Though it got off to a mediocre start, Suzuka is turning into a pretty good show.  The third volume builds on the strengths of the second and advances the story nicely and contains some interesting twists that were unexpected.  The comedy, which didn't really work that well, has been toned down quite a bit and the dramatic aspects of the program have a lot of heart.

Series Background:

Yamato Akitsuki has traveled to Tokyo from his home town of Hiroshima in order to attend a prestigious high school.  The day before classes begin he's checking out the campus when he sees Suzuka Asahina practicing the high jump.  She's graceful and elegant, and the shy Yamato instantly becomes enamored of the athlete, even though he knows he'll probably never see her again.

While staying in Tokyo, Yamato is living in an all girl's dorm that is owned and operated by his aunt.  Also living in the dorm are Yuka Saotome, a gorgeous college student who loves to drink until she passes out, and Megumi Matsumoto, a grad student who tries to contain Yuka but usually ends up drunk herself.  Yuka becomes amorous (usually towards Yamato) while inebriated, and Megumi becomes surly and rants about how men are pigs and that all they want to do is look at her ample breasts.  One of the other girls living in the dorm turns out to be (you'll never believe this) Suzaka.  She's in the room right next to Yamato's in fact.

Also going to Aoba High are Yamato's friend and experienced lady's man Yasunobu Hattori, and a quiet, lovely young lady, Honoka Sakurai.  Yamato and Honoka met years ago when they were kids and the meeting left quite an impression on the young girl.  When she sees Yamato again, she instantly falls for him.  The only problem is that Yamato's too blinded by Suzuka to notice that Honoka's always hitting on him.

This volume:

After the events in the last volume, Yamato has pretty much had it with Suzuka and the track team.  She's been treating him like crap since he reminds her of her dead boyfriend, and he's had enough of it.  He stops going to practice and though he qualified for a track meet, he doesn't go.  Instead of attending the meet, he goes out with his friend Yasunobu who tricks him into traveling to the sporting event.  Once there, Yamato doesn't plan to compete until he sees a member of a rival team picking on Suzuka.  At first he tries to ignore it, but when she starts to cry he can't let that pass and tells the ruffian that he'll beat him on the track.  Of course he doesn't realize that the person he's challenged is the best high school sprinter in Japan.

Things start to heat up later when the team travels to Hiroshima to train.  On the train there, Yasunobu has a talk with Honoka and tells her that if she doesn't step up, someone else will snag Yamato away from her.  Though naturally shy Honoka screws up her courage and, after catching Yamato along, kisses him.  This floors the poor guy, who isn't sure what to do.  He prefers Suzuka, but having a girl who likes him is very, very attractive.
The episodes in this volume moved the plot along nicely and also fleshed out the characters much more.  Yamato seems like a real person, and the way that he reacted to Honoka's kiss was very realistic.  He just can't stop thinking about her and the fact that his lips touched his.  Suzuka's reaction to the pair getting together was also true to life and didn't feel contrived.  She's starting to become a real three dimensional character and not just the hot girl next door.

The next four episodes are contained on this disc which comes in a clear keepcase with a reversible cover.  There is no insert.

Audio:

Ya know what the hardest part of writing a review is?  Coming up with a new and different way of saying that the audio (or video) was okay but nothing to write home about.  That's the case with this disc.  There are stereo soundtracks in English and Japanese, and while I enjoyed the Japanese a bit more they are both fine.  (Some of the English female voices were a bit whiney for my tastes.)  There were no dropouts or distortion.  Sutitles are available in English.

Video:

This show comes with a 4:3 image that is solid and looks fine.  There is some aliasing, mainly in the background, but the lines are tight and the colors are bright and even.  Like the audio, this is an average looking disc that doesn't really wow the viewer but doesn't do anything wrong either.

Extras:

Also included on this disc is another edition of the Aoda High School Year Book, a reel of stills from the show that lasts slightly less than a minute.

Final Thoughts:

Suzuka has really matured over the last two volumes and has gone from a fairly lame harem show to a drama that has some real emotion behind it.  The characters are fleshed out and the situations they get into and their reactions have a realistic feel that so few anime shows are able to manage.  If you're looking for a solid romance show that isn't sappy or maudlin, this is the program for you.  A strong recommendation.