WcDonald's THE MANGA Chapter 02 Illustrations and Art: Acky Bright Published by McDonalds https://www.wcdonalds.com
Another week and a new chapter of WcDonald’s The Manga is out as of March 4th, 2024. This time answering one of the questions I had when writing the review of chapter 1 of the manga, which is if the story will continue off directly from the previous chapter or be more of an anthology story with each chapter involving a different set of characters.
With chapter 2, it seems to be the latter as not only are the characters this week different, but so are the genres from which this chapter pulls ideas.
“Love From Across the Booth”
The second chapter, titled “Love From Across the Booth,” begins at a WcDonald’s in the shape of the WcNugget box adjacent to a towering building designed after a WcDonald’s cup. In it, seated at one of the booths is Kazuki, a young man sporting a varsity jacket and two dyed hair, and Shizuru, a young woman based off the Gyaru subculture. The two are from the same city college, and this leads to a budding romance between the two.
The romance is pushed forward due to the influence of a third character, a WcDonald’s Employee simply known as “J.” J has psychic powers he uses to bring Kazuki and Shizuru together.
This leads to the most bizarre moment: hearts float out from the two lovers and fill up the entire WcDonald’s. This threatens to break the structure, only to be released in time by J’s flip of a switch. The chapter ends with the reveal that there is a WcDonald’s on the moon (foreshadowing maybe?).
WcDonald’s The Manga Chapter 2
Acky Bright returns to do the illustrations for this chapter. While his art style is just perfect for the WcDonald’s manga overall, it seems to shine so much more in this chapter compared to the first. The way he draws the character’s expressions and exaggerates their proportions and faces works for the story’s writing much better than in chapter 1.
There are plenty of stand-out reactions on display, such as close-ups of Kazuki’s face as he looks surprised that Shizuru approached him, his panic when he doesn’t know what to say to her, the horrified look Shizuru has as she suspects there’s WcDonald’s sauce on her face, and so forth.
Also worthy of note: the art of this entire chapter is set in the interior of a WcDonald’s. Yet Acky manages to get creative with the use of screentone patterns, speedlines, colors, and even drawing some of the background herself.
There is rarely if ever any dead space or blank background in any panel, which goes to show the effort and talent on display. But it could also possibly be a matter of having been given enough time to do the backgrounds, either by himself or with some assistants that are unnamed as of the writing of this review. 
The story is also vastly different to chapter 1, being primarily a romance story with some magical elements sprinkled in, rather than being as action-packed as the previous chapter. But it is just as adorable and sweet as a McDonald’s Sweet and Sour sauce (HAH! Got ’em!).
Kazuki and Shizuru’s depiction is relatable as two students who have a crush on each other, and who are nervous to take their first step into the unknown world of romance. But the two are given a slight nudge thanks to what is to my surprise the most nicest and supportive WcDonald’s employees who are most definitely not being paid enough for this.
Did Somebody Say “WcDonald’s”?
Overall, this chapter is a nice change of pace, scenery and story compared to “The Race To WcDonald’s.” The story is still over-the-top and the WcDonald’s-verse is just as intentionally wacky. But being about 24 pages like the previous chapter makes it a quick and enjoyable read to go through.
Now that it is confirmed each chapter is set in a different setting with a new cast of characters one can only speculate what will the third chapter be about and centered around. Maybe possibly the Moon, as that WcDonald’s location was mentioned at the end of this chapter? I pity the employees on that moon WcDonald’s. I hope they get paid well enough to be hundreds of miles apart from their friends and families, stranded on a lunar surface.
Where to read WcDonald’s: The Manga
You can read the two chapters of WcDonald’s The Manga by scanning the QR code on WcDonald’s themed paper bags from participating McDonald’s near you. You can also check out the WcDonald’s website for cards of the various characters.
If you are unable to get a WcDonald’s bag, you can find printed copies of Chapter 2 of WcDonald’s The Manga at select Comic Book and Manga stores in the U.S. You can also watch Minisode 2 of the official WcDonald’s Anime based on the events in this chapter on the McDonald’s YouTube account.
Feel free to follow McDonald’s on their Twitter for more news on the WcDonald’s-verse. And last but not least I highly recommend giving the ever-so-talented illustrator of WcDonald’s The Manga, Acky Bright, a follow on his Twitter so as to indulge in the amazing art and illustrations he creates, as well keep up on as the other projects on which he is collaborating.
Until next time! TO THE MOON!
Catch up on all our reviews of WcDonald’s The Manga here.
