Manga Review: No. 6, Volume 8, by Atsuko Asano and Hinoki Kino

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: Kodansha Comics

Release Date: August 2014

Volumes: 9

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. Powells. RightStuf.

Volume: 1. 7. 9.

Goodreads Synopsis:

I LOVE YOU, SHION. MORE THAN ANYTHING.

Risking everything, Shion and Rat have finally made it to the top floor of the Correctional Facility, where Shion is finally reunited with Safu! But has Shion's rescue attempt come too late? Is the Safu he once knew gone forever? As Rat rushes to find a way out, Shion must make a heartbreaking decision: Leave, saving Rat and himself from capture, or stay, and find another solution? Either way, Shion may lose a friend, or his own life! The tale of No. 6 builds to a climax in its second-to-last volume!
Includes special bonus story!

Review:

First of all, the color pages in this volume are gorgeous. There are a few images I remember from previous volumes that I was happy to see in color, because they look so much prettier. Also, they’re near the end of the volume, not the beginning, which is useful to know, because it worried me when I first picked up the book.

Now—this was a pretty intense, sad volume.

There was the confrontation between Shion and Safu, which needed to happen and revealed some things, but was mostly just very sad. It was downright painful for Shion, and I feel so bad for him. And then Shion and Rat have to escape, which is bad and violent and scary. Shion is also trying to deal with what happened with Safu, the poor thing, because odd things are happening to him at the same time.

Meanwhile, Dogkeeper and Rikiga are waiting for Shion and Rat to arrive, including being attacked on their own. It’s kind of bad, and leads to the cliffhanger. 

There’s only one volume left! I have no idea how this series is going to end, nor how it’s going to wrap up in only one book. It seems like there’s too much to happen. Either way, I hope it’s good, and I’m excited to read it.