Weekly Shounen Sunday #26 (2018)

Now this is the Sunday I'm used to. Primed and ready, and mostly on time! ...On Tuesday. No the irony isn't lost on me. You know what else isn't lost on me? The amount of work I have to do on this issue. Though it's a labor of love, so I don't mind too much. Let's head in.

Taking the cover for it's illustrious return is Silver Spoon! It's really telling that the series doesn't get a color page but does get a cover like Mr. Shounen Sunday when he's around. I'm not entirely sure how long Hachiken will be around this time around, but we'll enjoy him as long as we can. I really like how Yuugami and Komi are integrated int his cover interacting with Arakawa's art as if they belong there. It's a really nice touch.

Let's hit things off with the TOC.

Kimi wa 008 by Syun Matsuena (Lead color/Chapter 13)

Silver Spoon by Hiromu Arakawa (Cover/Chapter 124)

Komi-san wa Komyusou Desu by Tomohito Oda (Chapter 142)

Detective Conan: Zero's Tea Time: Art by Takahiro Arai/ Supervision by Gosho Aoyama (Chapter 3)

Major 2nd by Takuya Mitsuda (Chapter 139)

Maiko-san chi no Makanai-san By Aiko Koyama (Chapter 68)

Gopun go no Sekai by Hiroshi Fukuda (Color Page/ Chapter 4)

Maoujo de Oyasumi by Kagiji Kumanomata (Chapter 101)

Memesis by Takuya Yagyuu (Color Page/ Chapter 12)

Tonikaku Kawaii by Kenjiro Hata (Chapter 15)

switch by Atsushi Namikiri (Chapter 6)

Amano Megumi Suki darake by Nekoguchi (Chapter 123)

Shinobi no by Rokurou Ogaki (Chapter 41)

Aozakura Bouei Daigakkou monogatari by Hikaru Nikaidou (Chapter 89)

Chrono Magia by Fujiko Dousei (Chapter 5)

Hoankan Evans No Uso ~Dead or Love~ by Mizuki Kuriyama (Center Color/Chapter 55)

Souboutei Kowasubeshi by Kazuhiro Fujita (Chapter 102)

Hatsukoi Zombie by Ryou Minenami (Chapter 126)

Be Blues by Motoyuki Tanaka (Chapter 333)

Tantei Xeno to Nanatsu Satsujin Misshitsu Story by Kyouichi Nanatsuki, Art by Teppei Sugiyama (Chapter 23)

Zettai Karen Children by Takashi Shiina (Chapter 505)

Marry Grave by Hidenori Yamaji (Chapter 21)

Sokyuu no Ariadne by Norihiro Yagi (Chapter 22)

Daiku no Hatou by Michiteru Kusaba (Chapter 51)

Yuugami-kun ni wa Tomodachi ga inai by Jun Sakurai (Chapter 70)

Tenshi & Akuto!! by Aya Hirakawa (Chapter 165)

 K.O.I King of Idol by Tamaki Wakaki (Chapter 46)

Youkai Giga by Satsuki Satou (Chapter 54)

Tokaichi Hitoribocchi Nouen by Yuuji Yokoyama (Chapter 23)

Not in this issue:

Detective Conan

RYOKO

Surprisingly Silver Spoon isn't first, but I guess the editors wanted to have that 008 push. Other than that, this TOC is about normal I think. Color pages for Memesis pushes it a little higher but that seems to be where it usually sits, and Ariadne continues to sit near the bottom despite having pretty good sales. I guess the only thing remarkable about this TOC is how unremarkable it is. Which I guess means the storms are settling for now --we'll probably see more unrest as the volume sales roll out.

The first volume of Kimi wa 008 is out now, (though it'll be out May 25th digitally), so you know what that means --a color page! It's a lead color page which loudly says what Shougakukan thinks of the series' rate of success. Not that they're wrong, mind you with it polling quite well, and drawn by a seasoned veteran, so they have good reason to be confident. For me, I think I can say from following the series on the down-low that I do like 008 a bit more than Kenichi and way more than Tokiwa. This is no slight against Mastuena, but I think he's just better at taking things slow and simple while keeping some impressive artwork (even though Ayame's proportions are way off up there. That pose looks kind of painful!) in his arsenal. It helps that the plot is somewhat reminiscent of "Kingsmen" as I've mentioned several times, which is a movie I personally enjoyed. On the side is Shougakukan's way of promoting the series by mentioning that there are more extras for 300 lucky people who buy the volume. It doesn't specify how one should enter, so I'm assuming they will later, but there's a chance for a lucky winner to get Matsuena's original artwork for the series! 

