Creative Staff
Story: Dall-Young Lim
Art: Sung-Woo Park
Translation/Adaptation: Christine Dashiell
What They Say
After overcoming the initial shock of seeing his dead mother in a recent photograph, Keita travels to Okinawa with Kuro and Akane. Following a reunion with his karate-master grandfather, Keita and company are led to an island where they meet twin feral Mototsumitamas. Though they’re initially hostile, it seems the twins hold a piece of the puzzle that will bring Keita and his companions closer to the truth about the aims of the ruthless Shishigami. But as they get closer to that truth, Keita comes face-to-face with his mother?! Or is she…?
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
A photo of Keita’s mother standing with the enemy in Okinawa is the only clue Keita has to go on. With Akane’s financial help, Keita and Kuro travel to Okinawa. Keita hopes his grandfather can tell him where the picture of his mother was taken. Unfortunately, grandfather’s village was replaced with an exclusive resort. Before Keita can track down his grandfather, twin girl Mototsumitamas attacks Keita and Kuro. The girls need to form a contract with a human so they can become stronger, and if killing Kuro is the only way to nullify Kuro’s contract with Keita, then that’s what they will do. The twins are faster than Kuro, but will the playing field be leveled if Kuro and Keita can synchronize?
After the twins retreat, Keita and Kuro discover Akane is missing. A stroke of luck leads them to both Akane and Keita’s grandfather. There is not as much character development in this volume; however, the reader does learn something of the past based on Keita’s interaction with his grandfather. It seems Keita’s father did something so horrible that Keita refuses to talk to him. I have to assume it has something to do with Keita’s mother, but the truth behind it will have to wait.
Keita and Kuro travel to the isolated island where the photo of his mother was taken. The island has a strange power around it, which makes it impossible for any human to make it to the shore. Kuro finds the right path and in a matter of minutes, the twins attack them again. A tough battle and near death experiences for multiple characters build a tenuous truce between the two sides. The twins are trying to become stronger to kill the two Mototsumitamas that murdered all the twin’s relatives. Moreover, the two Mototsumitamas responsible happen to be the same guy and Keita’s mother in the picture he has! The whole situation just gets crazier when those two return to Okinawa. What do they want and is the woman really Keita’s mother?
In Summary
There are two things becoming apparent in this series; the guy killing whole clans of Mototsumitamas is a real dick, and Sung-Woo Park seems to have a foot fetish. This series is so good that it seems to make sense given that the artist and author are Koreans. It would take a great series for the Japanese to pick up from Korea and print in Japan. Even more convoluted when it gets printed in the US. Regardless of my random musings about the whole situation, this continues to be a fun read with deepening mystery that Kuro seems to be at the center of. Bring on more volumes!
Highly recommended.
Content Grade: A-
Art Grade: A
Packaging Grade: A
Text/Translation Grade: A-
Age Rating: 16+
Released By: Yen Press
Release Date: October 28th, 2008
MSRP: $10.99
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