MANGA REVIEW | "I Wanna Do Bad Things With You" - Volume Two
It may be a tale of villainy, but I Wanna Do Bad Things With You is a lot more than that. This is a story about two people who have been cast aside by the rest of the world. Mamori has had trouble making friends and speaking up for herself, whereas Soshi has been cast aside by his family due to his illnesses. But as Volume Two of I Wanna Do Bad Things With You shows, Soshi isn’t that much of an outcast.
Before we dive into that aspect, there’s the date Mamori and Koichi have planned, with Soshi watching in the shadows. But before they can hit the zoo, Koichi makes a left turn with the plans. He’s taking Mamori to a fancy-schmansy dinner party, of which Soshi has to go to great lengths to infiltrate. But as the other partygoers keep on bashing on Soshi, Mamori finds herself unable to hold back her anger. And it’s here where things start to get interesting.
There’s been something up with Koichi ever since he was first introduced. The second volume of I Wanna Do Bad Things With You lifts up the curtain more regarding his mentality. After the shakeup at the party, Koichi finds himself being a little more playful with Mamori, in a way that’d send the average person a plethora of warning signals. And yet, when Soshi comes swooping in for the save, Koichi has a look of satisfaction on his face. In fact, it’s as if he wanted Soshi to play the hero in the situation!
But there’s no time to hypothesize about anything of the sort. There’s a new face in the crowd: Ichika Tsubaki, the heiress to the hospital that Soshi frequents. And that’s not all, as her role in Soshi’s life is one that takes Mamori aback. It leads Mamori to wonder what kind of role she is playing in Soshi’s life, as she realizes that she’s the only loner in her tiny acquaintance circle.
Thankfully, Soshi has a keen sense of knowing when his “minion” is about to have a broken heart. Even when hiding throughout the party, and not taking his own body into consideration, Soshi’s main focus is making sure Mamori is okay. He’s not just her friend; he’s also her confidence booster, as evident by the way she owns an impromptu wedding dress photo shoot. But it’s during a wild bike ride towards the end where we see what these two people are to one another, and as Mamori holds on for dear life, she starts to feel things that she’s never experienced before.
Is love in the air for these two? Will Ichika and/or Koichi put a pin on whatever it is Soshi & Mamori are becoming? There are quite a few ways this whole thing can go down in I Wanna Do Bad Things With You. Some of these paths can lead to happiness with a sprinkling of hearty anguish; other paths the other way around. Knowing just how Soshi’s brain works, he’s bound to find the path that allows him and Mamori to be as happy as humanly possible. Will it be a romantic path? I have no clue, but I am excited to find out!
FINAL GRADE:
Promotional consideration provided by Chantelle Sturt of VIZ Media.
