Having graduated, Alice and Shinobu have moved to England while Karen and the rest are official college students in Japan. And as much as everyone enjoys their new everyday lives, sometimes, they can’t help but think about how much fun high school was. Although they all stay in contact, sometimes, you can’t help but want to see your friends in person.
When author Hara was given the opportunity to write additional Kiniro Mosaic content, she was torn between more high school escapades or showing the cast’s college years. As a result, Best Wishes ends up a mix of both.
That is the biggest weakness of this bonus volume. Hara tries to tie the two periods together by having Alice (or whoever) reminisce about something that happened in high school to give this book some semblance of being in chronological order. However, this often just wastes space, and Best Wishes trying to be both a sequel and a side story means it never excels in either category. When you read about the gang going to karaoke, you just want to see everyone hanging out everyday, and when it’s the college chapters, you want to see more of their new lives. Even before I read Hara’s postscript, I could tell she was torn on whether to include all her unused ideas for Kiniro Mosaic or showcase her headcanons for the future.
It’s disappointing this distracts from the story, as otherwise, the characters are still very much their main series selves. There are a few jokes about some subtle changes (Aya moves her ponytails!), and Shinobu works on her English, but otherwise, the cuteness and silliness continue to make readers smile. The ladies also head to this next stage of their life with the person they are closest to, so the most common dynamics remain: Shino and Alice are living together at the latter’s house overseas, Aya and Youko are roomies, Honoka and Kana are at the same college, and the teachers are still working together. Karen, meanwhile, blows in like an unexpected tornado on all the groups — with some more happier or surprised to see her than others. But that’s Karen for ya!
Also, the cover (both front and back) is gorgeous and is probably my favorite so far this year. Just had to include that.
Anyway, Best Wishes keeps the Kiniro Mosaic spirit going with its yuri undertones, culture shocks, blonde hair obsessions, and Karen-ness. But not having enough of the future means there are some would-be recurring gags cut short and no further yuri developments, and the high school chapters come across as either random or overly nostalgic. I would have preferred Hara to have picked one path and stuck to it for a perfect final farewell.