By Dustin Cabeal

Are you ready for the rollercoaster that is Nisekoi? Because this might be the best volume, I’ve read in the series, which is strange because the last volume was the worst I’ve read. At this point I’m in too deep on this series; I’ve read from volume thirteen, I’ve watched two seasons of the anime, and now I’m starting to like volumes. What happened to me?

The reason I like this volume is that it eliminates a love interest from the series. Not in the sense that the character will no longer be a part of the story, just that Raku now has one less character to worry about pining for him.

Thank you Naoshi Komi. Thank you.

Because there are four main characters that like him and three sub-characters as well. That’s just too many. I mean even Tenchi, the godfather of the harem, made a few obvious characters that weren’t ever going to get picked. There is the potential of another character being taken out of contention as well and maybe not for the reason you think. That’s right, the character I dislike is knocking on death’s door apparently. That’s how the volume starts is with Raku and Tachibana are stuck on an island after her passing out in the last volume. From there Raku learns more about why she likes him, and finally, there’s some character growth for her character that feels genuine. It also gives her character an out because she can explain her love for Raku in a different way… motivation.

The character that’s eliminated from contention makes a similar statement which is why I bring it up, but we’ll have to see if Komi eliminates another love interest. There’s hope that it happens because then you could easily drop two sub-characters and two main characters and get this story back to the marketed “love triangle” story that it is.

The art impressed me more on this volume. There wasn’t a constant reliance on the super deformed silhouettes. I’ve yet to find any scene using the S.D.S’s funny and so seeing them toned down to almost nothing in this volume was enjoyable. Overall, the visual comedy has grown in this volume. There were illustrations that honestly made me laugh seeing them due to their exaggerated designs.

I’ve settled into an average relationship with this series. I’m going to keep reading it no matter what, and while I may enjoy parts of it, I will call bullshit on other parts. It’s not quite love/hate, but maybe that’s the best way to describe it. If you’ve been reading the series, then don’t miss this volume and if you haven’t, figure it out for yourself.

Score: 4/5

Nisekoi: False Love vol. 20
Creator: Naoshi Komi
Publisher: Viz Media