So for the story itself, it hasn't been too long since we last had the series as a guest on the blog so not much has happened. Thanks to Eito's bravery, the spies were able to see their way through the abandoned island trial and survive till sunset. It's just as everyone is conversing on how great things turned out that their teacher reappears and Eito understandably upset asks how he could have lied to them. Lying is a hallmark of a spy, so he really doesn't feel bad for fibbing, and he explains this test wasn't something one could get "right or wrong".  In fact thinking of things in overly simplistic terms like that is asking for trouble, he explains. He kind of praises Eito's "No man left behind" mentality, but says that it's as troublesome as it is noble in their profession. Now, I know I'm being somewhat contradictory, but while I would like to see Matsuena keep it simple and fun, I think that this turn of things --the idea that there isn't always a "right or wrong" could prove to be what sets this series apart from Kenichi and Tokiwa. I don't have a lot of confidence that Matsuena can handle it, but I hope that he'll prove me wrong. 

They are taken to a new facility where their lessons will begin in earnest --something that I had been wondering about since up until now the series has been nothing but tests, so it's good to see Matsuena is going to address the actual school aspect of the series. Eito's Dad trained here too so it's likely he'll be able to find out more about him! That being said the character above still has no name (or well to be specific he refuses to give his name), and he apparently passed the test with Rabbit mask "another way". Which is to say he gathered ten ties --something Eito implies would require killing others to do, but the nameless guy says he just set his weapons to stun not kill. So his enemies were shaken, not stirred.   Though his face on the next page as well as his words imply that he didn't hold back even if he did use stun mode. It's as obvious as it comes that he'll figure big into Eito's future endeavors, so best pay close attention to him. 

The chapter ends with a lineup of the teachers of the spy school and the headmaster himself. Note that two characters are still hidden in shadow....hm. The headmaster says that the world's fate lies in the hands of the students. Interesting, we haven't been told exactly what kind of state the world is in, and this seems to imply that there's a coming threat. In any case the teacher who met the gang on the island says that it's now time for the students to form teams, and lessons will begin in earnest. If you haven't been giving 008 your attention, then you might wanna start now, as it seems the prologue of sorts is over! The question now is does Shougakukan spy a hit on the horizon?

Silver Spoon is back! The question is --for how long? I get the idea that Shougakukan is in no hurry to see it leave since it sells better than Conan, and with so many other series ending/ended this year, losing a high profile author like Arakawa can't be something they want. Otherwise I'd feel like even in it's irregular serialization there'd be a sense of cohesiveness. Maybe something Saike where it runs a volume and then returns to hiatus, or Hunter X Hunter in Weekly Shounen Jump which does the same as Saike but on a yearly basis. It's all about keeping your high profile titles in one place --the usually very visible weekly magazine, even if they barely run weekly anymore. Anyway, Hachiken has figured out what he wants to do with his future and as such is studying, but who's going to do his work on the farm? His girlfriend Mikage of course! Not that she's too happy about this, but think of it as investing in your future! 

I think more than anything what I like about Silver Spoon is that it feels like a very earnest series --most likely because it is written from Arakawa's personal experience. Also it helps that she has a very good sense of comedic timing, like above where Aikawa meets up with a drained Hachiken who looks like a scribble. What's great is Aikawa immediately thinks to himself "I don't know who that is?!" It's only after they talk a bit and Hachiken is given energy through a consumable, that he retains his shape and comes back to life. No matter the situation, Arakawa keeps a good sense of humor, and it really keeps one engaged. 

The line for acceptance has risen somewhat from last year as Aikawa reveals so if they want to test in properly, they're going to really saddle up and put on their game faces. Not only that they have to worry about their grades in their current classes, the results of which will be posted on March 3rd. Failing to test well means waiting 20 days for another chance, and Hachiken just can't have that. 

If anything the most important thing to take away from this chapter is the onset of the new and final semester of these characters' High School lives. It's practically a stamp of approval in regard to Arakawa revealing that this arc would be the final one for Silver Spoon, so I don't think it is at all surprising. To think that this series would be saying farewell is hard to bear, but with the hiatuses and story reaching it's crescendo it might be for the best. Let's just hope Hachiken can pass on his first try because as the end of the chapter states above, it seems people just assume that since Mikage is his girlfriend that she's just going to do everything he can't while he's away, hah. 

