Let the final match begin!
Creative Staff
Story/Art: Naoe
Translation: Leighann Harvey
What They Say
Matsuoka recovers from his injuries and returns to Toy Gun Gun, just in time for the Top Gun Combat championship match! As they and Star White square up against each other, Matsuoka tells Midori: “If I win this match, there’s something I need to tell you…”
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
Unsurprisingly, now that everything else is out of the way this entire volume is dedicated to the final match. Before that can truly get underway, though, there’s a little bit of setup to be had. Most notable is the one aspect of the book I’m a little iffy about: establishing that both team leaders are most definitely not in peak form. Though it’s obviously been set up with the past volumes, it really does seem kind of a shame that this big climax for the series everything’s been leading up to has the caveat of “yeah, but nobody’s at their best.” Oh, and it turns out for the finals the team that wins at rock paper scissors gets to decide both the field and match type, which is… absolutely insanely unfair as a rule, but it ultimately just leads to some silly gags so whatever.
As for the actual match itself… it really does bring its A-game, fortunately. It just feels like a great, frantic back and forth that pushes the characters to their limits and uses them all well. Everyone has a part to play and a time to shine. In particular, Akabane gets a real push this time around as our heroes go after her, and it really does play out wonderfully, aside from some questionable bits of sexual harassment. The surprising star of the show this time, though, is Haruka, who has some frankly hilarious comedic timing. And heck, he gets some interesting bits of development at the tail end too, bringing him even higher.
At any rate, our heroes on Toy Gun Gun are able to gain an early lead, but will they be able to maintain it against the monstrous Star White? Or are they ultimately destined for yet another loss?
In Summary
With this volume, the final match kicks off, and I’ve got to say… the book really nails it. I do have some minor quibbles, but those are far from a deal breaker. And unlike in some of the dicier past volumes, those are far and away outshone by the good parts of the book. It’s just filled to the brim with fantastic action that utilizes all of its characters well, and even some shockingly great gags that really had me laughing away. It remains to be seen if the series will ultimately stick the landing, but at least for now this really does feel like a culmination of all the good that has come so far, so I’m certainly hopeful for next time.
Content Grade: A
Art Grade: B+
Packaging Grade: B+
Text/Translation Grade: B+
Age Rating: Older Teen
Released By: Yen Press
Release Date: May 5th, 2020
MSRP: $12.99
