It’s always a gamble when your school grade mixes up the homerooms. Sometimes you’ll find yourself surrounded by the people that make you most comfortable. Other times, it’ll be complete strangers that engulf your surroundings. For Chidori and Nanoha in Rainbows After Storms, it’s a mixed bag of familiar faces and newcomers into their world. But with them both separated from one another, it makes it hard for the lovers to deal with the circumstances.

Fortunately, as the eleventh volume of Rainbows After Storms shows, it does very little to weaken their bond. Oddly enough, it takes the new student Minami to help Chidori remind her of the strong bond she has with Nanoha. Granted, Minami has no idea that those two are dating and thinks that they’re just super close besties. Be that as it may, those feelings never stray from our two lovebirds, who have done such a great job with hiding their relationship from even their closest friends.

With the manga soon coming to an end, there’s a lot of discussion regarding the characters’ futures. In one instance, Chidori and Nanoha are studying, with the latter noticeably fidgety. They discuss what’s making her nervous, as well as the things that they are working towards for their post-high school lives. But it’s the way Chidori words her goals to stay by Nanoha’s side that makes Nanoha swoon in the sweetest of ways.

Perhaps the strongest arc in the volume involves Chidori’s birthday. Nanoha goes all out to make sure her girlfriend’s special day is memorable. Everything goes according to plan, until Mother Nature slips in an unexpected downpour. But even when they find themselves stranded underneath a tiny patio with nary a bus stop or train station nearby, Chidori and Nanoha still find a way to make their time together something special. It’s stories like this that have made Rainbows After Storms a joy to read, and while it hasn’t always been perfect, it knows how to bring about the sweetest of moments when it needs to.

There are some other good chapters to be found in this volume, ranging from Chidori catching a fever after her birthday to Nanoha’s attempts to stay in touch with her girl when they’re deep into studying. One fun involves the two of them having a meal with Minami, who still can’t figure out that they’re a couple. Even with all the talks about their closeness and means of togetherness, there’s something in Minami’s head that just can’t piece together this obvious pairing. (Then again, their other friends haven’t even figured it out yet!)

Volume Eleven is certainly one of the stronger collections of stories. Rainbows After Storms may avoid the conflicts that occur with real couples, but it does a good job with bringing a wholesome tone to Chidori and Nanoha’s relationship. There are plenty of other yuri and girls’ love stories that will have the drama most fans of that genre look for. However, if you just want an LGBTQ+ story that’ll make you feel good and smile, then Rainbows After Storms will certainly do the job right.

Promotional consideration provided by Chantelle Sturt of VIZ Media.