This week's Komi-san is the hallowed sleep over! Rumiko is coming over to the Komi household and the girls are going to have each other's company for a whole evening! It's really nice that Oda (not that one), is really leaning into this idea that Rumiko is Komi's first friend --in the sense of one she made outside of Tadano's circles, and thus having her spend more time with Komi without Tadano and his group being involved. It really grows the central characters of this story in an organic fashion, and since characters really are Oda's (not that one)'s strength, I say the more the merrier! It's great here that Rumiko really never noticed that Komi communicates via notebook because she's so used to taking over conversations (In a good way, kind of.) So it really surprises her when Komi doesn't speak to her normally, hah. Though Rumiko doesn't mind, as she views Komi as the "hero who saved her" so what's a few words between friends? 

It can't be a girls sleepover without girls talk, and Rumiko soon gets right to the point. --Who was Komi's first love? She launches into her own story (and yes the girl in the page above these two is Rumiko in middle school --guess she adopted her "gyaru" persona in high school.)  She met a boy back then but she felt like she didn't have any appeal so didn't bother going after him. She hands the floor to Komi who --speaks!...and basically describes her past self and meeting Tadano. It's so sweet that Rumiko can't stand it and changes the subject asking if there's anyone now that she likes, and Komi dodges this by asking her. Both girls sort of avoid answering the question (though I will note that Rumiko soooorta pictured Tadano for a second, hmm.) and they talk about wearing summer uniforms soon instead. Could there be a love triangle in the works? Honestly? I hope not, I like these characters without the complications that come with dabbling in that genre. I trust Oda (not that one) to write these characters and keep them entertaining as he has but that's a dangerous place to go with them. 

And here we are at the last chapter of Zero's "obligatory coverage". My verdict is below, but before that I find it kind of cool that they've spent the first three chapters on each of Amuro's "Jobs". His work at the cafe, being Bourbon, and now as a member of law enforcement. The chapter itself is simple in it's conception and execution; Yuuya Kazami and Amuro (better known as Rei Furuya here) are on the public safety bureau and after a criminal. The guy slips out of Kazami's grasp, but luckily for him Amuro is there to stop the guy from getting away. 

Amu--er, Furuya remarks that Kazami probably lost sight of the guy because he has bags under his eyes that could give Akai a run for his money, but Kazami denies being sleepy, though that's not his only problem, he's hungry too! Seems like he's been ignoring his needs to stay on the job, and Furuya warns him that this is a bad idea. 

Kazami tries to stay awake but just can't. Even here Amuro's got his hands full, even though he doesn't mind it. Once again, a mere 12 pages, but I suppose that's this series' tempo. I can't be mad that it's giving us exactly what the title implies --Zero's every day life, but can you blame a guy for expecting something else? Zero is an enigma in the main Conan series so expecting a spinoff about him to give us more details isn't a stretch, but again it's a question of expectations VS realty. Are we expecting too much of this spinoff that claims Aoyama is supervising every part of it, and thus making it canon (of sorts?) Only time can really tell. I think I will probably give it dedicated coverage if only because it's fairly short each week, and It feels right to talk about Conan --any Conan in Shounen Sunday. Welcome aboard Zero...mind if I have a sip of that tea?

The fourth chapter of "After the Five Minutes" sees Fukuda heading back to his over the top artwork with gusto, starting with the very pop-art worthy color page, and the pages I selected above also showing his hallmark panel work and composition. Of course I expected this from him, so I'm not surprised, but I am a little intrigued by how the series hasn't really used it's namesake even up until now. Not that this is a bad thing, I think it keeps the story much more fresh that the characters aren't relying on the clock of god to pull them out of trouble and are using their heads (and a bus) to get them out of trouble. That being said, they've still got their work cut out for them. 

Still some amazing page composition here as the gang of Ninjin, Yamato and Yuto struggle against the wrath of an angry God(statue). Ninjin quickly realizes that they can't run or hide if this keeps up, as the bus that was meant to drive down their road to freedom is slowly falling apart under the statue's relentless attacks. It's tackles topple the mode of transportation, and tragedy tails them as they try to escape. 

Realizing that two escaping is better than none, Ninjin tells the brothers to get moving, that he'll keep the statue distracted while they escape. Of course the idea of going without him is unfathomable, but Ninjin reveals he's always felt like he owed the brothers after they saved him from bullying due to his weight. Specifically Yamato who called out the person who drew inflammatory messages on his desk. Even with that, the older brother can't stand to leave his friend behind. 

Ninjin says that it's not like they're saying farewell since Yamato can eventually go back to the past and change it to save them. Realizing that there really isn't much more he can do here and wanting to respect his friend's wishes, Yamato agrees --tearfully to leave, and Ninjin's last words are that he's leaving everything to him. There was a lot of bro candor here, and that kinda thing always gets to me --everyone's banking on Yamato doing a thing, however, and he still hasn't done it so I have to wonder what Fukuda's long game is here? I've heard that the intial shock of the first chapters has faded on the Japanese readers so now he's gotta follow up with something else. I'm willing to be patient of course but you know what they say about first impressions, and it gets me worried that this series may not be able to live up to it's incredibly strong initial impression. 

