Library Wars: Love & War, Vol. 4 (4)

Moving to the next. Continue to the next. Great so far. Loving it so very much and am going onward.

Library Wars: Love and War is a touching story of a girl and her desire to protect what she loves. It has action, romance, and drama and over all is very well done. I would highly recommend this to anyone. (just read them in order)

It's a little bent but I love the series so I'm not too mad about it.

Great condition~

The series follows Iku Kasahara as she joins the Library Defense Force in near-future Japan. The LDF is a militant group comprised of librarians and soldiers who work together to fight the forced censorship of the Media Betterment Committee through any means necessary.Iku has dreamed of joining the LDF since one of its soldiers stepped in to save her favorite book from being confiscated--something Iku could not do herself as a mere schoolgirl.Inspired by the shining example of her so-called prince, Iku is determined to become the best LDF operative that she can. Iku's dedication is challenged when she butts heads repeatedly with Instructor Dojo. While he is competent and can teach Iku a lot, he also seems to have it in for her. Will Iku survive training? Will Dojo ever warm up to her? Will Iku ever learn the true identity of her prince?All of these questions and more are answered over the course of this fifteen volume manga series.Library Wars: Love & War is far and away my favorite manga of all time.I discovered this series in 2011 when I was in library school. Since then I faithfully read every volume as they came out and became available at my library. It was bittersweet when I read the final installment this summer and realized the series was truly over.Because of the serialized nature of mangas, this series is a great choice to binge. I devoured these volumes and even though I just finished the series, I'm already thinking about a re-read. Yumi's artwork is expressive and humorous as Iku negotiates her fraught relationship with Dojo with the everyday rigors of life as an LDF agent.Library Wars: Love & War is fast-paced and filled with action (and if I'm being honest with lots of flirting and romance too). The love-hate dynamic between Iku and Dojo is, of course, at the heart of this series and remains a driving force for most of the installments.As a librarian, Library Wars: Love & War holds a special place in my heart (though I'm glad I don't have any militant aspects to my current job!). Highly recommended for anyone who is bookish and looking to get into manga. A great choice for someone looking for a series with a set number of volumes too.

Iku has always loved books, and now she has to fight for the right to read them. The government has put in strict new censorship rules, wanting to be rid of "offensive" books. In response, libraries set up their own armies, and the government and the libraries fight over the right for knowledge. Iku joins the Library Defense Force, which is something she's wanted to do for a few years because she was so impressed when a soldier from the force protected her and a book she had. She refers to him as her prince...and, in shojo manga form, do you suppose her prince might be very nearby, and possibly someone she knows couldn't be him? Hmm.Iku knows that Instructor Dojo isn't her prince...she can't stand him. Well, sometimes. At other times, she seems to be falling for him. And even though he acts as if she's a difficult recruit, the truth is that he admires her for her bravery and tenacity. Part of Library Wars concentrates on this romantic element, while other parts focus on its strong anti-censorship message. It shows how far people will go to censor works they don't like...and how hard people will fight back in order to stay informed and be able to speak their minds.There is a fantasy element to Library Wars, though there can be no doubt that there are countries with very strict censorship rules where people can't read whatever they want. Library Wars celebrates a person's right to learning, art and individuality. Things get so dangerous that people protecting the libraries can be killed, and at one point Iku is captured and used as a hostage. When a boy is found out to be a murderer and "offensive" books are discovered in his room, this gets the government all the more gung-ho about its idea that reading certain books can only lead to trouble.Library Wars started out as a light novel series by Hiro Arikawa, who is credited as the creator. The manga, however, has been adapted and drawn by Kiiro Yumi. The whole Library Wars franchise -- from the books to the manga to the anime -- has been very successful in Japan. Its love of books and the availability of books ought to make it fun for bibliophiles and those concerned about censorship. Each volume also has an additional short story or two involving the main characters.Reviewed by Danica Davidson

Reason for Reading: next in the series.Ahhhhh. This is my favourite volume in the series so far! The Commander of the library forces is kidnapped by the terrorists who want sensitive library material in exchange for his return. The Commander is in a wheelchair and Iku is right beside him when the kidnapping happens so she jumps in along with them saying she will look after the Commander. An exciting situation, with secret maneuvers and a final battle that leads us only to the middle of the book! Of course Dojo, was worried about Iku when she was in danger but knew she could handle herself since he had trained her so well. And look at the picture on the cover, don't Iku and Dojo look so close? Yes, what we have all been waiting for finally happens in volume 4. A brief interlude with the two of them in each other's arms, so romantic {sigh}! But it's over before you know it and nobody has revealed their feelings and the next thing you know Iku has to start the beginning of a three week visit from her parents who think she is a cleric at the library and would send her right back home if they knew she was an active librarian soldier. I'm loving this manga even though the romances are not my usual fare. It is funny, sweet, has an intriguing futuristic plot and the characters are so lovable.

Hiro Arikawa illustrates a world that is plausible and dystopian in nature. Library Wars is a lovable shoujo (aimed at a female audience) series, because of its characters. The characters are lovable and and hardworking, and even though the relationships in this series may seem straight-forward, they are wonderfully woven together with their interactions (which are never boring)!A highly recommended series for anyone interested in some beautiful art, and a heartwarming read!