Many thanks to Yen Press for providing a review copy

About the Mangaka

The story is written by Dall-Young Lim, with the art being drawn by Sung-Woo Park. Very little info is available on their other works, but they have worked on several other projects, Zero: The Beginning and UnballanceX2. Both of which are also licensed and being released.

About the Manga

This is the volume we’ve all been waiting for!! This is the volume where we get to sink our teeth into the meat of the story.

There’s very little in the way of action in this volume, it’s all story, and what a story we get!!

Park’s art is once again outstanding, I’ve grown more and more in love with the characters as the series has gone by. Kuro, Kakuma and Makana all have some cute moments, but Akane steals the show in this volume.

Park once again balances the cute aspects of the art with the more hard core elements. This for me is great, since this series is driven forward by the balance of art and story. That said, I’m beginning to wonder over some of the character designs, they do tend to be very similar to each other. Especially Kuro and the twins, who at times look more like triplets, usually in their cute moments. However even Akane and Kuro are at times having a resemblance.

Story wise this was a killer volume, in every sense of the word. Lim reveals things slowly but surely, and while some may feel it’s being revealed to fast, I for one though the pacing was perfect. Keita is given the motivation he needs to change, Kuro is forced to finally reveal the truth, and Keita’s mom’s doppeliner finally arrives on the scene, but with a different story to the one Keita has been hearing.

There’s only a few scenes of real action before Kuro and the twins retreat, but this short fight was what was used for allowing Kuro to reveal certain truths she’d kept hidden. However before we actually get them, the volume ends

Basically this volume was spent strengthening the characters and setting the foundations for the main story arc, which looks to start next volume with Kuro revealing the truth.

I’m really tempted to get the scanlations of this because I really want to know the truth, and how it’s going to differ from what Shinobu told Keita. Damn I wish these volumes were released faster!!

I liked the little omake chapter at the end, it gave us a look at Akane’s personality, as well as Keita’s. To be honest their relationship worries me a little now. The omake reveals the depths of Akane’s obsession, and I think that’s the right word. Re-reading the volumes I get the impression she’s more of a stalker than a friend/mother/guardian. It’s a bit creepy, but their fight this volume should sprout some interesting repercussions. I wouldn’t be surprised if Akane decided to go home and was kidnapped.

Yen Press once again do an exceptional job, for me the insert contents page is on my favourite list, Kuro is just so damned cute One thing I did notice however was a slight inconsistency in the story, between chapters thirty-four and thirty-five.

At the end of chapter thirty-four he’s trying to ask Shinobu about the photo, but can’t bring himself to do so. However she’s the one who tells him she’s contracted as well. In chapter thirty-five though he asks the question first, before she tells him she’s contracted.

It’s a minor inconsistency, but I wonder if it was something on Yen’s part, or on the original Japanese part.

As I’ve come to expect Christine Schilling does an amazing job on the translation, so much so I think I’m going to add her to my altar of goddess’s along with Urd and Belldandy

There were no major guttering issues this volume thankfully, which is always a bonus in my book. So, all told, it’s needless to say this series remains on my Essential Read list. Go out and buy it!! Right now!!

Where to Buy

• Brits: Book Depository or Play.com
• Yanks: Amazon.com
• Canadians: Amazon.ca