Memesis's first volume is out in stores, and as such Shougakukan has seen fit to give the series a color page in celebration. Sadly (but not surprisingly) the first volume --at least on it's debut didn't chart on some sites. Now we're still waiting for Shouseki but that's a bad sign as Marry Grave which is also by a fairly new artist at least ranked. I could write this off as Yagyuu being an unfamiliar face, but it still doesn't bode well. I wouldn't count him out yet, but I'd also temper expectations and be prepared for anything. Speaking of being prepared, Ash and Kijira readied themselves to take on the brothers,  but with their possession of Rose's strength they don't seem to stand a chance. They're about to be absorbed as well until a voice from inside the beast rings out...Rose?!

Turns out she was able to find a big busted demon inside of the brothers and by rubbing her breasts she was able to keep her consciousness! ....Oh Rose what are we to do with you? Though hey, if it works...It's a twist on the formula where normally it might be a male character who cops a feel, so I'd have to wonder how those who are tired of said trope feel about this development? In any case, Rose is able to keep the brothers from moving due to her keeping her consciousness which gives Ash and Kijira the opening they need, and with the brother and sister hero/magician team backing them up, they have all the power necessary to take down this monster. 

And one of my favorite things aesthetic wise when it comes to manga --the Japanese text on a two page spread. Though Yagyuu doesn't give us a super cool attack name, just "Take a look at this Leon". I almost wish at this point that the boys would realize that they're perfectly fine without him --Leon at this point, but it would ruin the joke premise. If it means keeping this incredible art I'm fine with it though. 

And after so many weeks, Ash and Kijira get the jewel they were looking for, and free all of those absorbed by the brothers, after of which they promptly dispatch them. It's not quite over yet of course, but I do think the first arc of Memesis showed great potential for the series going forward. Of course the important thing now is how Yagyuu handles the postscript. 

Ooh, Kondo went and made Jinsaburo Sawamura angry, and you wouldn't like him when he's angry. He admits that Todou fell right into the enemy's clutches by getting too chummy and emotional over Okita just for it to literally break his heart, but Pops says only he's allowed to discipline his student. Even if Kondo tries to reassure him that he used the blunt end of his weapon so Toudou is just knocked out and not dead, Pops isn't having any of it.  Actually Kondo's quite the peacemaker here as he advises Pops they stop this here as a fight now would undoubtedly end with a body. 

The Shinengumi in Shinobi no are looking for strong opponents and training themselves to be the strongest they can be. Kondo asks Pops if they can't have a one hit final bout that will decide things peaceably, but you don't make a Shinobi mad and then tell him what to do.  Pops goes on the attack, claiming he wasn't intending on letting any of the group live anyway. Before this fight can take a deadly turn however, someone steps in with a hearty "hör auf damit" which is (I think) German for "stop doing that". 

Siebold is on the scene and he claims the name "Grim Reaper" and thus being the reason why these two groups are about to murder each other. He promises to go along with the Shinsengumi if they allow him a chance to treat Todou. Even if it means finding a means of saving his family on his own, he'd rather do that then risk more blood spraying. 

Ah but there's no need to worry, Pops says he took the mission and as a Shinobi he has a responsibility to see things through. Even if it means risking his life. 

With that he's able to disappear into the night sky. Although it's not as if Ogaki's artwork has taken a nosedive over the last few weeks, I do miss his dual page spreads and use of lighting to highlight the sublime like this. Kondo's expression is one of tacit understanding and maybe just a little frustration that he and his men were so thoroughly out of their element. Sure they might have had what it takes to defeat Pops as a unit but for him to have been such a threat that they had to jump him to make a difference angers him, and the repeated panels indicate his deeper thoughts on the matter as Pops tells them to stay alive. 

In the end Kondo honors Siebold's choice saying that he doesn't think he's a Grim Reaper but and old man with a mission. The other Shinsengumi agree, and with that they continue their training journey. Meanwhile Pops and company continue their own journey, with Kaede commenting that carrying Toudou will tire him out if he doesn't rest. The old Shinobi complains about having to deal with a worthless apprentice and a quack, (Siebold takes offence to that, hah.) 

