+Anima Volume 2 by Natsumi Mukai

Cooro, Husky, Senri and Nana have been travelling together for a while now, but when Cooro comes upon some strange boxes in a field, he wants to see what's inside. When he opens it, bees come pouring out, and he has to take off, being chased by the bees. When he lands, it's near a group that he thinks are farmers, but they are really beekeepers. They are only a little annoyed that he knocked over the hive, but they ask him to take two bottles of their finest honey to the house at the top of the valley where the lady Beena lives.

Cooro agrees, and when his friends catch up with the beekeepers, they find out that Cooro is being sent into danger. The lady's son, Gil, is a Bee +Anima, but his form is monstrous, and all the servants have fled out of fear of him. The monster Gil has become can only live on Honey, so to keep themselves safe, they sent Cooro with the honey instead. That way, if the changed Gil kills him, the beekeepers are safe.

But when Husky, Senri and Nana catch up with the beekeepers, they aren't happy to find out what the humans have done. However, the interest of a Bee +Anima is enough to send them on to the mansion as well. There, they are welcomed by Lady Beena, but when she offers to bring Cooro to them, they only wait for a little while before setting out in search of them. But when they finally learn Gil's secret, will they be happy or angry?

Then, while on a mountain road, they meet another +Anima, Rose, and must help her and her travelling companion through the treacherous mountain trails. But when they meet a group of soldiers who lose a package over the trail, Cooro wants to help them. but the flying monsters who make the mountains home might just want him as dinner!

The book ends with an alternate history for the group with the four main characters working for different sides in a gang war. Can they retrieve the treasure that has the two gangs fighting? Or will everyone come up a loser?

So, another volume in the series. It's okay, but nothing I'd spend my good money on. Yes, it's a fantasy manga. Yes, it has characters who are part animal, but it just resembles so many other manga in so many ways that I'd have a hard time justifying why I should buy this one instead of others that I enjoy. There is nothing to really set it apart.

The story is good, if a bit disjointed, and although the back of the books makes it seem that they are looking for a home where people can accept them, even their animal traits, only Cooro and Husky seem to be looking for that. We never see that Senri or Nana have been informed of what they are looking for.

So this is still nothing special for me, just an "eh". Of course, when you have seen as much Anime and manga (and read as much manga as I have) that's a given, that you'd start to see the ideas and characters repeat. So, while YMMV, for me, this is a "read from the library, don't buy" title.