Once again, I’ll be sharing my thoughts on another volume of Yui Hara’s Kiniro Mosaic manga. This time it is the fourth volume, but I’m sure you already realised that after seeing the title of this post.
Regardless, let’s take a look at what Alice, Shino and the others get up to in this fourth volume.
Shinobu, Alice, and the rest of the girls may be in different classes, but their friendship is stronger than ever! From spirited chats to fun at the beach, each day is filled with joy and laughter. But could Alice and Karen be getting homesick? It looks like a trip to England is in order!
This volume starts with some colour pages, with the characters talking about clubs before moving to go and plant some flowers.
Youko’s younger siblings, Kouta and Mitsuki, also show up, so the other girls get the pleasure of meeting them for the first time.
Youko’s siblings aren’t the only ones who have a part to play in this volume. Isami ends up feeling down, so Alice and Karen suggest that they hang out with her. This turns into a competition to take the best photo.
Following that, Alice attempts to emulate the story of the straw millionaire. She ends up obtaining a priceless treasure – well, at least to her, anyway.
Other highlights include a trip to the beach, and seeing what Alice and Karen got up during their younger days when they lived in English.
Also worth noting is that Honoka gets more to do in this volume, and that usually revolves around Karen.
Kiniro Mosaic remains as cute and funny as ever. For those of us who are into the whole cute girls doing cute things thing, there is certainly a lot to enjoy here.
I personally have some problems with the translation – I’ve mentioned it before, but I really can’t get behind Karen’s ‘caveman speak’ to represent her broken Japanese. I also wish they would be more consistent with the British English – they get it right for Alice, but not for Karen. That kind of throws me.
Still, that’s not a deal breaker for me. It may be a little inconsistent, but that doesn’t take away from the charm of the characters interacting with each other.
Kiniro Mosaic continues to be as enjoyable as ever, and a really fun read.
Rory Muses 