(Note: This is an interesting oversight — this was purchased on ComiXology so I don’t know if it’s the case for any other service, but for me, the formatting was reversed. Instead of going from right to left, the manga goes from left to right. You still have to read the text from right to left, and it didn’t take away from reading it. But volume 1 of this series had to be read in manga format fashion, so this was quite bizarre.)
The performance is a wrap; Kanade and Shoko did their performance and felt great about it. That’s why it probably isn’t great when someone they don’t know tells them their ballet’s pretty average. Well, soon enough they learn who Sakura Kurisu is, and they can’t help but be bowled over. Talented in ballet and dominating every competition she enters, she’s hard to like because of her attitude, but Sakura’s got everything else in her corner — including an elite studio that aims to the train the best of the best.
…Which is why when Kanade finds out that elite studio runs a “dance for fun” program and sticks her friend Rena in it, she won’t take that sitting down. Kanade, in fact, ends up getting a lesson straight from Sakura’s mom, and she is promptly told to join the dance for fun program herself! Needless to say, Kanade’s got to deal with an elitist mom and an elitist (but captivating) Sakura. How? By challenging her in a competition!
This is sure to go over very well.
Fact is, Kanade’s finally being allowed to wear pointe shoes. That in of itself means she has a lot of work to do to even get at Shoko’s level! And well, Sakura called Shoko’s skills “stiff,” so this is looking like an uphill battle when she has a lot to learn in three months. So the major question is…can Kanade perform well enough to make Sakura think ballet is fun?
Yep, this manga is going with super talented person with a huge ego and a misguided view of what they do. In this case, Sakura’s convinced it’s her destiny to do ballet, and not because it’s fun. Kanade, however, wants to prove that Sakura’s actions when she’s dancing shows that she enjoys it a lot. The only way to do that is to work hard enough to even get to a competitive level.
That’s why the one thing I really loved about this volume of La Magnifique Grande Scene is it facing reality. There’s a huge moment where Kanade’s still taking normal classes but is also training for the competition. At this point, she realizes this is a lot to try and undertake. That’s when she tells her mom she wants to be a pro dancer. Then she talks to her dad, who asks her if this is what she really wants to do. And he throws his full support. It’s a nice touch to showcase parents supporting their child, and that helps continue to build this story.
Between that and the lovely artwork, La Magnifique Grande Scene continues to be a fantastic read. There’s really not much else that happens in volume 2. It’s merely a battle between a super talented ballerina and one just trying to get even close to that level right now. But from the competitions, to the attitudes, and to the brisk pace of the pages, I can’t help but continue to read more. And after how volume 2 ended, it’s hard to wait to find out what happens after that.