Mikagura School Suite [Manga Review]

Amelia Cook October 21, 2017

Mikagura School Suite

Eruna is an unmotivated middle school girl with no wish to go to high school unless it has pretty female classmates in cute uniforms. One day her cousin shows her the brochure for his private high school and she spots the girl of her dreams, whom she labels “the Goddess.” Finally motivated to go to high school, Eruna still doesn’t quite study for the entrance exams and is as amazed as everyone when she manages to pass the unusual test to get in.

Wearing a cute uniform and studying alongside the Goddess, Eruna would be perfectly content with her new boarding school life … except that only artistic and cultural clubs are allowed, and those clubs compete for “points” that can be used to buy goods, services, and privileges—such as a bed! This is weird enough, but they don’t even compete through their club activities. Instead, the students clash in combat, with each representative using special, supernatural skills they have honed since joining the school. Can Eruna join the right club and find a special skill of her own? Will she ever get close to the Goddess?

Mikagura School Suite Eruna is almost certainly a lesbian, and completely unashamed, in one scene portraying herself as a prince who surrounds herself with schoolgirls in cute costumes (and no boys allowed). The only boys she seems to like are the cuter, more feminine ones. While she unfortunately shows a hint of the predatory lesbian stereotype in some of her daydreams, in person Eruna is direct and honest to a fault. She is oblivious, obnoxious, and athletic, and her blunt, zany persona just makes it cuter that she is overwhelmed by the presence of her crush whenever they interact.

However, this is no romance manga. Eruna’s lust for other women is mostly treated as a joke, and most of her time and energy is actually spent trying to navigate this bizarre and magical school environment. People like Eruna well enough without actually wanting her to join in their activities, but since clubs hold all the power and points Eruna must join one as soon as possible to increase her standard of living. An ongoing tournament structure looks likely, with the added story wrinkle of some significant latent power for Eruna. Eruna is such an overbearing personality, though, your interest in Mikagura School Suite is likely to live or die based on how likable you find her.

publisher: One Peace Books
story and art: Last Note
rating: 13+