Hikaru in the Light: Volume 2
Hikaru in the Light: Volume 2 picks up right where the previous volume left off. After making it through the rounds of auditions, Hiraku Ogino enters the first stage of survival camp. With her best friend Ran by her side, Hiraku’s performing abilities are put to the test. So too is her confidence. Far from the comforts of her family bathhouse, she must trade her mop for a real microphone and channel her inner Idol!
Although she is more comfortable performing now that she has survived the auditions, Hiraku must still get through the survival camp. Self-conscious of her dancing abilities, the reader follows Hiraku on her journey to improvement and building her confidence. She must learn how to balance both singing and dancing at the same time, all in the hopes of being one step closer to reaching her dream of performing for crowds of people. The camaraderie between Hiraku and Ran is still evident in this volume, and the importance of friendship is on full display as girls must overcome various hurdles in in the camp.
Like volume one, this volume is told through full-colour pages. The same linework that helps to illuminate the characters and their emotions is displayed throughout. The vast colour-palette helps bring these characters to life: their thoughts and expressions told through illustration as much as through words. The sense of warmth and familiarity that the characters are afforded in volume one is continued in volume two. Matsuda achieves this through continuity in physical appearance and colours associated with specific characters. This volume ends on a cliffhanger, leaving the reader keen to continue reading the series.
