Technically, this is an Image Comics series by American creators,
published in full size and full color. Despite that, I call this series
manga. I know a lot of people will disagree with me, but at a certain
point, when you take enough cues from something else, including the
setting, character types, worldbuilding, general style, and tone, it’s
useless to try and make a distinction between them.
A few issues
ago, Rori, the character we started the series with, disappeared,
causing the perspective to shift to another character who was brought
into this weird world of fighting the Yokai. While I also like Emi, it
seemed a little early to give us another central character. At the end
of the last issue, however, she came back into things, and though her
story hasn't yet intersected with Ayane and Nikaido again, the fact that
she is back in the story again is something I'm really glad to see.
This issue is a lot slower paced than the last one, focusing a lot more
on the characters in their downtime. Emi, Ayane, and Nikaido are
dealing with how their group dynamic works when they are not actively
fighting monsters, which we haven't really had the chance to see yet.
Rori also returns, as I mentioned before, along with Shirai, and
although we are given little information about what happened to them
while they were gone, or where they were, or much of anything about what
happened, it isn't overly necessary right now; the important thing is
that they have this time to recover, and Rori is starting to see what
might happen in the future. This is setting up the two groups for a
collision course, but is not in a huge hurry to make that happen. I want
it to get there, but I trust the creative team here to reward my
patience.
Then we have what happens at the end of the book.
Without spoiling too much, since I have no idea what it means even after
reading the issue, Ayane assures Nikaido and Emi that they will have
plenty of help fighting the Yokai, since they have the dirt spiders
helping them. We are shown Ayane covered in spiders and looking somewhat
insane, which to me feels like the series trying as hard as it can to
get me not to like it, and spiders are one of the easiest ways to do
that. Now, I like this series a lot, and I'm up to see where it's going,
I just hope now that I can stomach the spiders along the way.
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