Tragedy is the foundation for the weak to become strong.
Creative Staff
Story/Art: Mitsu Izumi
Translation: Tetsuichiro Miyaki
Adaptation: Annette Roman
What They Say
After a fierce battle, Awyn and Vyrde are welcomed home by their household. Unfortunately, Vyrde isn’t as pleased with them as they seem to be with her… Afraid that he isn’t Vyrde’s equal, Awyn trains with mysteriously ageless Ashriel. Iola turns out to have a secret identity. And then Awyn and Vyrde part ways—she to declare war on the enemy angels, he to the capital city, where he relives unhappy memories and unhappily meets old acquaintances…
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
Vyrde remains a complicated force for revenge. For all of her demonic rage, she’s not a monster, not any more or less than anyone would be in her situation. We still don’t know the details of her past, but the actions of her former compatriots make her actions seem more justifiable. Especially since she keeps pulling her punches and saving those she doesn’t have to.
Take, for example, the incredibly bleak events from the end of the previous volume. People were beheaded, violently massacred in a revolution which saw an angel pitting humans against each other for sport (and something more, we learn later.) It looked like Vyrde was the demon she proclaimed herself, kill them all and to hell with all of them. She tortures the young princess in a hard to read scene, but is it just tough love? The end result appears to justify the means. Vyrde ends up saving, not condemning, the girl’s life.
We get more information about Iola and the manor house that Awyn calls home. It truly is a matter of divine intervention that those lost souls have all been gathered there by the master of the house. Backstories are lessons in hard living, and even if Vyrde is dismissive she can’t understand where the gnomes find the strength to carry on from their hardships. Her bitterness is palpable.
It’s a bit refreshing that the manga is letting the audience piece together what the actual state of affairs is for the world of 7thGarden. Without the crutch of exposition, we still get a far clearer picture of what the angels actually are in this volume. It very much does appear to be a case of technology being indistinguishable from magic, and the systems in place for the angels (and our fallen angel) are matrix-like indeed. The seven angels are reconstructing the world following some historical mandate, apparently to get it to a state of civilization and development suitable for themselves. Then what, though? A massive extinction event to remove the gnomes so they can have the world to themselves?
What is curious is a massive amount of infighting and utter disgust among the angels themselves. These characters, even when on the same side, treat each other like a dysfunctional school workgroup. When the news of Bel’s death reaches them one bemoans her while another bitches that she wasn’t pulling her weight. Even seemingly benevolent angels become amazingly aggressive when their gnomes don’t behave according to their historical record. The arrogance points to the group being nothing more than bored gamers, manipulating the system to their own ends.
The final third of the volume finally delves into Awyn’s backstory. He may be the protagonist, but he’s by far the most uninteresting on the group. He too has a sad story to tell, one that set him on the path which found him at the door to the manor. It’s a tale of a sick mother, a father who was likely a fall man for the church, and the continuing suffering of the world. I hope that by the time we know his whole story it’ll elevate him, but I think he’s doomed to by the less interesting protagonist against Vyrde’s raw power.
The artwork remains attractive, and I don’t mean the big, floppy, nippleless boobs of some of the girls. The fanservice is toned down a bit in this volume compared to the last. Scenery is detailed and characters have a good variety of designs and are easily distinguishable. It’s a good looking book. Viz continues to print the first page of the volume in color, which is something they don’t always do for their releases, so it’s appreciated.
In Summary
Vyrde, for all of her rage and hate, is not the demon she paints herself as. Inside that heart of vengeance is a flame of justice, even if it’s mostly motivated by possessive thoughts. Awyn remains a good boy saddled with a fate far larger than himself, whose own past are just beginning to come to light. Those that play god with their little garden are petty, vicious beings whose little gnomes have no idea about their true intentions. As their true motivations start to become clearer they become even more detestable. It’s going to feel good to watch Vyrde take them all down, even if she herself admits that after having exacted revenge on one she feels empty.
Content Grade: B
Art Grade: A –
Packaging Grade: B +
Text/Translation Grade: A –
Age Rating: 16+
Released By: Viz Media
Release Date: January 3rd, 2017
MSRP: $9.99
