MANGA REVIEW | "Magu-chan: God of Destruction" - Vols. 2 & 3
Even those who wish to destroy everything must want something to protect. That idea appears to be the theme of Kei Kamiki’s Magu-chan: God of Destruction. Despite his fiery grand entrance, the tiny bringer of chaos has often been content with his human “underling” Ruru. In Volume Two, the evil deity starts to add more to his list of underlings, while learning a thing or two about the ways of the world.
More trouble is caused by the likes of Naputaaku and the Holy Knight Izuma, as both seek to one-up Magu-chan in any way they can. But another deity, in the form of Uneras, winds up being a sigh of relief for him and Ruru, as one who sits by the sidelines to see what happens with the rest of the crew. Meanwhile Ren tries to woo Ruru on a date that turns into a chaotic fishing trip, and Magu-chan’s first trip to school gets him heated with one classmate and observed by another.
While the first volume of Magu-chan: God of Destruction did well with the world-building, it didn’t exactly add anything new to the invader comedy formula. Thankfully, unlike a series like Sgt. Frog, our titular character is the sort who has his cake and eats it gleefully. Despite the lack of total victory over the humans, Magu-chan chalks up tiny wins here and there in fun fashion. Whether it’s a fight against Izuma or a climbing contest with Yuika, the tiny god finds a way to not only win the fight, but also the friendship of almost everyone he crosses paths with.
One chapter involves Magu-chan finding a stray dog in the cold heavy rain. Although he’s the evil one, it’s Ruru that winds up having to play the bad guy when it comes to keeping pets. But with his ability to talk to the pup, Magu-chan gets to have his own animal minion and have fun with it…temporarily, that is. When his time with the animal comes to an end, the god finds himself sulking in a kind of adorable fashion!
Perhaps the sweetest chapter involves Ruru falling ill, with Magu-chan taking care of her and her usual daily chores. As the middle schooler isn’t accustomed to ask for help, almost all of those in her circle wish to do all that they can to nurse her back. But leave it to the pink blob to not only go the extra mile to care for Ruru, but do so without messing anything up! (Well…okay, his laundry skills need working.)
Kamiki may have been able to start thinking outside of the box in this volume of Magu-chan: God of Destruction. Even though there are some familiar tropes, they’re at least padded with some kind of originality to them. As Magu-chan’s book starts to pile up new friends, one can only imagine the sort of silly chaos he’ll bring once the thing is full. It’ll be a long time before that happens, so for now, let’s at least enjoy watching the interesting ways Magu-chan and Ruru bond.
VOL. 2 RATING:
VOL. 3 REVIEW
With each new day spent with Ruru, the titular Magu-chan: God of Destruction finds new appreciation for his surroundings. But as we’ve come to find out, he’s not the only deity looking to cause a scene. Now with Naputaaku and Uneras sticking around, Magu-chan now has to compete for complete world dominance. In Volume Three, he also needs to fight to be the manga’s spotlight-stealer.
After Ruru’s cured from her illness, Magu-chan finds himself battling an evil cold himself, resulting in some Innerspace-styled solutions to be had. The gods learn all about Halloween, while Ren does his best to go on a legit date with Ruru. As Christmas comes around, Ruru’s mom makes plans to come home after a very long time. However, there’s a storm coming, making the reunion questionable.
Humor takes up a good chunk of this volume, with every character having a shining moment in the comedic realm. Ren’s attempt to woo Ruru is meet with one chaotic mishap after another, making his quest seem impossible to complete. The Halloween antics with the Occult Club bring forth a lot of imagination, especially for one kooky costume that pays homage to a certain Scottish monster. Perhaps the funniest chapter with everyone involves Ruru and Magu attempting to lose weight, with the humans and gods getting into fit mode via the silliest means.
But if there’s one person/god that shines in the comedic spotlight this time around, it’s Naputaaku. Two chapters surround him, with the first being a silly retelling of the classic “Straw Millionaire” story, with this one revolved around food and cooking utensils. However, it’s when the God of Madness finds out about the power of money where his antics get truly funny, with him quickly losing sight of why he wanted more cash in the first place. The end result is a hilarious way of telling the lesson that cheaters never prosper (and they often are forced into the salt mines afterwards)!
Perhaps it’s the two-part “The North Wind and the Sun” where the heart of Magu-chan comes into play. It’s the first time Ruru’s friends know about her living situation, with everyone getting together to celebrate Christmas for her. When a snowstorm comes to throw Ruru’s reunion with her mother in a loop, our titular god demonstrates why — evil as he can be — has a truly kind soul. Yes, he still wants to rule the world, but maybe he’ll be a lot nicer if he’s successful?
Volume Three of Magu-chan: God of Destruction is a delight to read! It’s here where author Kei Kamiki is starting to embrace original ideas that give layers to these characters. It may not become as legendary as other otherworldly invader tales, but Magu-chan’s third volume showcases a strong desire to have fun with its gods & humans while constantly evolving them.
VOL. 3 RATING:
Promotional consideration provided by Chantelle Sturt of VIZ Media
