Yui turns his ninja skills against the Public Morals Club!
Creative Staff
Story/Art: Izumi Tsubaki
Translation/Adaptation: JN Productions
What They Say
Mafuyu is the no-nonsense, take-charge and hard-hitting leader of her high school gang. But when she gets expelled for being a delinquent, her mother, fed up with her daughter’s wayward ways, sends Mafuyu to an isolated school far off in the country.
Someone has been blackmailing members of the Public Morals Club into resigning! Mafuyu and Hayasaka have figured out what got Akki and Okegawa to quit, but Yui rejoined the student council and they haven’t seen him for days. Worried about their friend, they break into his room to find him. But Yui’s defection wasn’t coerced—and he’s more determined than ever to protect Miyabi’s interests! Will this be the end to more that just their friendship?!
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
Yui dominates this volume, and the opening chapter recaps recent events as seen through Yui’s point of view. Interestingly, Mafuyu’s run-in with West High’s Sakurada, which I’d dismissed as a random cameo, turns out to have major significance for this arc. When the action moves forward once more, Yui is dealing with conflicting feelings about the Public Morals Club while Mafuyu and Hayasaka are desperately trying to locate him.
The brawl that ultimately erupts between Mafuyu and Yui has been a long time coming. Yui joined the Public Morals Club as Miyabi’s spy, and although he’s grown close to Mafuyu and Hayasaka, Yui’s loyalty to Miyabi never wavered. The surprising twist to this scenario is the emergence of Yui the Ninja. His obsession with ninjas has been a running joke, and although he is good with a shuriken, his stealth ability is nonexistent–or so we thought. As it turns out, he actually does have ninja powers, but, like Ayabe’s superstrength, they only manifest under certain conditions. That plus the secret behind the blackmail letters to the Public Morals Club creates terrific tension up till the moment Mafuyu confronts him.
The resolution, unfortunately, is a bit too quick and easy. Tsubaki-sensei reveals the reason behind Yui’s connection to Miyabi, but it doesn’t jibe very well with what we’ve seen of his personality over the course of this series. Also, given the depth of his betrayal to the Public Morals Club, Mafuyu and Hayasaka seem extremely quick to forgive and reaccept him. At any rate, the arc concludes with all of Yui’s secrets out, and the Public Morals Club restored. However, that means Student Council Member Momochi is still lurking in the wings, and a scene between her and Miyabi hints that perhaps she’s got a hold on him and not the other way around. In addition, Tsubaki-sensei is building an air of mystery around Hayasaka, and between him and Momochi, there are definitely enough unanswered questions to keep readers interested.
The volume concludes with the story shifting gears away from intrigue with a summer break interlude. East and West High students populate the page once more, and Tsubaki-sensei offers some lighthearted comedy with Mafuyu trying to convince her old friends she’s a popular girl at her new school.
Lots of extras in this volume, including Characters and Story Thus Far, 4-panel comics, and a rather detailed set of character profiles on the Midorigaoka students. Hojo’s height appears to be erroneously listed as 6’6″ though. (That would make her taller than Takaomi!)
In Summary
The mystery behind the blackmail letters is revealed! Tsubaki-sensei creates great tension with Yui’s torn loyalties between the Public Morals Club and Miyabi, but the ultimate resolution seems too quick and convenient. Still, the plot remains engaging with Momochi awaiting her turn to take on the Public Morals Club and new questions concerning Hayasaka. Plus, the bet for Midorigaoka High School looks as if it has an interesting new facet, which is likely to come into play when Momochi makes her move.
Content Grade: B+
Art Grade: B+
Packaging Grade: B+
Text/Translation Grade: B-
Age Rating: 13+
Released By: Viz Media
Release Date: October 7th, 2014
MSRP: $9.99
