This volume starts off with a story about a dancer dying of cancer that is not in the anime which is nice because it gives me a chance to experience it without comparisons. The second story, "The Devil's Trill" was in the anime but is presented here with some very small differences, like the continued allusions to the similarity between Hisoka and Hijiri (although I guess with the anime they figured it was just so apparent it didn't need to be addressed specifically). I enjoyed both stories. It certainly does bring to light Tsuzuki's kind hearted personality and almost tragic ability to fall in love quite easily.

I particularly find the theme in "Devil's Trill" to be kind of disturbing. The idea that transplants can carry over memories, or in this case a written contract, from one host to another, is one I've always thought as interesting.

This manga is very episodic which can be good or bad. Time will tell if it just goes from one story to the next or if it will start to build on itself. There is a great mixture of humor, angst and drama which makes it all very appealing. The drawing as well is easy to look at. I really do like Tsuzuki who is drawn at times as almost heartbreakingly, beautifully handsome and at times with quite comic intent. There are two panels which stick out for me as really gorgeous. The first is in "The Last Waltz" where Tsuzuki is leading Hisae out for the dance contest and the other in the infirmiry where he first meets Hijori and is so tall he towers over him with his head inclined *sigh*. He's easily becoming one of my favorite manga characters for both the way he is drawn and his personality in the series.

I'm continuing to enjoy both the manga and the anime and look forward to reading/watching more. ( )