In the previous volume, Kako was becoming friends with one of the guys who tried to attack her husband, and she was shocked to hear that something had happened to Kota in the past. Well, in this third volume of My Boy in Blue, both are explored in greater depth.
For the latter, Kota makes it clear he doesn’t want to talk about what happened, but the mystery doesn’t stay that way for long. The actual incident feels a bit forced (too coincidental even for a manga built on coincidences); however, it provides a much-needed inside look into Kota’s psyche, the sometimes-strict police officer who decided to marry a high school girl. And while he acts like the mature man around Kako, readers also get to see the little brother side of him when his sister drops in like a hurricane.
Good timing too, since Okami starts to feel something more for Kako. He’s taken it upon himself to be Kako’s guardian as penance for injuring her. But this guilt doesn’t extend to Kota, whom he was aiming for. Despite this, My Boy in Blue shows parallels between the two guys’ lives. The best part is when they wind up in clothes that the other would wear (Kota in a school uniform, Okami the cop) at the school festival.
Although it looks like Okami’s getting close to the truth about Kako and Kota, what I’d really like to see is some sort of mentorship between Kota and Okami. It might make the series more grounded in reality. Okami would give the author the perfect venue for showing a character really grow and change and not just changing just because of a wedding ring.
Speaking of that, the happy honeymoon period is in full swing. Lots of glomping, spoiling, and promises for the future. Of course, this is going to be a major — or the — reason anyone reads My Boy in Blue, but I have to say, the humor has picked up in Volume 3. I thought the silly stuff would be reserved for Mikado and the guy in the rabbit suit, but Kako has managed to pick up a few tricks. Meanwhile, Kota and Okami aren’t comfortable in their school festival outfits. Even the character profiles are surprisingly comedic.
Speaking of age, Kako seems to have the opposite problem in regards to the art. At times, Miyoshi draws Kako as if she’s aged by 10, 15 years. I know these scenes are supposed to show her as acting mature, but can she keep looking like her teenaged self? It’s one thing to age up when dressing up, but not so much when she’s gently scolding a friend. There is also a translation error, as the teacher is called by the wrong honorifics. Besides those quirks, the art and the adaptation are fine.
My Boy in Blue volume 3 is finally settling into its story, and it brings the best volume of the series so far. I’m a little worried the love triangle may wipe out some of these story gains, but I’m more optimistic for this series than I was just a volume ago.