Satoko and Nada Vol. 2

If you like realistic female characters and sweet friendships, this series is a real treat. There's not a lot of depth to it story-wise -- it's an entirely slice of life tale, though the introduction of a potential marriage for Nada does present a hint of an overarching plot. But the snippets of life we see with the two characters are endearing and occasionally educational. The amount of educational value depends entirely on how familiar you are with Japan and Saudi Arabia; I find that I learn more from the Saudi Arabian/Islam bits we get from Nada since I already know a fair bit more about Japan. It's also interesting to see the USA through the eyes of a visitor.

I pre-ordered this and started reading it as soon as it came in the mail, and it was so cute and fun! I still love the girls' personalities and how this both reads as humor but also informative in discussing the way Arab women's lives differ from Japanese women's, and then how those both differ from American society. It's a fascinating angle, and I think both these girls are the perfect vehicle to tell the story. I didn't love this one as much as the first one, but I do like that it began to tackle new topics and it was addicting to read.

今回も尊くて面白くて最高でした。外国でも広まるといいなあ。