MANGA REVIEW | "Undead Unluck" - Volume Twelve
Think of a wonderful thought. Yes, any little wonderful thought. And if you keep that thought close to your heart, maybe one day, you’ll learn…okay, I can’t say “you’ll learn how to fly” because I know some idiot will give it a try, fail, and slap me with a lawsuit. But hey, color me surprised when I saw Peter Pan of all things playing heavily into the twelfth volume of Undead Unluck.
With Fuuko’s soul still in possession by the UMA Ghost, Andy sets off to reclaim his best friend/possible love interest. During his journey, he runs into Lucy, a young child who’s been dealing with a constant illness. However, the journey winds up being a thing of fate, with Lucy’s mom being brainwashed by Ruin. As their goals align, Andy and Lucy team up to head to Ruin’s lair and get back the things they cherish most.
Naturally, it’s not an easy road getting to Ruin, with UMAs and other baddies covering their path. But as we’ve seen in past Undead Unluck volumes, Andy has a knack for thinking outside of the box to defeat the most wicked of foes. And how he does it is straight-up disgusting, with Yoshifumi Tozuka leaving very little to the imagination with his grossly detailed art. (Also, it’s been awhile since we’ve seen a character shocked by Andy’s abilities, with Lucy being hilariously gobsmacked at every turn!)
Of course, Andy’s quest and his means of defeating UMAs grabs the attention of the Big Man Upstairs. God’s Wrath has been unleashed, in the form of the UMA Seal. This new baddie winds up being a hell of an opponent for Andy, with Lucy going so far as to try & protect him from total defeat. The plan backfires though, with the two of them ensnared into Seal’s being. And here, that’s when Lucy winds up being the biggest help.
This is where Peter Pan comes into play, the favorite story of Lucy’s. It turns out she has her own negator powers, and it takes a little fairy dust and wishes for her to enact it. The scenario is kooky, with the sick girl aiding Andy and the captive UMAs in their escape from Seal. Yet even with how silly such a plan was, I couldn’t help but smile at the end results.
Volume Twelve ends on a high note, with Andy and Lucy face-to-face with Ruin. It’s a tense moment, only for a certain somebody to swoop in and even the odds in this upcoming battle. With Fuuko still captured, one hopes that Andy finds a way to rescue her sooner than later. After all, with the world seemingly ending in a few months (in the manga, not in real-life…I hope), it’d be nice for Undead Unluck to at least reunite our two leads. Until then, readers best prepare themselves for one wild battle the next time around!
FINAL GRADE:
Promotional consideration provided by Chantelle Sturt of VIZ Media.
