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Review

by Grant Jones,

Hi Score Girl

GNs 1-4

Synopsis:
Hi Score Girl GNs 1-4

Hi Score Girl is a story set in the year 1991 and centered on three young elementary school students: Haruo Yaguchi, Akira Oono, and Koharu Hidaka. Haruo is an awkward young man who is great at video games but not much else, particularly in school and social situations. Akira is elegant, an excellent student, and wildly popular, in addition to being even better than Haruo at video games. Koharu is accomplished in many areas and has a natural talent for video games but is a relative newcomer to playing them. Despite his single-minded focus on games, Akira and Koharu both begin to get under his skin in different ways. As the volumes continue, Akira and Koharu move in and out of Haruo's orbit, complicating his feelings for them - though his love of gaming remains as true as ever.

Hi Score Girl is written and drawn by Rensuke Oshikiri. The translation is by Alexander Keller-Nelson, the lettering is by Bianca Pistillo, and the editing is by Tania Biswas. Hi Score Girl is published by Square Enix Manga & Books.

Review:

Hi Score Girl provides a light-hearted romantic comedy with a specific sort of appeal. Yet despite its particular main nuances, the general emotional throughlines are relatable enough that most readers can find something to enjoy here.

The first and most obvious aspect of Hi Score Girl is the focus on video games. Video gaming – like any hobby – is time-consuming and a potential hurdle or point of connection in any relationship. Many romantic comedies play up oddball hobbies as a barrier that stands in the way of romance, a hurdle that must be overcome for their relationship to blossom. Oftentimes the hobby-focused partner has to find a healthier balance and do some personal growth to make the relationship work. Interestingly, Haruo's gaming separates him from his peers, but Akira is similarly obsessed with gaming. In fact, their shared intensity draws them together, ostracizing them from other kids their age and moving them along the pipeline from rivals to acquaintances to something more (though what, exactly, isn't clear). Their early duels in the arcade are not exactly ones where romantic sparks are flying, but it's clear those fights are driving away others and leaving the two of them alone to grow closer to one another in some form or fashion.

With Koharu, gaming is something of a lure rather than a repellant. Haruo's obsession is a strange curiosity to her at first, and she has no frame of reference for enjoying video games. Even when she plays and succeeds beyond anyone's wildest dreams – such as unlocking Akuma accidentally in Super Street Fighter II: Turbo – she doesn't have much investment in the games specifically. Haruo and Akira know the particulars inside and out, whereas Koharu floats in and out of the games purely based on whatever Haruo is playing.

The most specific charm of the series is not so much the characters as it is the time period and the arcade focus. The story starts in 1991, and we get frequent minor updates on what is happening in the outside world, such as the outbreak of the Gulf War. At this time, arcades were still hugely popular in Japan and still doing well in the United States (though obviously less well than in Japan). The use of Street Fighter 2 as a core plot point is particularly compelling since it was dominant when it hit the scene in the early 90s. We really could not get enough of it, and I found Haruo's commentary very relatable. For example, he is so desperate to win that he chooses Guile and plays the standard highly defensive style, much to his shame and the disdain of others looking on. This was one of those social taboos of a sort or at least the thing people would complain about as you played (“Dude, don't pick Guile again. He's so cheap!”).

The integration of the other games – arcade and console – is a recurring plot point. Whether you find this detail interesting or relatable will vary. I think most readers would likely be too young to remember many of these titles, and Lord knows, even I'm out of the loop regarding consoles like the PC Engine. But I think the general vibes are relatable enough for readers to click with on some level (such as Haruo's insecurity making him feel like he has to constantly defend the PC Engine versus everyone else having a Nintendo).

As the story progresses and years pass, other news events provide stage dressing while new video games create exciting opportunities for Haruo. It is this constant deluge of new, genre-defining titles that the manga captures so very well. I was also an elementary schooler obsessed with video games at this time, and it felt like every month, some new release blew our minds and created new experiences. We spent our days running around arcades, arguing about whether Scorpion could kill Ryu on the playground, eating pizza while showing each other primitive Doom mods, picking our jaws up off the floor the first time we saw the (to our minds) lifelike 3D worlds of Virtua Fighter and Daytona USA – they were halcyon days to be sure. Hi Score Girl captures this constant bubbling excitement and sense of advancing entertainment in a way that is very close to my own lived experience, and I love that element of the work.

