Seigi can’t decide which side is playing him for their pawn, but the arrival of an unaffiliated true hero may be just the role model he needs if he is going to survive the machinations of the Kingdom and the United States military.
Creative Staff
Story/Art: Shinjiro
Translation: Christine Dashiell
What They Say
Determined to carve his own path, Seigi sets out to face the assassin from Selinistan head-on! But will his training with the Void Maker be enough for him to emerge victoriously? And what is the “truth” of the Void Maker Spell Crest itself…?!
Content: (please note that content portions of this review contains spoilers):
Seigi’s military team seemed down and out, but Touko’s arrival and manifestation of her own Spell Crest may be enough to turn the tide. Well, not by herself, but it does give time for Seigi to heal himself and crack the barrier holding his Void Maker power in check. The sudden release of this power gives the Kingdom’s dogs pause, which in turn allows Easy to start kicking some ass.
Just as the tide begins to turn, the Kingdom’s Princess appears and makes it blatantly obvious that she rules with strength and not by name alone. She is one of only four holding the strongest Spell Crest, the same as Seigi’s. However, the Princess knows how to use her power to its fullest, unlike Seigi. In the end, it is arguable which side is the victor, but my money would have on the Princess.
The Kingdom’s Princess isn’t the only new player to take the field. Perhaps the most mysterious player yet is Brad Blackstone. Like the Princess and Seigi, Brad is one of the four holders of the Void Maker crest. Brad also used to work for the Kingdom, but has since split and been branded a traitor by the Kingdom. But Brad is also no ally of the U.S. military. But should Seigi listen to Brad or stick with his American team? Is Brad the only chance Seigi has at hearing the truth about the Spell Crest world? Or is Brad just going to twist Seigi to his own devices?
In Summary
While Taboo Tattoo is proving to be a fun super-powers adventure with enough characters to keep things interesting, it is a little confusing as it awkwardly tries to relate the world structure to readers. But to be fair, this is always difficult for fantasy and sci-fi stories. What I do appreciate about this series is that the male protagonist was a strong fighter before the stumbled into magical powers. That makes it easier to watch him as he has both failures and success fighting in his newly discovered world of super powers, or Spell Crests. It also helps that the protagonist is otherwise average and not a whiner. With the introduction of the Kingdom’s Princess and the enigmatic Brad Blackstone, it appears all the players have entered and now we just have to see which direction Seigi decides to go.
Content Grade: B
Art Grade: B
Packaging Grade: A
Text/Translation Grade: B+
Age Rating: Older Teen
Released By: Yen Press
Release Date: July 26th, 2016
MSRP: $13.00
