MANGA REVIEW | "Magu-chan: God of Destruction" - Volume Seven
Now that Muscar has been dealt with, it appears things will be going back to normal in Magu-chan: God of Destruction. Well…as normal as one can be living in a world with tiny chaotic deities. At the very least, nobody has to worry about losing one’s life. However, as we see in its seventh volume, the characters of Magu-chan: God of Destruction are getting ready for some changes.
Things start off with some one-shot adventures, as the gang attempt to enter a supposedly haunted apartment complex. While ghosts aren’t found, there are some familiar faces discovered behind some of these doors. It leads to some good laughs, especially from Naputaaku, who seems more terrified than the humans. Meanwhile, a day at the beach turns into an emergency work order, as Ren’s mother suffers heat stroke during the restaurant’s busiest of days. Not only does Naputaaku shine again as a replacement cook, but Magu-chan also gets some laughs thanks to him using his likeness to sell beach items.
This leads to probably the strongest chapter in the volume, as the tiny gods find themselves stranded on an island. It’s another situation that showcases just how hilariously useless these deities are without their human compadres. Add on the appearance of Uneras, who lazily decides to not offer a helping hand in this situation, and you’ve got a recipe for a front row seat for disaster. Although they do get rescued in the end, who it is that winds up being the hero winds up being a delightful surprise.
Although the series is called Magu-chan: God of Destruction, I find it surprising how often Naputaaku steals the spotlight. Despite not creativity strong, his story about running his own startup restaurant does have some of the volume’s best laughs. On top of his awful business tactics, he also has a knack for being a major sucker to the cuter characters in the series. All of it leads to a punchline that I should’ve seen coming, but Naputaaku’s reaction to the truth is nothing short of laugh-out-loud funny.
Alas, there is a two-parter that focuses on Oze and Komiyama that’s not as strong as the other chapters. With middle school coming to end, many of the students are already thinking about their futures. That’s when it’s revealed that Komiyama might be going to a different school far away, upsetting Oze and throwing the balance off their friendship. Even though Magu-chan and Gu La attempt to persuade Komiyama in a creative way, the end result is something that’s been done one too many times.
Thankfully, it ends with Magu-chan in the starring role once more, going many lengths to make sure Ruru gets her bento for lunch. Every obstacle is thrown at the God of Destruction, and he even gets a chance to show off his goofier tactics when push comes to shove. Although there lacks a big narrative in its seventh volume, Magu-chan: God of Destruction still showcases a lot of love, care, and hilarity. It’s not a perfect volume, but what does work helps to make these characters shine bright.
FINAL GRADE:
Promotional consideration provided by Chantelle Sturt of VIZ Media.
