I posted about the first two Volumes' English releases, so I guess I'll continue with Volume 3. This post will be shorter than the previous two, though, and I won't include the list of changes. There really weren't many new ones in this volume, and none were really significant. The first two were long due to the insignificant edits, so I'd like to avoid that this time. Anyway, here are my thoughts.
As far as aesthetics go, I have the same complaints as with the previous two. That is the front and back of the Japanese version's dust jacket are on the cover, and the front cover and flap are on the first and second pages, respectively. I know it seems pointless to bring this up since nearly all English manga is printed in this way, but it just irritates me. I suppose that is acceptable since it is a regular practice, but the paper and ink quality is still very unacceptable. The paper is rough and rigid; almost like a cheap paperback book but a bit thicker. They are still using too much black and white and not nearly enough gray tones. With some manga this is okay, but Shouji Sato's art requires a very wide range of gray tones. With too much black and white, quite a lot of detail is lost. Yen Press has already announced a compilation of the first four volumes, the "Omnibus," which will feature a redesigned cover, and perhaps they will mend their poor printing job in this.
The colloquial language used still feels a bit odd to me, but it's definitely improving with each volume. It's almost as if the characters are speaking in a manner in which high school students ten years ago spoke rather than like those of today. I can only assume Christine Dashiell, the translator, is in her late-twenties or thirties and doesn't know the modern sayings. I've been out of high school for a while, so I'm no expert on the way teenagers speak, but I seriously haven't heard some of these terms in the last decade.Takashi's speech is still the worst. It changes his entire personality in some ways. He speaks in an informal and vulgar way that makes him seem like a different character than he is in the Japanese manga. Other than he and Saya, all of the characters are presented excellently, which is good because characters are one of the best parts of this series.
I said it wouldn't be long, but I guess I was wrong. I'll try to keep it more brief when I review Volume 4.