How long does love last?
Creative Staff
Story/Art: Julietta Suzuki
Translation/Adaptation: Tomo Kimura
What They Say
It’s the third day of the school trip, and it looks like Nanami and her friends will finally get a chance to enjoy Okinawa. However, Mikage pops up with a shinshi assignment for Tomoe—deliver a gift to the local shrine maiden. But the simple errand has complicated consequences as Tomoe is forced to face Nanami’s mortality and the seeming impossibility of a yokai and a human living together happily ever after.
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
This volume starts off at the very end of the school trip. It deals slightly with a pesky photographer who is bound to reveal Kurama for who he really is. Her attempt fails as Nanami befriends her instead. When Tomoe is there, he is asked by Mikage to give a gift to an island shrine maiden, who Tomoe met many decades ago. This time, he finds the little girl of his memories as an old woman on her deathbed.
The whole idea of time and the fragility of humans scares Tomoe, as he does not want to lose Nanami to death again. He embarks on a journey to become human. This is something that can’t be done easily, so Nanami doesn’t say much. When Kurama offers a possible solution, Nanami and Tomoe go head to head into battle about the subject.
Tomoe isn’t so easily persuaded and drinks the potion. He doesn’t turn human, but instead reverts back to an actual fox. Mikage thinks there’s a solution to be found to turn him back into ayakashi, but it seems it will take some time. During this time Nanami runs into Akura-Oh again and realizes she doesn’t know as much about Tomoe as she thinks.
In Summary
The entire volume’s theme revolves around the age spans of an ayakashi and a human. Tomoe’s struggle with the mere of idea of Nanami dying before he does tears his heart into pieces. This is a struggle that anyone can have, ayakashi or not, which makes the manga heartwarming.
While I do like the love story between Tomoe and Nanami, I do wish there would have been more elements from other characters introduced. We learn a little more about Akura-Oh, but that’s it. This isn’t my favorite volume of Kamisama Kiss, but it’s still good.
Content Grade: A-
Art Grade: A
Packaging Grade: B
Text/Translation Grade: A
Age Rating: 13+
Released By: Viz Media
Release Date: February 2nd, 2016
MSRP: $9.99
