Nanami’s break from Izumo doesn’t last long when a young Tengu comes looking for help.
Creative Staff
Sotyr/Art: Julietta Suzuki
Translation/Adaptation: Tomo Kimura
What They Say
Nanami may have been (begrudgingly) accepted by the other kami at Izumo, but that doesn’t make her any less human or help her deal with her growing feelings for Tomoe. Should she be true to her heart or cut Tomoe loose for his own good? Either way, getting dragged into a group date isn’t going to help matters at all!
Content (please note that the content portion of a review may contain spoilers):
With the ordeal in Izumi finally behind her, Nanami takes the time to visit with Kayako. Though Nanami has become worried that the selfishness of her feelings will hurt Tomoe in the end, she is inspired to push forward when she sees Kayako’s own determination to be with Kirihito. Later, Nanami is forced on a group date, and is anxious that Tomoe will be upset…and even more afraid that he won’t be at all.
The meat of the story starts when Nanami and Tomoe encounter a young Tengu named Botanmaru looking for the lost member of his clan, Shinjuro-sama. Nanami offers to help, but is shocked when she discovers that Shinjuro is actually Kurama. Kurama’s father, their lord, has fallen ill, and now a miasma covers the mountain. While some of the Tengu want Kurama back, there are others that want him to stay away, like the cruel Jiro who has taken over the clan. Despite his reservations, Kurama decides to return to his mountain — and Nanami and Tomoe have decided to go with him.
The first two chapters in this volume have the feeling of filler, doing nothing to push the main storyline forward. However, these chapters do a good job of advancing the romance. Nanami realizes that, while it may be selfish to wish for Tomoe’s love knowing how strongly those feelings affect an immortal being, she’s still allowed to think of herself and her own happiness. In the last volume we saw Tomoe begin to come to terms with his own feelings, but even though his reaction to the boy hitting on her it displays his own mounting fears that Nanami won’t wait around for him forever.
The romance plot is quickly overshadowed by Kurama’s new storyline as we see him return to the home he once ran away from. Kurama has always been an interesting character ever since he was introduced in the manga, but this is the first time Suzuki has taken the time to give him some real depth. Through flashbacks we see an adorable young Kurama who had to deal with bullying due to his small size and also his status as the son of the leader before finally running when his only protector was injured. An old friend points out Kurama’s selfless nature, and we end this volume with the same fear as the characters: that Kurama will take on the burden of leading the Tengu even though it is not what he wants.
In Summary
The development of the romantic plot has been a little choppy, but it’s nice to see it continue on its slow way forward in this volume. Though we’ve already gotten a confirmation of Tomoe’s feelings, Suzuki is not rushing things by having him make it clear to Nanami, thus prolonging the tension — in a good way. The storyline with Kirihito/Akura-o has been momentarily abandoned, unfortunately adding to the list of unanswered questions. Luckily Kurama’s story is proving to be very interesting, as we finally learn more about someone who has been around almost since the beginning. There are a couple of hints that these events tie in with other characters, meaning that this plot may have a more lasting effect than just letting us get to know Kurama.
Content Grade: B+
Art Grade: A-
Packaging Grade: B+
Text/Translation Grade: A-
Age Rating: 13+
Released by: Viz Media
Release Date: June 5th, 2012
MSRP: $9.99