Pops is such a diva but I like him for it. He basically says that he's got no choice but to stay alive now and make sure Toudou doesn't kick the bucket, all while complaining about everything. The chapter ends with Toudou muttering in his sleep that he'd like to keep on being a Shinobi with Pops, and the old man despite himself smiles. According to the chapter text at the end, the climax of this arc is next week. It's hard to believe it but the Shinsengumi appearing was merely a detour on the road to bigger things that will come to a head next chapter. 

Speaking of Kondo, turns out his love worries were all for naught as his childhood friend was simply talking to the boyfriend of a friend. More than that, I really just enjoyed seeing the procession drawn with no accompanying text. I can almost hear what's going on thanks to that. Though of course it's nice to get some character development in the way of Kondo and Matsui (the girl above). She gives him a message that Kondo should do his best to be the number one defense soldier in Japan, and that she and everyone else will be waiting for him. It's a good reminder that despite the content of the story that this is still a shounen manga. That being said, Aozakura is slowly approaching it's 100th installment, and I can't help but think that there might be something bigger on the horizon for that landmark, especially since the chapter ends with Hijikata calling Kondo with something important, hmm. Also all of these characters with similar names is going to drive me crazy...glad I don't cover Aozakura every week, no offense. 

Evans's newest volume is moseying along into Japanese bookstores and making a name for itself as it already had a stronger open than 008. That could very well change by the time the next week rolls around, but it's worth celebrating if you like the Cowboy who just can't seem to be popular with the ladies. I'm not sure at all what Evans is doing that pure action series can't do or why the Japanese like it, but speaking personally, I think it represents the lost art of series like this just being, well, fun. Evans probably isn't a series that'll stand out years from now or win any awards, but it knows what it is, and leans into that. Not only that but Kuriyama has a handle on the characters of this story that makes it easy to be into them even when you know how they'll react to a situation. To get to the chapter proper, Abby reveals that the person with Morris is someone else entirely, and not only that but who she is and what she's doing here which solves one of Evans problems...how to stop Pheebs from jumping into the fray without explaining his mission. 

Oh Pheebs I'll never tire of you, so don't change. She can't just say she was depressed that Evans might have found a girlfriend in Abby, and instead upon hearing that Abby and Evans' relationship is strictly professional, says that she'll "forgive" Evans for worrying her. Evans of course had no idea of her mental state before now (and lets give her a hand for keeping things professional despite that), and thinks that it's good that Pheebs isn't upset he lied to her. I also like that the narration kind of pokes fun at Evans for pretending to know things he doesn't and that ultimately leading to this situation where he's acting on half knowledge. Who is Morris, after all? He asks Pheebs and like the perfect mate she is for him, she acts as if she knows but doesn't either. The bounty hunter here can see right through this and attacks the others figuring that what they don't know can hurt his bottom line. 

And then...wow. I didn't I'd ever be hyped over this series, but then the ending of the chapter happened. Evans can't believe the bounty hunter would take an innocent life for cash, but he replies that Evans only feels this way because he's got the long arm of the arm protecting him as a sheriff. The man protecting Morris disagrees about this assertion in regard to lawmen, and revealing his identity says that Sheriffs are cool and that's what matters. That way of speaking, that face, and the fact that he has the very same pose Evans had in the color page (scroll up a bit and check it out!) Plus well, Evans confirms it as such, hah. Everyone? Meet Papa Evans. Here I thought he was dead but apparently he's alive and kicking? What does this mean for the lawman, and why is Daddy dearest here? 

Fujita sure can make old guys look cool can't he? Fitting as this is the Prime Minister, so he'd have to look pretty impressive to have a title like that. Actually, I'm glad I finally caught up on this series earlier last year, as I'd be really lost to the events described in this chapter. To summarize, Madarame has requested an audience with the prime minister himself to discuss the Souboutei. He has a personal connection to the evil house which I'll get to in a minute. What surprised me is how intuitive Madarame actually is compared to how he seems. As seen above he has a discussion with Yadogi in regard to the sisters --Yadogi thinks they've been possessed by the Souboutei and to my surprise Madarame seems to have taken this threat very seriously which is why he has come to discuss this with the Prime Minister directly. 

Now to how all this involves the Prime Minister --the very first scene of this manga was a flashback of him and a friend entering the house and losing another friend to it's evil powers. That sight has haunted the PM well into his childhood, and is the basis of Madarame's questions. Yadogi warned hm to stay away from the paintings, and he'd really like to know why. Although black borders on pages are a manga staple, I really think here they accentuate the dread the PM has to relive as he remembers how the house ate his friends. Not only that but the final panel of the right page of him biting his lip in primal fear was such a great touch on Fujita's part. 

