The time for frivolity is over, now it’s serious.
Creative Staff
Story: Mamare Touno
Character Designs: Kazuhiro Hara
Art: Koyuki
Translation/Adaptation: Taylor Engel
What They Say
After a thief known as the Equipment Hunter suddenly appears in Akiba and attacks people, making off with their weapons and armor, the chase begins for the members of the West Wind Brigade!
But just before that, the Equipment Hunter reveals his form…and he looks exactly like Soujiro…?!
As the Knights of the Black Sword join the fray, an all-out war is about to begin!
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
The introduction of Kuroe to the West Wind Brigade was bound to raise more questions than answers. Plenty of times in Log Horizon we’ve seen entities that cross the line from game creatures to living and feeling creatures, but the creation of Kuroe is unlike anything we’ve seen before.
Anyone caught up with the novels will understand a bit more about the strange creatures that created Kuroe, but we’re still left with plenty of questions and few answers about it all. Kuroe’s existence does trouble Souji a little, but he cares more about the mysterious little girl’s well being than her origins. I’m not sure that’s the smart thing to do, but she hasn’t proven to be a threat so there’s nothing else he can do.
As this volume opens, an unholy mix of Souji and Nureha’s clone is found attacking adventurers in the city and absorbing their equipment. Because it’s not doing any actual damage to the adventurers it hasn’t been destroyed by the city security.
What follows is a citywide confrontation lead by the West Wind Brigade and Issac of the Round Table. Most of this volume is action, and lovingly portrayed action at that. Issac is a character that didn’t get much development early on in Log Horizon stories, but as the series in all its forms has progressed he’s been fleshed out more and more as a tough guy with a heart of gold.
The other portion of this volume questions how Kuroe and the Equipment Hunter interact, and what might happen if one or the other were to suddenly cease to exist. The psychological elements and ramifications are not lost on Souji or Kuroe herself. Yet Souji decides protecting Kuroe and the city is enough.
If this all sounds a bit more serious than the previous volumes, that’s because it is. The humor has been severely stepped back from the wacky hijinks and off-color jokes of the previous volumes. Sure, there are still moments here and there of more lighthearted comedy, such as the return of Magus out of the blue, but it’s more focused on the action and serious nature of the identity of the enemies they’re facing.
I can’t emphasize enough how great the artwork by Koyuki is. Not only do the characters look like their anime and novel versions, but they’re also taken a step further with added levels of detail and expression. It’s really just great looking stuff, and this volume proves that the artist can do horror just as well as comedy. (Although the opening color illustration is creepy for a whole other set of reasons.)
In Summary
Dispensing with the usual antics and joking, the independent saga of the West Wind Brigade hits a dramatic peak. The action in this volume is some of the best in the entire series, and the artwork remains excellent throughout. Telling its own story independent of the actions that took place in the main novels at the same time allows for a more fleshed out look at what would eventually become more commonplace in the novels, the breaking and bending of the rules of the world. It’s also a great look at Issac for fans of the standoffish guild-master. I’m curious as to how the conflict will end, as I can’t imagine an easy solution to the Kuroe/Equipment Hunter storyline.
Content Grade: B +
Art Grade: A –
Packaging Grade: B +
Text/Translation Grade: A –
Age Rating: Teen
Released By: Yen Press
Release Date: July 24, 2018
MSRP: $13.00 US / $17.00 CAN
