Platinum Garden: Vol. 7

by Maki Fujita

Synopsis
Marriages ought to be based on trust and understanding, but lately Kazura's engagement seems to be nothing but secrets and mysteries. First, Shintaro Aguri, a substitute teacher who is really a member of the Magahara family, challenges her to find a former classmate's mysterious parting gift or else break up with Mizuki. Then Mizuki performs a soul return on a friend's husband, leaving Mizuki in the hospital, exhausted and wracked by fits, and poor Kazura (is) clueless as to why!


Review
Marriage. Ha, don't make me laugh. We won't see any marriage in this manga.

Well, apparently there's a woman who can see the future in the Magahara family. Fine, whatever. She thinks that Kazura and Mizuki should break up because of an unhappy future. Kazura bravely asks to see what it is, and she shows her. Unfortunately, the audience is not worthy of seeing what this horrible future is, probably so Fujita can keep us in the dark, and drag out her story. Seriously, what the hell? I was expecting to find out what the horrible future was, and was really disappointed that I didn't get to. I always worry, because things that are kept secret like this end up being not as bad as imagined. In other words, what you can make up in your imagination from not knowing is worse than reality. Meaning, a huge disappointment in the end, when it all comes to light.

Then there's the end, where we actually see Mizuki perform a soul return. He says that he did this to punish himself, because he's not worthy of Kazura and her kindness. Because, the author has totally established this beforehand, so it doesn't feel like it comes out of left field. Right, whatever. Oh, and right before that, he says he has to tell her how he feels about her, before it's too late. But you know what happens!? Everything gets interrupted and he never says it. Cliche.

I don't know about this series. I'm disappointed by this volume. Too much humor, not enough development. Lately, I've realized that I've had my own ideas about where this manga should have gone, and that I like my idea better than hers. I think it should have been a real romance, where the characters were initially opposed to the arrangement, but as they got to know each other, they realized that they like each other. Everything about the family could have remained exactly the same, with people trying to drive them apart, and having supernatural powers. Except it would be the two of them, a united front, against the world. Well, what a shame.

Final thought: Do I care? I don't think so.