The PM can't talk about it despite not being able to forget the ghastly scene he encountered. He knows it happened, there's no argument there but it's as if...something is within him forbidding him to talk about it. Madarame is slowly climbing the latter of important characters in this series to me simply because he's just so logical in the face of this outrageous situation. The PM's outburst about being controlled immediately reminds him of what Yadogi said about the sisters, and he pulls a gun on the leader of the country asking if he's being controlled by their "enemy"? 

Madarame asks him about something Auguste mentioned --about a leech within his body, and the PM realizes that when he was last in the Souboutei, he had returned to his office and vomited up something...perhaps that was a dreg of the Souboutei that was controlling him?! At least he can say this much, if that's true, then he's probably  not being controlled at this moment. 

Madarame is satisfied that he's not being controlled by the Souboutei now but he knows that the sisters are in fact their enemies. The series is "Souboutei" but it definitely feels like what's going on outside of the house is far more intriguing than what's going on in it. Personally I like the inner political workings of a series especially when it's discussed between characters who have no relation to the protagonists, so this chapter scratched that itch. Plus I've gone from thinking that Madarame is was a pretty inconsequential character to believing he had a bigger role in the future of the series, all after one chapter! I'm not sure how he fits into the bigger scheme of things but I know Fujita won't let me down when he explains that element! 

I remember before this arc started that it was advertised as an arc filled with despair, and it's becoming clear that this may have been an understatement if anything. Though I do like that the characters are gathering together and working together on this one despite the harsh odds. In this sense it feels like everyone is pulling their weight to solve this mystery in progress. In a way I like that Xeno is confined to one spot since it means he has no choice but to let others act where he can't. 

For example, Onikobe has already identified the shooters, Kouji Nakatani, and Yoshitake Mukai, both ex military and thus proficient shots.  Not only that, Nakatani seemingly taught Mukai how to snipe, so they have similar means of slinging bullets. However this isn't their only relation to each other --they were both involved in something called the "Onugami incident" Onikobe explains that it was something that occurred in the Seto inland sea, where an airliner crashed and drugs and medication leaked out of the wreckage leading to serious injuries for the people in the area and the soldiers who went to help. The two snipers were involved in that incident and it's due to that, that their expected life spans are less than six months. It's due to this that they're probably acting out, and Onikobe wants to prioritize saving others from being injured over capturing the two, but he does want to do something quickly as in 30 minutes the Japanese special forces will arrive and the truth of the incident will be lost forever, as they're trained to handle the situation first and ask questions later. 

Xeno's character development doesn't overtake his character as we've seen so far, as he steps out to the surprise of everyone despite knowing snipers are in the vicinity and asks everyone to stay calm as he addresses the two snipers directly. He says he understands their situation, both that of their failing health, and their need for terror, but he reveals something important --he knows they're not terrorists at all, but instead were requested to do this by an outside party! The person pictured on the left appeared in the manga in the case before this one as well, but I don't think Xeno actually knows what he looks like so this is for the audience's benefit. He points out that this third party most likely asked them to call him out so he could solve this mystery. Sounds familiar, hmm. Anyway Xeno also knows that both of these men have children --a daughter in middle school and a son born three months ago. He knows they're in this for the family, but Xeno uses his lack of memory to his advantage --and says he couldn't care less about their family situations, and that if they want to shoot that's fine --but then their families will always be associated with their murderous acts. 

Why is he stirring them up on purpose? Clearly he has some kind of play in mind right? Well, yes, but even that is an enigma as Ayla reveals via flashback that Xeno asked her to pick up her own sniper rifle and take aim....at him?! Despite seeming callus and uncaring in front of the other snipers, he defers to her in secret and asks her to take a shot when he smiles --as she's the only one he can trust. He is straight with her and says he's not sure whether he thinks she has the ability to kill, but he does feel like he can entrust his life to her. Ayla is nervous about the whole thing, but says she's going to do the damn thing by the end of the chapter. As an assassin who hasn't actually killed anyone before, I have to wonder if she can pull it off too, but Xeno's trust in her isn't unfounded I think. However, what is his angle here, and more importantly what is the end goal? 

Interestingly with Marry Grave, I've heard some (admittedly nitpicky yet fair) criticisms in regard to the series, ranging from it's lack of originality to Sawyer being unnecessary in his own story. The later I can agree with --this really does feel like it is/should have been a story about Rozalie more than him. On one hand it makes sense since he is following in Rozalie's footsteps, but I can agree that it would be nice if he had more agency within the plot. That being said his existence sort of negates that since he technically can't die, though I do believe Yamaji has been addressing this issue little by little over the last few weeks. I'm not sure if it'll be enough to save Marry Grave from an early grave, but Yamaji addressing these issues on his own is a good sign, and one that shows even this week with it being entirely dedicated to a flashback starring little Sawyer. He's had a tough past with his aunt and uncle being killed by monsters and leaving him alone to share the same fate...  

