At the start of high school, everyone assumes new student Kinichiro Imamura is a gangster due to his bleached hair and narrow eyes, so they don't speak to him. Now about to graduate, Imamura is still a friendless outsider in his school. Because he is shy and a bit apathetic, he didn't join any clubs and has no direction for his future. On the day of graduation, he runs into a girl, and they both are knocked unconscious when they fall down the stairs. When he wakes up, he discovers he has been transported back in time and now has to relive his high school years all over again. However, this time, he decides to try to join the one club he was intrigued by: the Ouden club, a Japanese group that leads cheers with drums, megaphones, and synchronized movements. In his time, the Ouden club disbanded, but now Imamura has a goal. He wants to keep the Ouden club together, but he is going to have to step way outside of his comfort zone if he is going to make a difference.
I think Again!! is my favorite new manga series. The plot line is funny and original; I felt like I was reading something exciting and new, not some half-rate remix. I loved Kubo's style, which mixes shojo and shonen style drawings. I enjoy the juxtaposition of Imamura always looks like a mess but the girls in his life looking gorgeous. It is adorable watching Imamura get pulled out of his shell by new friends and adventures as he fights to right the wrongs of not just his past life, but of others at his school. It is the antihero's hero's journey. I can't wait to find out what other transformations will take place and where they will lead our sweet and sour bumbling boy. Highly, highly recommended!