Satsuki embarks on a journey in the tenth volume of Sakuya Amano’s Konohana Kitan manga series. Of course, Yuzu is at her side as well. Their destination: they don’t really know.
This volume contains five chapters in total.
Front cover of the tenth volume of Konohana Kitan, featuring Satsuki and Yuzu
Satsuki has left Konhanatei on a journey to find her dream… with Yuzu at her side! What sort of worlds will they visit on their train travels with no destination in sight?
Yuzu and those around her continue to grow and change with every encounter, and although those changes are sometimes bittersweet, they are still welcome and encouraged. They may still have a long way to go, but with each stop on their journey, they’ll find themselves a little closer to where – and who – they want to be.
Satsuki and Yuzu journey forth in this volume, and they’re chosen method of transportation is a train. Not any old train, though. This particular train can go to anywhere its passengers desire. Whilst there may be plenty of passengers who know exactly where they want to go, Satsuki can make no such claim. She has no destination in mind. Yuzu, on the other hand, knows exactly where she wants to be: at Satsuki’s side.
It feels like we barely get any time with Yuzu and Satsuki in this volume, though – only two chapters focus on them. Two of the remaining three chapters focus on Konohanatei, whilst the last one is dedicated to the shrine Botan works at. That shrine chapter goes all meta, actually. To sum it up simply: glasses are really versatile.
The other chapters are more typical for Konohana Kitan. The first one that focuses on Konohanatei shows how the staff are coping with the absence of Yuzu and Satsuki. They bring some old faces back to help them out, particularly during the busy period.
Then there’s one that focuses on a certain guest at the place – and features parallels between said guest, the person she has a crush on, and Ren and Natsuki.
Whilst those chapters are fine and all, I did find myself enjoying time spent reading about Yuzu and Satsuki’s journey most.
The concept of the train they travel on is an interesting one, and one that is used well when a little girl boards the train. Once again Sakuya Amano proves her knack for storytelling with that girl’s tale. I’d argue that that particular chapter is the strongest one in this volume.
An enjoyable volume for sure, but it did leave me wanting even more Yuzu x Satsuki content. It feels like they barely appear in this volume.But, hey, being left wanting even more can be considered a good thing, right?
Rory Muses 