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Title: 陸上防衛隊まおちゃん (Mao-chan) Vol. 2
Artist: RAN
Creator: 赤松健 (Ken Akamatsu)
Book Size/Pages: Small B-6, 192pp., w/furigana
Original Serialization: Monthly Shonen Magazine Special 2/03-7/03
Rating: 3/4
The bonus in this volume is a few illustrations of the kawaii aliens that attacked earth in the previous chapters.
I think RAN's artwork, while using Ken Akamatsu's designs, are a little better than the original creator himself. RAN draws with a lot darker lines than Akamatsu, so the pictures some out a lot more solid and firm. Unlike many other comics, Mao-chan doesn't just regurgitate stories from the anime. These are original stories in themselves, just like the first volume. This volume is still very simple with an alien attacking Mao and gang, but nevertheless is a good read.
8. 夢現な防衛合戦です (Half-Asleep Defense): It's New Year's and the spies have disguised an alien sheep to be a bringer of fortune for those who touch it. However, those who touch it fall into a deep sleep and the only one not affect is Kagome, who was interrupted before she had her meeting with the animal. Through her ingenuity and brain wave machine, she's is able to call out to Mao et. al. in their sleep and have them defeat the sheep.
9. 宇宙人スパイはつらいです (Alien Spies are Cruel): Chinami has an alien who she is sure can seal up Mao and gang. While she's out, she tells Yuriko to mind the house and not mess her plan up. Mao comes to the house and Yuriko, being enchanted by her cuteness, offers her some treats. Later, determined not to fail, she tries to lure Mao to the alien, however, she herself gets swallowed up by the alien. The two of them spend some time inside the belly of the alien. Apparently, no one is supposed to escape from the belly of this alien, but Mao finds a way.
10. 小笠原防衛大合戦その1 (Big Defense at Ogasawara Part 1): The girls are to go do some special training on an island and are to find fruit with their clover logo on them. Misora finds her, which is a banana, but her plane crashes and she's attacked by a group of monkeys and loses it. She finds an injured baby monkey and is determined to take care of it, just like how Mao takes care of her. She saves the monkey from the her plane, which has been leaking gas, and returns it to its parents. She later finds an alien capsule.
11. 小笠原防衛大合戦その2 (Big Defense at Ogasawara Part 2): Silvia is out on the beach, not really worrying about the training. She meets Tarou, who is apparently looking for treasure on the island. He has the banana with the emblem and so Silvia follows him on the treasure hunt. They get attacked by a giant gorilla, Silvia gets knocked off a cliff and he goes and rescues her.
12. 小笠原防衛大合戦その3 (Big Defense at Ogasawara Part 3): Mao finds her banana, but is attacked and tied up by a gang of monkeys; the leader looks just like her grampa. This clan gets attacked by the giant gorilla (alien), the girls help fight and fend it off. Afterwards, the girls give all three bananas to the leader as he's the rightful owner and he uses it to unlock the hot springs on the island.
13. 桜の下の思い出防衛です (Defense of Memories Under the Sakura Tree): The three generals are at each other's throats again, this time worse than ever. An alien fox attacks and is uprooting all the trees, but the generals are still bickering and do not command Mao and them on how to defeat the alien. That is until the fox unearths a time capusle which invigorates the grampas into action and they defeat the fox. Turns out that the time capsule was buried by the three of them years ago.
14. エイリアンさんはお友達です(前編)(The Alien is a Friend, First Part): Riho, one of Mao's schoolmates has been keeping an alien pet that came up to her when she was alone and cheered her up. However, according to the two spies Chinami and Yuriko, that alien is the ultimate weapon and take it from her.
15. エイリアンさんはお友達です(後編)(The Alien is a Friend, Last Part): By feeding the alien, they make it grow and grow, eventually growing to the side of buildings and is destroying everything. At this point, the creature is no longer able to hear Riho. However, using the tanks to form words, she comunicates through and he deflates himself. Although she looks like a flat balloon, Riho gives him some mouth to mouth and brings him back to life again.
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