Yaichi might be the one who draws people to him, but it’ll be Masa who ensures that those bonds last.
Creative Staff
Story/Art: Natsume Ono
Translation/Adaptation: Joe Yamazaki
What They Say
Masanosuke gives Bunnosuke one last piece of advice as his older brother. Rumors about the Five Leaves are spreading around town, leaving the members of the crew plagued with suspicion as to who is responsible. Meanwhile, Yaichi is finally run to ground by Jin, his former boss, at the same time that his past is uncovered by the superintendent Yagi. With the House of Five Leaves coming to an end, will the precious bonds of their friendships survive?
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
We have reached the final volume of House of Five Leaves. It’s sad to see this series end, as I’ve really enjoyed the characters and their interactions. However, to drag the story out any longer would be pointless as everything here wraps up neatly.
It’s fun to compare the cover of this volume with the cover of the first. On the first cover we had Masa sitting, looking sheepish and worried with a smirking Yaichi over his shoulder. Here we have a confident and relaxed Masa standing tall with Yaichi looking away and leaning slightly on his shoulder. It’s not that their positions have been completely reversed, it’s more a matter of each discovering where their positions are.
Masa still feels he has a long way to go to toward becoming the man he wants to be, but even he can see how much progress he’s made in a year. He’s finally come to understand that his strength doesn’t lie in his samurai upbringing, but in his understanding of people. He tosses his pride away, and even his heritage as a samurai, to save his friend and mentor’s life. He finally gets through to his troubled brother, and there’s finally an inkling of understanding between the two. He mends all the misunderstandings among he members of the Five Leaves simply through communication and a steady hand.
A mending is sorely needed when word leaks out around town about the Five Leaves. The whole gang is on edge as rumors about them spread, and no one was sure where the rumors originated. That suspicion falls on Ginta, the youngest and newest member of the gang, when they discover he’s learned that Yaichi was a member of the gang who destroyed his master’s shop.
It’s during Ginta’s interrogation that I realized that however rough and odd Ono’s art is, she has a masterful way of displaying emotion on her character’s faces. Ginta’s bravado and subsequent flow of tears show’s off just how vulnerable the kid is, in a manner of just four panels on a single page all that suspicions melts away. He had found his new place to belong despite tough circumstances, and he’s not such a bad kid after all.
The obvious blame then lands on Yaichi, who was preparing to shut the gang down. Yaichi spends the volume adrift. He doesn’t want to be arrested, nor does he want to die, but the resignation is there. He finally runs into his old boss, but the meeting is a strange reunion filed with more regret than bloodlust. In the end, he falls into the hands of Superintendent Yagi, but true to his friendship refuses to talk about the gang or even confirm his past identities. It’s the friendship which defines the best parts of him, and it’s the only thing that can save him.
In the end, everyone sets off on a journey of new beginnings. (Even Masa’s stray cat, if the back cover illustration means anything.) A good finale for a group of lost souls that found friendship in an unlikely alliance, and an escape from the turbulent lives they once lived.
In Summary
House of Five Leaves slowly draws to a close with unhurried steps. In the end it remains an unconventional story of a introverted samurai who falls in with a gang of kidnappers, but it’s the quirky art and earnest characters that make the story shine. While at times the series felt a little drawn out, especially for those that only saw the abridged anime version of the story, it doesn’t detract from the overall. Viz put out a lovely release of this volume, and the print presentation holds up well along with the rest of the Sigikki line. While readers looking for an action packed epic will want to turn elsewhere, those who want something a bit more low key will find this manga series charming.
Content Grade: A –
Art Grade: C +
Packaging Grade: A
Text/Translation Grade: A
Age Rating: 16+
Released By: Viz Media
Release Date: September 11th, 2012
MSRP: $12.99
