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Saturday, March 3, 2012

Manga Review: Arata: The Legend, Volume 6, by Yuu Watase

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5 - 4
Publisher: VIZ Media (Shonen Sunday)
Volumes: 14+

Goodreads Synopsis:

Hinohara discovers to his horror that his tormentor Kadowaki has followed him to Arata's world. Recalling his suffering, Hinohara flies into a rage that triggers his transformation into a demonic entity!

Review:

This is just... a really good series at this point. I like the characters, the plot is moving along pretty good, I like the art, the humor. It's not... completely amazing or anything, but it's really good.
In this volume... Hinohara and Kadowaki fight some more, and something demonically bad happens to Hinohara, which Kotoha brings him back down from (and there's a moment here where Hinohara could have cussed. Did he cuss in the original and they censored it, or did he not? Because I just feel that it would have been more powerful a moment had he cursed). Then one of the six sho comes and makes Kadowaki stop. Kannagi takes Tsukuyo after Hinohara drops it, and they have a talk, because Hinohara is being weak and depressed and pulling into himself and giving up. It's very much the way he was in the human world, and how he's now reacting to Kadowaki's presence. It's very not-good, but the talk is a nice moment. It makes Hinohara stronger, as does his talk with Kotoha later, and it makes the relationship with Kannagi better. Kannagi also has to realize that he can't take Tsukuyo from him. A bit later, Kanate admits to what he's planning on doing, to the robbers that blamed him before he went to Gatoya; and how he then plans on parting ways with them. I... hope that doesn't happen. I really like Kanate, and I'm looking forward to seeing what happens with him, but I don't want him to go.
For the next chapter, but only one, it switches to Arata. Where one of the sho takes Kadowaki's place, who's name is Harunawa. He has marks all over his body (he looks really cool. I don't know why, but I really like how symbols look on people, like with Kanate as well,), and he fights some of the students (and kills them?) with his hayagami, which he also does to Arata. It's bad, and I'm hoping that it gets fixed quickly, in the next one. But then Oribe shows up, and says that Arata has her 'protection'? What does that mean? I want to know what that means. I mean, I have an idea what she meant, but why did she say it and why didn't he take her seriously? I'm thinking that she's from Arata's world, that maybe she's connected to the Princess or Kotoha? But maybe it's someone we haven't met yet? But hopefully it's someone? I want to know what she knows.
It goes back to Hinohara for the rest of the volume. Him and the gang are just arriving at the next town, which turns out to be all about tourists and making money. They have to pay in order to get in, and have a hard time getting in to meet the zokusho. They have to work in order to make money, but have to work a ton in order to make enough for anything. It's all completely ridiculous.
They meet Suehiro, who kind of helps them. Excluding Kotoha, they have to do some hard labor (where, weirdly enough, they look really good in their uniforms; Kannagi in particular), and then have to wash women's backs to make money (the second of which only Kanate and Hinohara do, but don't mind at all). It takes them a lot to make anything, though, but it's all, in a way, a hoax anyway. I won't spoil that for you, though. It all works out in it's own way, though, and the four set out to meet the sho Yorunami, who apparently holds a lot of power and influence over the others.
At the end, Hinohara gives Kotoha a pretty butterfly hair clip-thing, which is sweet. Then it shows Kadowaki in Harunawa's place, where he meets his new attendant, a clumsy girl who wants to know his favorite things, while he only cares about bring Hinohara down. Hopefully she will bring some sense to him.
A lot seems to happen in each volume, which is good. I'm hoping for more of Arata, particularly because of what happened in this volume, and I want to find out more about Oribe. I want some stuff to happen with Kanate, as well as between Hinohara and Kotoha. And I'm sure we'll meet Yorunami (who's name, for some reason, I am having the hardest time pronouncing,) in the next one, see what's up with him. I kind of am assuming that it'll get resolved rather quickly, like with the other sho's, but it's also quite likely that it will become a longer plot line.
It's just... a good, adventurous shonen manga, with some bits of shojo thrown in, so far. I'm liking it rather well.

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