Creative Staff
Story/Art: Adachitoka
Translation: Althea Nibley & Athena Nibley
What They Say
Yato is still trapped in the underworld and Izanami is doing everything in her power to prevent his escape. The only one capable of helping him now is his old nemesis Bishamon. Will she find it in her heart to rescue her hated foe? Or is there another way?
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
Though Ebisu may have died and left everyone pretty damn depressed, Yato is still left in Yomi. Even so, he gains a powerful ally as Bishamon comes rushing in to save him! Oh, and while in this bind Yato determines that he’ll cut things off with his father. But when Bishamon comes onto the scene, it turns into a big battle, despite the fact that none of our heroes can really properly fight Izanami. It’s not a very crazy fight in terms of the action, but Bishamon does at least get some cool moments before she’s inevitably captured. It’s then that things take a slightly odd turn, as it turns out a human calling out the names of gods can summon them, which works for getting Bishamon out, but not Yato. And this is because Yato isn’t his true name, which Hiyori doesn’t know. But as things intensify, she realizes that it’s Yaboku and gets him out of there… and I’d imagine this scene would be awkward if you don’t know Japanese. The answer is based on the way his name is written, and though there is a translator’s note to explain it, I’d imagine most readers are going to be a bit lost here. Oh, and though it’s fitting enough if you understand the scene, I could imagine readers finding this sequence REALLY anticlimactic, because the situation is ultimately resolved in a rather simple manner after all the buildup.
So yeah, Yato is treated, and as he’s on the mend the new Ebisu is brought to meet him. It’s a very interesting development, as it pushes our hero in an intriguing way. Obviously the kid has done nothing wrong, but he’s ultimately the embodiment of something Yato fought vehemently against. But even so, the two get a damn good bit of bonding as Yato works out his feelings. Oh, and Yato finally releases the Stray after all that has happened.
Meanwhile, the other gods realize that there’s another crafter, and Yato makes up with Yukine and Hiyori. And finally, we end up with a somewhat interesting revelation as to the identity of Yato’s mysterious father.
In Summary
This volume is largely wrapping up what happened before, but that’s not to say it’s without merit. In particular, there’s a great moment between Yato and Ebisu, which is done very well. We also get an interesting cliffhanger, and some other small moments throughout that are nicely done. On the other hand… the “climax” is probably not going to work well for most readers, at least until they read the translator’s notes at the end of the book. And even then it’s still a bit of a letdown, even if Bishamon gets in a cool moment or two. All in all, this balances out a decent enough volume, with both strengths and flaws, so give it a look if you’ve been enjoying the series thus far. Just don’t expect the arc to get the payoff you may have been hoping for.
Content Grade: B+
Art Grade: A-
Packaging Grade: A-
Text/Translation Grade: A-
Age Rating: 13+
Released By: Kodansha Comics
Release Date: January 26th, 2016
MSRP: $10.99