Title: 妹 (Akane) Vol. 7 "Real Heart"
Artist/Author: 山花典之 (Noriyuki Yamahana)
Book Size/Pages: B-6, 205pp., w/o furigana
Volume: 7/14
Original Serialization: Weekly Young Jump Vol 41, '01 - Vol 51, '01
First Printing: 3/24/02
Rating: 3/4

Alright, I love this series, but it's finally starting to get just a little repetitive. The another girl is gone and another one shows up. Meanwhile, the tension between brother and sister isn't really increasing or decreasing. I hope something dramatic happens soon as I don't want to become inured to this series.

The bonus is a color front page with Akane in a nurse's uniform.

70. 秋、曇りがちのココロ。 (Cloudy Heart): Akane tells Mio that she wants to be a nurse. While walking home from a date, Shinpei and Suzu see other couples making out. At home, Suzu talkes with her roommate, but doesn't seem to have the courage to move the relationship forward. At the library, Akane bumps into a guy.

71. リンゴの願い (Apple's Wish): Flashback to when Akane and Shinpei's mother was sick and when she decided to become a nurse. The guy who Akane bumped into looks a lot like her dad, so that's why she paid a little more attention to him. Suzu's apartment is leaking due to the rain and so they get Shinpei over to help fix it. After he's done, they almost have a parting kiss.

72. ずっと前から (Since a Long Time Ago...): Just as their about to kiss, Shinpei thinks of Akane so he declines. Later at home, he gives Akane an embrace and then spends the night in the office. The next day, the two co-workers want Akane to go on a trip with them, but Shinpei won't give his permission.

73. Real Heart: Shinpei and Akira has a little scuffle when Akira brings up the idea that Shinpei loves Akane and that's why he won't let her go. Akane and Shinpei take a walk by the riverside where Shinpei finally admits that he loves her. Meanwhile, Suzu receives some more apples from her family and decides to return home to the countryside.

74. 君にしてあげられること (The Thing I Can Do For You): Suzu submits her resignation at work. Rather than having her travel by train, Shinpei offers to drive her back home.

75. さよならの向こう側 (Beyond Goodbye): At school, the track coach is still after Akane. He sees some punk kids looking at his students and tells them that he can pair them up if only they help him separate Akane and Shinpei. Shinpei drops Suzu off at her parent's house, but rather than staying and meeting the family, he departs quickly.

76. 秋風の贈り物 (The Gift of the Autumn Breeze): With Suzu gone, there needs to be another girl. Now comes 高岡 (Takaoka), the owner of a chain of used car dealerships in Yokohama. She has come to gets some help in repairing cars.

77. ハッピーウェディング (Happy Wedding): Mio and another co-worker (forgot his name, not Tetsu nor Akira) are getting married because she's pregnant. She and Shinpei have a long discussion afterwards. When Shinpei goes to inspect Takaoka's cars, she tells him that the dealership used to belong to her brother, but now she's in charge of it.

78. I wish: The coach gets fired for his actions. Akane is learning how to stitch so she can make a sweater (it's Christmas time). Takaoka has a party and Shinpei is invited. She gets drunk and ends up in the same bed as Shinpei. He hears her mumble that she'll take her of her brother (sibling love).

79. 冬の一日、晴れのちくもり (A Winter's Day, Clouds After a Clear Day): Due to a Christmas promotion, the dealership has promised 50 cars, but none of them are ready.

80. holy night: It's Christmas, but because of the emergency at the dealership, Shinpei can't come home to Akane, so she goes out and tries to look for him.

Title: ぴたテン (PitaTEN) Vol. 8
Artist/Author: コゲどんぼ (Koge-Donbo)
Book Size/Pages: B-6, 194pp., w/furigana
Volume: 8/8
Original Serialization: Monthly Dengeki Comics GAO 4/03-8/03
First Printing: 10/15/03
Rating: 3/4

Maybe it was because I rushed through reading this, but I didn't enjoy the ending all that much. Having just finished "Sugar" not too long ago, with character design by the same person, it seemed like this ending was pretty much like it. I don't know how else it could have ended, but I really wasn't expecting it to end so quickly.

There's a bonus color page and a message from the author thanking readers.

43. 自分の探し方　その四 (How to Find Oneself, Part 4): A little love triangle forms with Koboshi, Ten, and Kotaro. Koboshi confesses to Kotaro, but Ten loves Koboshi, and so a little tension arises between the two guys. To round it off, Kotoaro confesses his love for Misha. Misha finds out that her test question to be an angel is to make the Kotaro happy.

44. 幸せの見つけ方　その一 (How to Look For Happiness, Part 1): It's testing season again, so everyone's a bit nervous about their entrance exam. Apparently Koboshi isn't at school today and Kotaro thinks that it's because she doesn't want to face him. After school, he and Ten get in a minor scuffle and he gets a nice whack. It seems like he's angry about Kotaro's treatment of Koboshi, but in fact, he also has his entrance exam to deal with.

45. 幸せの見つけ方　その二 (How to Look for Happiness, Part 2): Kotaro finds out that Ten is taking the same entrance exam as he is. Later that day, Misha is missing. He looks around for her, but can't find her. When he finally finds her, he realizes how much she means to him. However, Sasha tells him that once she passes her test, she can no longer stay with him. If she doesn't pass, she'll disappear, so it's a lose-lose situation.

46. 幸せの見つけ方　その三 (How to Look for Happiness, Part 3): Ten comes to terms with his academic and relationship issues. Koboshi comes to terms with her affection for Kotaro. However, Kotaro still hasn't figured out what makes him happy.

47. 夢の終わり方 (How a Dream Ends): Kotaro passed his high school entrance exam. Misha has also passed her test. Kotaro realizes that Misha is what makes him happy. But he makes one last request, that using her angelic powers, she rids him of the ability to see angels.