What will Keita do when his mother’s Doppeliner asks him out on a date?
Creative Staff
Writer/Artist: Dall-Young Lim and Sung-Woo Park
Translation: Christine Schilling
What They Say
Kuro and the twins discover that the Shishigami are systematically destroying the sacred Tera-producing sites of the world, all under the cover of luxury resorts. But poor Keita is having a confusing time of dealing with this larger problem at hand thanks to the fact that he can’t get away from how much Shinobu, his mother’s doppeliner, resembles his beloved, late parent. As he juggles the duties of being Kuro’s partner and this newfound relationship to Shinobu, Keita is railroaded by an offer from the Shishigami to join their side! What will Kuro say to that?
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
This volume still doesn’t explain the reason behind Keita’s hatred for his father, but it does delve into the death of his mother.
While searching for clues at a resort built on a site sacred to the Mototsumitamas, Keita comes face to face with his mother’s Doppeliner. The woman is very kind, but she looks like his mother did when she died years ago and her name is Shinobu, so she can’t be his mother. That doesn’t change the fact that he can’t take his eyes off her or stop remembering his mother.
Keita and the others return to his father’s house and try to strategize their next move. First, Keita must learn to manifest his terra so he can use the ring given to him by Excel. The ring, The Thousand, allows its user to create a ball of light for use as a defensive or offensive weapon. Problem is, Keita can only do when he is under extreme duress. Grandfather believes martial arts may help him concentrate his power, so he teaches Keita how to use a pair of sai. Will karate provide the mental focus Keita needs?
Keita can’t get Shinobu out of his mind. He convinces the others to split up and search the island for clues while he returns to the resort where Shinobu is staying. Kuro is strongly against the idea, but Keita can be a jerk and refuses to give up on his idea. He is even more of a jackass when he lashes out at Akane because she expresses her concern. She has only had Keita’s best interest in mind and she loves him so much, but the dumbass doesn’t see it and only pushes her away when she ‘interferes’ with his life. This is the one aspect about Keita’s character that really repulses me.
After everyone splits up, Shinobu bumps into Keita, and I’m not convinced it is a coincidence; she is the enemy after all. Unfortunately, Shinobu’s exterior blinds Keita to her possible motives, making it impossible for him to think without being biased. I’m torn between feeling bad for him and wanting to scream ‘She’s the enemy you idiot!’ The two of them spend a fun-filled day together playing boardwalk games and walking on the beach. Things only get more complicated when she brings Keita to her hotel room and introduces him to Hiyou, admitting she is a human in contract with Hiyou the Mototsumitama. Things get worse when Hiyou asks Keita to join his side and claims Kuro has been lying about her identity.
Now what is Keita going to do? He and Kuro have fought together, bled together, and escaped death together, but what does that count for if she has been lying to him this entire time? I don’t know how all this will play out, but I feel bad for Keita as his whole world is turned upside down at the same time he is forced to relive the memories of his mother’s death. These heart-wrenching flashbacks make it tough to hate Keita, but I still dislike the way he treats Akane.
In Summary:
On a lighter side, there is a bonus chapter about Akane and Keita in high school. It is nice to see how they interacted, even though it still makes Keita look like a jerk. However, all this creates greater opportunity for Keita to grow as a character during this series. This series remains one of the best I’m reading at this time. Highly recommended.
Content Grade: A-
Art Grade: A
Packaging Grade: A-
Text/Translation Grade: B
Age Rating: 16+
Released By: Viz Media
Release Date: February 17th, 2009
MSRP: $10.99
