Metropoliman on the move!
Creative Staff
Story: Tsugumi Ohba
Art: Takeshi Obata
Translation: Stephen Paul
What They Say
Troubled Mirai’s life changes when he gains the power of an angel, but he may need to become a devil to survive in the battle against others just like him!
As his classmates celebrate their middle school graduation, troubled Mirai is mired in darkness. But his battle is just beginning when he receives some salvation from above in the form of an angel. Now Mirai is pitted against 12 other chosen humans with the winner becoming the next god of the world. Mirai may have an angel in his corner, but he may need to become a devil to survive.
Mirai is suddenly pierced by a red arrow from a god candidate who just happens to be the girl he has a crush on! Now under her control for the next 33 days, what will happen to Mirai? And what is the mysterious Metropoliman really up to?
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
Following up on the events of last time, we join Mirai as he’s been pierced by a red arrow from Saki. And though he already liked her, of course the red arrows go beyond that, making him incredibly subservient to her. Though she’s most certainly using him, it actually seemingly just for her own protection, as she lacks wings. And as it turns out, Metropoliman is being rather clearly set up as their mutual enemy, as his actions are more than a little sketchy. Anyway, once Nasse shows up, the situation shifts into more of a proper alliance between Mirai and Saki, rather than our hero solely being used. It’s a bit of a shame see Saki’s character turn out to be so timid ultimately after that bold move and rather dangerous setup, but there’s definitely still a decent bit left surrounding her to be explored, so it’s not like she was ruined by this direction or anything either.
The core of the volume, though, focuses on Metropoliman making a direct challenge to his fellow god candidates, setting up a time and place where he will supposedly talk things out. Though this is most certainly a trap, our heroes end up going to the stadium where this event is being held in order to scope things out, protecting themselves by blending into the crowd. I won’t spoil the exact sequence of events, but needless to say, it turns into one hell of a mess. More than anything else, it’s a battle of schemes, planning, and calculations pitted against one another, while our heroes are forced to sit and watch, rather than going with their guts and taking reckless action. Either way, it’s a great display of both intellect and cruelty, and really matches well with the tone of the book, despite being a good bit more combat oriented than the last entry.
With Metropoliman’s amassed power, can our heroes possibly overcome him? And considering his nature, does Mirai even have what’s in him to do what he must?
In Summary
By moving the plot forward, the series has most definitely stepped onto its next stage, with new allies and a powerful enemy being firmly established here. And in a lot of ways, that’s both good and bad, as it’s most definitely something of a shift. Mainly, the rather direct focus on morality is largely pushed out of the way, and it turns into a more black and white sort of picture here. That’s not to say some of those elements don’t most definitely remain, and Mirai is most certainly tested in this book, but things are a lot more straightforward with such a clear villain taking center stage. In exchange, though, readers are treated to an involved and rather wild battle of wits, which is most certainly interesting to see. For now I’d say these changes balance out and you’re left with something that’s roughly every bit as enjoyable as what came before it. And if nothing else, I’m definitely interested in seeing the direction that the story takes next.
Content Grade: A
Art Grade: A
Packaging Grade: A-
Text/Translation Grade: B+
Age Rating: 18+
Released By: Viz Media
Release Date: March 7th, 2017
MSRP: $9.99
