MANGA REVIEW | "Ayashimon" - Volume Two
Maruo Kaido may not have the smarts, but he’s got the tenacity and bravery of a solid Shonen Jump hero. He already proved that in the first volume of Ayashimon, the latest series from Hell’s Paradise creator Yuji Kaku. However, in his latest battle against Doppo Akari, it appears that he’s bitten off more than he can chew. Fortunately, the path to victory rests in an unlikely person: Urara.
For starters, Kaido and Akari trade plenty of blows in their fight for a chunk of power. For every trick Kaido figures out, Akari pulls out a fiery brand-new one. Despite his wanting to be like a hero from his favorite manga, his strength does have a limit to it. When Urara is forced to intervene, she pulls out one hell of a trump card!
Urara’s true form is pretty damn surprising, but considering we’re dealing with yakuza yokai, one shouldn’t be. It was obvious that deep within her — or, in her case, her blade — rested a beast that no mere human or strong yokai could handle. Her wolf-like power brings forth plenty of rage and hate, as her past shows nary a sign of fatherly love. Yet those close to Urara as she grew up kept on insisting that such a love does exist, so why did he never come around to show it?
It’s a thought process that stabs right into the heart of Ayashimon, as one who feels unwanted their entire lives deals with lies and deceit from those who claim to care for them. Although Kaido is the muscle of this manga, it’s Urara who’s the story’s beating heart. There’s a sadness to the sight of her never getting to see her father, on top of a level of disappointment from not being able to show him how well she has grown. Thankfully, with both Kaido and Ten in her corner, Urara is starting to feel like she has some sort of family figures in her life.
Which leads to the next faction for the trio to conquer next. The Emma Syndicate has a large gang size to deal with, but its leader Kotton winds up having past ties to Urara’s father. At first, it looks like it’ll be an easy partnership…until Kotton tells Urara to ditch her comrades. Naturally, that’s a big “NO” for the future leader, and it results in a very stylistic fight between Kotton and Kaido. But the big surprise comes from Ten, who manages to figure out some pretty neat tricks to hold his own. You know, once his head stops spinning like a Harley Davidson wheel driven by a Hell’s Angel.
There’s a good dose of excitement and heart in Ayashimon’s second volume. However, with there being only volume left and still more work for Urara and Kaido to do, I can’t help but worry that things will end in a rush. (We can all learn from both Samurai 8 and Hard-Boiled Cop and Dolphin as to how wrong that can go!) Hopefully, with Kaku’s writing skills, Ayashimon can give Kaido an ending worthy of a Shonen Jump hero. Either that, or this series will get seriously Yamcha’d.
FINAL GRADE:
Promotional consideration provided by Chantelle Sturt of VIZ Media.
