High School Debut, Volume 13

"High School Debut" is a series I'd been waiting for to end. I really liked it, but it was starting to drag a bit. Fortunately, the story ends on a high note with vol. 13. At the beginning, Haruna is upset because Yoh has decided to stay with her instead of going to the college of his choice in Tokyo. She'd doesn't want to be separated from him, of course, but she doesn't want him to make a choice he'll regret. Finally, she gets him to change his mind, but then she's upset that he's leaving. But how does Yoh feel? The two spend as much time as possible together before he leaves. First, the whole gang goes skiing, and then Haruna meets Yoh's mom at their Christmas party. She and Yoh learn to deal with their impending separation along the way. Finally, Haruna is chosen to give the second years' good-bye speech at graduation. She starts working on it right away, but she can't seem to help writing it all about Yoh... This is the funniest, sweetest volume in a while. It's right up there with the volumes near the beginning of the series. Haruna is as clueless as ever (though thankfully, her hyperactivity was within the limits of believability here) and Yoh is adorable in all his embarrassed kindness. Volume 13 has everything that was great about "High School Debut". It's a more than worthy conclusion to the series.

In this volume Haruna and Yoh have to deal with the possibility of being separated and having a long distance relationship when Yoh finds a university he wants to attend that's in Tokyo. At first Haruna is optimistic that it will be fine, but when Yoh goes away for a couple weeks beforehand she realizes how lonely she is and asks him not to go. He agrees not to go, but Haruna later feels bad about keeping Yoh away from his dream, and tells him to go. Yoh decides to go to Tokyo, and Haruna promises to join him next year when she graduates. The ending to this book was very sweet, a little sad, and had a little comedy too. If you've been following the series this is a must-read. Very good ending!