The art style is interesting. It's a purposeful kind of exaggeration that gives it a very (I know this will sound ridiculous) comic feel but in a more classic sense. These are distorted proportions and purposefully awkward-looking characters, and I couldn't help but think of 90s cartoons like Hey Arnold! And Rugrats with the shapes of the faces. It works both as a rendition of childhood memories and as a way to underscore the general awkwardness of those years. Most kids are, well, kids! They're goofy and clumsy and still figuring the world out. So having the cast be a bit goofy looking reinforces the petty decisions and overreactions they get into.

As for negatives, the silence on Akira's part is a bit of a letdown. I guess this is a stylistic choice, but it seems odd to have her either not speaking at all or simply responding with random acts of violence. Also, there are times when she communicates via symbols, and Haruo can glean her meaning. It makes the entire relationship feel odd and one-sided to have Haruo speak for himself and for Akira. The fact that this supposedly occurs over one school year really stretches the credibility. At first, I wondered if there was more going on than merely a decision not to talk or shyness. Regarding her voice, she never appears to use sign language or something similar, and she does vocalize when she eats sometimes. Regarding her shyness, she does appear to be comfortable enough with Haruo to come to his house and spend all night in his room. So… it seems like she's just choosing never to speak for reasons, I guess.

This may work for other readers, but I found it odd to have her say nothing purposefully. I could have bought it in public social situations or the early phases when she and Haruo were still getting to know each other. But as the story continued, the less I liked it. It's harder to get emotionally invested in the story when she does not communicate outside headbutts, and Haruo must read her mind.

Koharu is far more interesting to my mind. Having the co-lead have a voice makes for a far more exciting narrative. Akira's lack of a voice makes her seem like a plot point masquerading as a person, whereas Koharu feels like an actual person. This makes her a lot more enjoyable to read along with as she tries to understand this strange little boy Haruo.

The struggle to make sense of the situation is the well Koharu keeps returning to. She seems to like Haruo, but in what way? Is he just a friend, an interesting acquaintance who doesn't behave like anyone else? Or is he a crush whom she has romantic feelings for? Does Haruo also share feelings for her, and if so, in what way? Does Haruo care only about video games, or does he also have feelings for other people? Koharu is wrestling with this bevy of questions and doubts and does not land on a clear definitive answer by the end of the volume.

This curious questioning is part of what makes Koharu seem believable as a character. Sure, it's probably a stretch to think that there is yet another girl in Haruo's class who finds him compelling when – by his own admission – all he does or cares about is video games. But Koharu's wrestling with questions is deeply relatable for most young people. I know there have been times in my own life when I was attracted to someone without being able to articulate why, and wrestling with those feelings is a complicated, messy process. The most poignant bits are where Koharu knows where Haruo is but wonders what he is thinking, positing hypotheticals in her head repeatedly to work out what's going on.

Another challenge is that Haruo is often a profoundly unlikable character. It's hard to imagine anyone wanting to be around someone who is objectively a goober. Haruo's outward selfishness and obsessiveness make it hard to see why anyone would bother after a while. But then Koharu seems to be struggling with unrequited feelings and the notion that Haruo represents a different way of living life than she has. Still, despite Haruo's apparent drive, it's hard to imagine that being a truly unique trait (many young people are very driven) such that she must stick around with him.

As the volumes progress, their dynamic has more nuance, which is appreciated. Even when situations stretch believability (would Haruo's mom really pay for a hotel room for him and Akira to stay in overnight while giggling all the while about the things they would get up to?), the tension between the trio becomes much more interesting. We learn about why Akira is constantly running away from home and the excessive pressure she is under. We see Haruo apply himself for a change and attempt to better himself scholastically. We see Koharu asserting herself and being more than a passive observer in her own life. Akira and Haruo's blowup at the end of volume 4 is a particularly interesting emotional event for both of them; the raw confusion of youth is expressed through physical frustration. These character changes are minor and sometimes temporary, but they make sense within adolescence's shifting and confusing years.

The first four volumes of Hi Score Girl are enjoyable reads, to be sure. Romantic comedies focusing on video games are rare, so the novelty factor alone is a big selling point. The accurate lived experience surrounding those video games is its biggest strength, as someone who lived through these same years myself. The characters sometimes have odd quirks and stretch your suspension of disbelief, but it's nothing too outrageous. I recommend the series for something different, particularly if you want to see what it was like being a little video game dweeb in the 90s.

Grade:
Overall : A-
Story : B
Art : C+

+ Fun references for elder gamers and fighting game fans, Haruo is appropriate awkward and geeky
Oono's silence is odd even as a stylistic choice, love triangle conflicts feel unexplored at times

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Production Info:
Story & Art: Rensuke Oshikiri
Licensed by: Square Enix Manga & Books

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