Until a mysterious boy shows up and endowed with magic makes short work of the monsters! It's been some time since we've seen Yamaji feel the need to be flashy so I welcome this in with open arms. 

An interesting element of Marry Grave is since Sawyer is approaching (or over?) a century of life/relife, that any characters introduced in the past are probably long gone. This is far different than other series where it's fun to wonder "where is this character now"? No, for Marry Grave we've got to basically operate on the premise that anyone that isn't alive in the current timeline is probably long dead, which oddly fits in with the narrative that is Marry Grave. Returning to the plot at hand, the boy is pretty brutish, saving Sawyer and then commanding that he help cut up the monsters he just slayed so that they can eat it. He's lived on the land for a while so this is just another day in the life for him, and thus he's bewildered when Sawyer erects a grave to the fallen monsters. The boy at first assumes this is for his parents, but Sawyer reveals that his parents abandoned him, and the people killed were his aunt an uncle who were particularly nasty and abusive to him. Not dead parents? Hmmm...though again, by now they probably are dead, so. 

Sawyer has no illusions that his family members were awful people, but he still didn't want to see them die or anything like that. In fact seeing the grave kind of makes him wonder if he should just die, but the boy, revealing himself to be named "Dante", says that Sawyer can go die on his own if he wants, but while they're together there will be no deaths on his watch. Although it's not clear now, it's obvious Dante will have a huge influence on Sawyer and his view on death and it's ramifications, and I look forward to seeing how things spin out. This could very well answer the criticisms in regard to Sawyer's relevance to his own plot, and maybe give the entire series the second life that the protagonist gained from his wife. 

Yuugami comes across two classmates enjoying cookies, yet expresses a feeling of malcontent. While he's not a friendly guy (it's right there in the title, after all) he certainly doesn't seem like a malicious one, at least not on purpose. So what could possibly be bothering him about such a happy scene? Does it have to do with the next page where Kadota explains to Chihiro that he and Yuugami are in the middle of a fight and he doesn't want anything to do with the latter. 

With a guy like Yuugami, being in a fight with him is like drinking poison and hoping he'll die from it though. I think Nogami's explanation using sea creatures --like a fish that's bad at swimming and thus gets eaten straightaway, while Yuugami being like a sea anemone that's poisonous to the touch and thus remains at the bottom of the ocean undisturbed is pretty apt. It also explains why Chihiro when hearing about the fight doesn't seem all that fussed about it --the fish hangs out with the sea anemone and is cleaned by it as it massages the anemone. In short they're literally feeding off each other, and even though Chihiro probably would be horrified to know this, it's probably why she's able to deal with Yuugami so well, hah. 

Weirdly enough the girl from earlier sees Kadota and is extra friendly with him, even though in the past she wasn't so much --he compares her to a wild fox that darts away whenever he approaches. (What's with the animal metaphors this month?) Though before Kadota can really think deeply about it, Nitaku is back to his old tricks and the other students ask him to help. If you don't remember Nitaku, he's a student with a pretty twisted personality that demands complete and utter devotion fron those around him. Though it's pretty messed up, I take a sort of weird amusement with him just flat out telling some girl that he finds her uninteresting so she shouldn't talk to him. Nitaku also really dislikes the attention Yuugami inadvertently gets so he's looking for a way to upend him. I hadn't seen much of he or Kadota much before this, but man with friends like Yuugami who doesn't even realize they're in a fight, and Nitaku who dislikes Yuugami, and is rude to everyone around him I can kind of understand why he wonders what the heck is up with everyone around him. 

But to get to the reason why the two are fighting, well it's because Yuugami went out of his way to buy the last of his favorite curry bread rolls and seemingly goes out of his way to brag about it. To explain his sense of malcontent earlier, the girl who was serving up cookies to another boy was apparently Kadota's girlfriend? (Or so Yuugami thinks) and if she's cooking for other boys she's clearly dumped him. (Except Chihiro has no idea of what he's talking about, and he pretty brutally says that her cooking is awful, hah.) Though another student, Kido explains they were never really dating to begin with, so none of this really matters. It's so great that the misunderstandings in this series all really add up to nothing in the end, sorta like how real life ends up being sometimes. There's something to to be said about drama in fiction making things more interesting, but Sakurai has such a good cast of characters that even anti-drama is pretty funny to watch unfold, and it's refreshing. 

