Characters continue to flesh out, and the series takes a bold new turn in this latest volume.
Creative Staff
Writer/Artist: Hiroyuki Takei
What They Say
Yamato’s best friend Rune is now a doji master to the envious trickster Jealousy, but why is Rune using Jealousy to attack Yamato and Ultimo? The answer lies deep in the past and will shock everyone – even Rune! Plus, meet Murayama, a warrior with a prophecy that could spell some serious trouble for the entire world.
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
At the start of the volume, we see a quick flashback to Yamato and Ultimo taking the pledge ritual. Using their new ability of space-time manipulation, the duo is able to make quick work of Eater. However, a new enemy immediately appears before the pair in the form of Rune and Jealousy, who have now become partners and taken Yamato’s classmates as hostages. Rune has become Yamato’s enemy due to conflicting emotions; in the past, he was a woman known as Lady Gekko, who was deeply in love with Yamato. However, in the current day, he is only able to be Yamato’s friend, and Yamato lavishes his love upon Sayama instead.
Over the course of the rest of the volume, we see the battle between Yamato and Rune elevate, and soon come to involve all of the doji, good and evil. Just as it seems Yamato has reached through to Rune, however, things take a turn for the worse. Rune is immediately struck down, and all of the good doji and their masters soon follow, leaving only Ultimo and Yamato. Faced with only despair, Yamato takes the only path left available to him, and turns back time itself to before these events occurred.
The bonus chapter included here is once more a flashback to when Yamato was a child, this time focusing on a birthday party for Sayama.
In Summary:
With this volume, Ultimo is finally moving from being a series that is simply bearable into one that is legitimately interesting. Rune’s characterization here is easily the most intriguing presented thus far, giving us a character who really seems to embody the element of their doji. Not only that, but the ending presents a dark little turn for the series, and yet opens the door to a plethora of possibilities as to where the series can go. Hopefully, the next volume can really take that potential and run with it, as Ultimo is finally starting to show some real promise.
Content Grade: B+
Art Grade: B+
Packaging Grade: B+
Text/Translation Grade: B+
Age Rating: 16+
Released By: Viz Media
Release Date: December 7th, 2010
MSRP: $9.99
