Summer break training has made Issei stronger, but can he stand up against Koneko’s powerful sister?!
Creative Staff
Comic: Hiroji Mishima
Original Story: Ichiei Ishibumi
Character Design: Zero Miyama
Translation/Adaptation: Caleb D. Cook
What They Say
AN AWESOME POWER IS UNLEASHED…WITH THE HELP OF THE PRESIDENT’S CHEST?!
Now that training is done and Rias’s peerage is back together again, it’s time to party! With just one day before the big game, tensions are running high, and things only get worse when some party crashers arrive! Issei is eager to show off the results of his training, but he still can’t activate his Balance Breaker…or can he? Looking at Rias, his eyes drift downward, and he realizes what he must do…Is there room in Minato’s harem for one more?
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
Contains nudity.
For the most part, Rias’ peerage has benefitted from their specialized individual training sessions. Although, it appears Issei and Xenovia barely survived their training. It also remains to be seen how Akeno and Koneko deal with their individual personal struggles. Will either of them move past their issue and grow stronger, or are their pasts too much to overcome?
To reward everyone’s hard work, a stately party is thrown so many of the devil royalty can meet Rias’ team. Sort of a get to know them session before the Rating’s Game between Rias and her childhood friend and long-time rival, Sohna. Sohna is also the younger sister of Leviathan, making this battle a proxy between Leviathan and Sirzechs Lucifer. Both teams are closely matched with the edge in power going to Rias. However, Rias knows very little about most of Sohna’s peerage, putting Rias at a distinct disadvantage in devising a game plan.
Before the pre-battle celebrations even wrap up, Issei, Rias, and Koneko are drawn away by a mysterious party crasher. The interloper is no other than Koneko’s renegade sister, Kuroka! Our three companions are in serious trouble given that Kuroka wields Ultra-Class devil powers and says she isn’t leaving without her younger sister. Throw in two more flunkies from the Chaos Brigade and Issei may not have any choice but to watch Koneko disappear forever.
In Summary
I enjoy anime and manga equally, but I love when manga fleshes out some of the characters or side stories that might get dropped for timing reasons in anime adaptations. This is often the case when a series, like High School DxD, starts as a light novel series then receives both a manga and anime adaptation. Always interesting to take in both adaptation types and see which one you preferred.
This volume of High School DxD takes time to flesh out multiple secondary characters and I always appreciate how much that lends to rounding out a fictional universe. Most this volume’s focus is on the reveling of Koneko’s older sister and her desire to bring Koneko over to team Chaos Brigade. It is an unwelcome distraction as Rias and her peerage prepare for a Rating’s Game against the little sister of Leviathan. The next volume should be explosive!
Content Grade: B-
Art Grade: A-
Packaging Grade: A-
Text/Translation Grade: A
Age Rating: Mature
Released By: Yen Press
Release Date: August 22, 2017
MSRP: $13.00