come. Hibiki — who also won a prize in an art competition — asks for help almost immediately and ends up taking command in a crisis. Anne uses her luck to find hidden arrows, and Botan and Ren analyze and act. Before the exam, Tsubaki feels guilty for going through Hibari’s things, and she later agrees to travel with the group
As for Hibari…throughout the challenge, she wonders what traits she has, what she can do in times like these. Throughout volume 9 we get plenty of hints that her character arc is about to come into focus: this scene, the picture Tsubaki stole, her still blushing and hiding when she sees the construction worker sign. She desperately needs this, not only because her progress is less obvious than the others but she also has, in my opinion, the biggest issue. Anne’s luck goes both ways and can get around bad luck with her optimism, Hibiki can use Google Maps, etc. But being attracted to a sign? It may not affect her day-to-day life, but there’s got to be a big reason for that.
That’s for later though. While the exam was entertaining, Anne Happy volume 9 ends on a weak note with a trip to Botan’s house. After trying to deal with collapsing buildings and an attacking Timothy, a trip for tea and cakes is less exciting. With only one chapter left in the volume, there’s just not enough unique; the whole chapter plays out just as expected. Had this taken up two chapters, it wouldn’t feel so rushed. Botan’s sister could be an interesting character, but here she comes off as a bit of a brat despite her affection for Botan.
The best part is the ending, which again circles back to Hibari. So if volume 10 can take all these Hibari hints and run with it, it should be great. This one was pretty good with some great characterization, but the final chapter and the gang being slow to figure out why they’re kids bring it down a bit.