Can Kuro handle this new relationship … or will it split her apart?
Creative Staff:
Story & Art: Ato Sakurai
Translation: Caleb Cook
Lettering: Bianca Pistillo
What They Say:
An overheard confession sends Kuro into a meltdown! Literally! In the aftermath, it seems that her various personalities have all been expelled into the real world, but can the three-headed Cerberus survive as three distinct individuals?!?!
Content (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
After a night’s fitful sleep, Chiaki arrives at school in a daze, only to be confronted by Hinata, trying to clumsily reaffirm her confession from the previous day. Still confused by what happened, these words shake him to his senses, shocked to learn this wasn’t all part of a dream. As the couple stare at each other, unsure of what to do next, Kuro comes dancing around the corner, chiding her master for dropping his school supplies and lunch in his half asleep journey. It is only then does she innocently asks what they were talking about, by which both blush and quickly flee into the classroom, leaving her wondering what just happened. With the rest of the day, Chiaki continues to avoid his Cerberus, making her ponder the reason, until she sees the two in an accidental embrace while trying to help Komone avoid a nasty fall.
This when it happens, Kuro’s feelings become conflicted, emotions which she never thought she had or could describe, and her heart skips a beat. With the rest of the day she tries to track down Chiaki via his scent, and she finally finds him, again overhears Hinata and her master talking about wanting to get to know each other better. This confuses the poor girl even more, allowing the mischievous cat girl Hako to offer some advice – them him about her feelings. However as before after dinner, he falls asleep and Kuro misses the chance once again. As the days progress and the Cerberus sees the two becoming closer, the tightness in her chest worsens, making her wonder if something is seriously wrong, having never experienced these sensations before. She constantly avoids the pair to give them room to share their friendship, not knowing or understanding that her choices are making herself feel worse. It is only when Chiaki and Hinata confront the girl does she finally admit the pain in her heart, the sadness she feels when she see them together. It is then when it becomes too much does the impossible happen – Kuro breaks down into tears and her siblings Roze and Shirogane materialize. The three have always shared a body, but now with the simplest of the trio being forced to express her feelings … what else could happen?
In Summary:
Just when I thought this series couldn’t get any weirder, Sakurai-sensei slips in the influence of a shojo manga and turns this into a lopsided love story. Kuro always seemed too naïve for her own good, seeing the world in a simplistic view and allowing her sisters to guide Chiaki into understanding what happened with the Cerberus. But since this black haired sibling is the one with the most exposure to daily life and her master’s friends, of course she would also become influenced by the happenings of infatuation within childhood friendships. This type of development is of course the norm for the genre, but to add it to a title which began as a harem manga, changes the dynamics of the relationships. Although it was refreshing to see how the trio became separated into three personalities, I am wondering why wait until now to give us this information. A normal human versus a trio of supernatural girls … all after the same boy; we can see trouble, hilarity and confusion with upcoming volumes, but at the same time, that would be not outside the realm of possibilities for this title.
Today’s Cerberus is trying too much for a series which was initially introduced as a comedy involving mythical beings infiltrating the normal world. I can understand the need to expand the story, but as of late Sakurai-sensei seems to have ignored the primary premise of the narrative – to return the missing part of Chiaki’s soul. Now to add a five sided love pentagon into the mix seems like asking for trouble, either that or a need to water down the narrative so much that the reader forgets what is happening within this story. For better or worse, we are involved within this tale and it does not look to end without even more comical confusion.
Content Grade: B
Art Grade:A
Packaging Grade: B
Text/Translation Grade: B+
Age Rating: Teen
Released By: Yen Press
Release Date: September 26, 2017
MSRP: $13.00