What it all ends up summing up into is Kido (not the one from 008, but a girl who's friendly with Kadota) and Yuugami himself saying that Kadota is the kind of guy who takes the good and bad in stride. It's why the two have a strange but trusting relationship in the first place. Ultimately Yuugami does buy the curry bread roll but passes it to Kido to give to Kadota, as he did sort of notice that his friend was upset with him, and he knew that he wouldn't accept the favor from him directly, and this is what it takes for Kadota to once again make up with Yuugami again. Trust doesn't have to come from being particularly close, but understanding, and I feel like Yuugami's particular brand of "friendship" is evidence of this. It's why I like that he refusing to get close to others isn't treated as a problem in the story, just a character quirk that actually gets others to open up to themselves and others in ways they didn't realize were possible. Yuugami's back in June, so keep your friends close, and your not friends closer until then. 

Tenshi and Akuto now has one chapter (Not including this one) left before the curtains close once and for all. It's a little telling that I'm not sure what kind of ending we're going to get quite yet, but I'm not sure if it's a good thing or bad thing yet. Hirakawa is being careful, but I wonder if it might already be too late to act prudently? Either way, the recording for the play is now done and all that's left is for the adoring public to go see it. Except, there's a little problem, Akuto being in the movie as the lead role has people wondering if he'll go back to voice acting which is proving to be more trouble than it's worth. Still Akuto seems resolute in his decision to quit, and he and his manager part on good terms --certainly does seem pretty final. 

Unfortunately besides that, there's the revelation that he's the son of a politician and thus didn't get the role in the show legitimately --rather that he paid someone off to unfairly get in, which people in Japan cruelly point out and heckle him for on the show's opening in the country. I'm glad that Hirakawa didn't forget this element as it did seem like that it was easily solved for a while. 

Though perhaps the most important thing that came from it is Akuto's character development. The once too haughty to beg Akuto bows to the audience, a move so surprising that even Nari isn't sure what to make of it. He apologizes in regard to the scandal with her, but he claims that his feelings towards Nari are the same as Romeo's, and Nari adds that people should go see the movie and feel what they felt --and see the hard work of the people who brought it to them. A small analogy to separating the art from the artist could be made here, though I don't believe that's what Hirakawa was going for. Still I think it is something worth thinking about. 

As seen in the pages above, although Akuto isn't planning on returning to Voice acting for now, he does has something else he needs to do --before leaving and dropping a book "100 ways to propose". He runs off before his bewildered Manager can comment, and then appears in the studio after asking Nari to meet him there as he claims he has something important to tell her. Next week is the final chapter which will come with color pages and be longer than usual. Tenshi and Akuto has been with the magazine for a little over three years, so these characters have legacy. Here's to hoping Hirakawa can give that legacy a fitting finale.  

Once again K.O.I just nails it when it comes to text placement and usage. I dunno if this series will last long enough to get an anime, but at this point I don't really even think it needs one with Wakaki's ability to convey the power of sound without a single auditory cue. Not only that his artwork is still just as cute and charming as it was when I first read "Sacred Crystal Albatross". I do still wish he had stuck to action series over romantic ones, and i feel like K.O.I should have started off with this angle rather than the gender bender side of things, but it is wonderful to see that even in a series that has so many things I don't particularly like that there are wonderful things that can engage my senses enough to feel the need to cover it two weeks in a row. 

This week's chapter of Youkai Giga features the Kawauso which literally means "Otter". In their old age, it's said that magical sea otters develop magical powers and are specialists in mimicry. Which is what the youkai featured in this chapter does when he's lonely --he transforms into a human and enjoys the sights of the town, even getting invited by others for a few drinks, though he turns them down despite regretting it later. He's having a good time just greeting people and wandering about until a girl who overly familiar with him thanks to a past interaction where he helped her when she was down on her luck, tags along and mentions how kind he always is unlike the people who can change their tune at the drop of a hat. 

The girl wants nothing more than to hang out with the otter, but when she gets too close his disguise drops and he runs away in shame. Turns out she's a kawasou too! I like to think that the lesson of this one is be kind to be kind, because you never know how and where that kindness will be repaid! 

And that's it for Issue #27! Next time we can expect a lead color page for Hatsukoi Zombie, a center color page for Evans, extra pages for Xeno, Birdmen swooping in for a monthly visit, Saike's return with a color page, Hanzawa-san also making a return to the magazine so we'll have two Conan spinoffs in the next issue, but not the main series, huh.  and last (literally!) but not least, the final chapter of Tenshi and Akuto! Whew, it's a lot to take in, but I'll be there! I hope you all return too, as Sundays just aren't the same without all of you. Take care!