Never underestimate Glass-san … unless you don’t know the real Rino inside!
Creative Staff:
Art/Story: Tsuyoshi Watanabe
Translation: Christine Dashiell
What They Say:
The school of Black Mist and Dark Skies have suddenly shown up at Nangokuren and a four on four fight is declared! Will Rintaro and the Dragons of Nangokuren make it out on top…?
Content (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
As the confusing chaos for the next student body president comes to a head, the furious tumult becomes ever more wild as outside forces make themselves known with destructive interference. However these intruders look familiar to Rintaro and Ayane, and they should – it is the return of Saizo and his Black Mist and Dark Skies disciples. He has come back to have our hero fulfill his promise to fight anytime or anywhere … but unfortunately, this is not the best of moments he could have chosen. Even within all of the craziness, the students make their intentions known as they scream and shout for the outsiders to leave. However when Saizo announces he wishes to test his students against the strongest, and the prize will be the control of Nangokuren, silence is not possible, until Rintaro makes a heartfelt and impassioned speech to defend their school; the only way they will take their academy is by force and that is when the Dragons make their presence known.
Kyoka, Dragon of Gleaming Might, Rino, Dragon of Storming Jade, Ayane, Dragon of Flashing Star and finally the newest candidate take center stage. As they face off against these troublemakers, Saizo once again reiterates his intentions and announces what he calls the Rin-Black Battle to Rule tournament, a one on one fight where the most wins gains control of Nangokuren. Before he has a chance to reject the contest, the sadistic man and his team march off, leaving them four days to prepare. As the students try to make sense of this challenge, most not knowing who these people were, Rintaro and Ayane attempt to calm everyone down, with the former having a panic attack and not knowing what to say. It is only then does Ema step in and announces she formally nominates her opponent as the new student council president; with everyone stunned by her plea, no one knows what to make of this statement until all of the Dragons unanimously back our hero … with the rest of the pupils quickly falling in line. With everyone now backing him, Rintaro now knows he now has the strongest to fight in the contest – until he tries to ask Glasses-san for her help. The sword-wielding girl is gone, and no one knows where she went.
It is only when Rintaro asks her assistants that he learns she went home shortly after the election. With only two of the Dragon’s now backing the competition, he must have the third in order to have any chance of winning, but how will he do it? The name Glasses-san was always his moniker for this girl, her steely gaze and cold countenance made her unapproachable, aside from the fact that his Hentai Syndrome would kick in if he ever got that close. But now the new student council president has no other choice – he must get Rino’s backing, if he can catch her as she leaves in a helicopter. The second-year regularly commutes via this method and if this is the world she lives in, what will her house look like? With the days quickly passing, Rintaro approaches the imposing mansion and is surprised by who answers the gate: this girl looks like Rino, the same blonde hair, and emerald green eyes, but without glasses or the school uniform she appears to have softened when at home. Can this be the same person, and how will he even attempt to ask her for help when her mere approach makes him panic and gives him the urge to run away?
In Summary:
Finally we return to the comic hijinks which made reading Dragons Rioting a pleasure to read, instead of an attempt to have a serious fighting manga. While Watanabe-sensei tried to interject the series with Rintaro’s need to try getting over his Hentai Syndrome and make female friends, that premise eliminated most of the silliness which made this series fun to read. With our hero constantly running away from scenes which most male otaku would welcome, we now return to the premise which opened the title, if but in a watered down version. And what makes this volume all the more hilarious is the notion he must now approach Rino, Dragon of Storming Jade, the girl who intimidates him the most out of all the Dragons. You would think someone with the name Glasses-san would be quite the opposite, but her cold exterior made any attempt to reach her all the more intimidating, and thus this story makes both sides uncomfortable, all to the readers’ joy.
Then interject the underlying notion of Saizo and his Black Mist and Dark Skies threatening to take over the school, adds all the more pressure for Rintaro to succeed. Just when we think he is over his condition, the same evasion techniques which we saw early in the series have returned, if in more reserved measure. While he no longer attempts to run away, his quick mind still tries to sabotage the negotiations, even as he tries to sway Rino. It is these kind of comedic situations which make us forget what brought most readers to the book, but at the same this change is just as satisfying. But the most gratifying part of the story is to finally learn why the Dragon of Storming Jade has such a tenuous relationship with her older sister Ren, even though she has been helping Rintaro. To finally see how they resolve the contest between them is wonderful, and the result is the best part of this story.
We finally see an end to the elections and Rintaro become the new student council president, but what a way to start his first term. All he wanted to do was become the new Dragon, but with so many complications standing in his way, will he ever succeed? Then add the reduced need for Watanabe-sensei to depend on alluring shots and angles to tempt the readers to dive into the story, and we have something which may have wander away from the original Dragons Rioting. But thanks to a clever storyline, comedic situations involving awkward moments and stupendous fight scenes, and we still have a series which keeps our attention with battling beauties and wild notions of might makes right.
Content Grade: A-
Art Grade: A+
Packaging Grade: A-
Text/Translation Grade: A
Age Rating: Mature
Released By: Yen Press
Release Date: September 19, 2017
MSRP: $13.00
