Creative Staff
Story: Yu Sasuga
Art: Ken-ichi Tachibana
Translation: John Werry
What They Say
As the various teams try to make their way to Annex 1, Team 5, made up of Germans and South Americans, comes under ferocious attack by the Terraformars. The team leader, Adolf, struggles to survive against all odds. The American and Japanese members of Team 1 have their own battles to fight against an enemy that keeps coming, keeps adapting and won’t stop until all the humans are dead!
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
Faced with an intense battle, Adolf’s mind can’t help but jump back to his past. Though he was greatly in love with his wife, there were doubts as to whether his son was actually his child. Combined with the insurmountable odds, he gives up and accepts his death, but his crew leaps in and attempts to save him. Frighteningly enough, though, the Terraformars seem to have already mastered the nets and begin to capture their human opponents. Seeing this, Adolf resuscitates himself and bursts forth into a mighty rage. Though he fights as a man possessed and proves how terrifyingly powerful he is, the Terraformers prove too great a foe and take him down. As he falls, an explosive device in his body is armed, and Eva stays with him till the explosion as the roaches flee for safety.
The rest of the volume is spent on Shokichi and crew facing two Terraformars that cannibalized the BUGs crew’s abilities. One is a hulking monster with an impenetrable hide, and the other uses strong strings. Will the crew prove strong enough to take down such ferocious beasts, or will there be yet more casualties added to the growing list?
In Summary
This volume is pretty much pure action from beginning to end, with only a few drips of plot interspersed throughout. As a result, it certainly isn’t what one would call deep, but it’s still plenty enjoyable. The beginning fight with Adolf seriously packs a punch, and builds to a powerful climax. Meanwhile, the other key battle plays a bit more with differing abilities, and hints at the direction the series may be heading. It’s a shame that a bit of the urgency and twists of earlier volumes has worn off, but even so what remains is an exciting ride that shouldn’t be missed.
Content Grade: A-
Art Grade: A
Packaging Grade: B+
Text/Translation Grade: B+
Age Rating: 17+
Released By: Viz Media
Release Date: March 17th, 2015
MSRP: $12.99