MANGA REVIEW | "Mission: Yozakura Family" - Volume Six
In the last volume of Mission: Yozakura Family, Taiyo got close to the truth behind his parents’ & brother’s death. But getting to the person on top — Makoto Kawashita — is going to be anything but easy. For Taiyo to reach him, he’ll need the help of Mutsumi, Shinzo, and the rest of the Yozakuras. And as we find out in Volume Six, a little family blood goes a long way to strengthen Taiyo.
During a hotel mission, Taiyo is riddled with life-threatening wounds. Out of commission, Mutsumi does her best to keep watch over Taiyo as he tries to heal. To make matters worse, a battalion sent by Kawashita infiltrates the Yozakura family grounds, with their mission to kill everyone except Mutsumi. Knowing that they’re up against the wall, only one solution comes to mind: inject Taiyo with Yozakura blood, giving him the same power as his newfound family.
While the hotel chapter showcases the humorous aspects of Mission: Yozakura Family, things get rather serious once Taiyo is injured. It gives the readers a chance to see the real heart and soul of these characters, whom — for the most part — come off as rather cartoonish. Although we’ve seen some solid chapters with heart in the past (i.e. Nanao’s story), this is where we can see what truly happens when we see this family placed in a dire situation. And while the solution to inject Taiyo with the family blood may be a sound solution, you quickly learn what happens if someone doesn’t take to the blood properly.
Thankfully, Hitsuji Gondaira is on too much of a roll to end his series right here and there. Watching as Taiyo unleashes a new level of power on the battalion is a fine sight to behold. While everyone else has their moment to shine on the battlefield, readers already know just how capable these family members are. For Taiyo, this was the time for him to show what he is truly made of, as he delivers a level of super strength that’s on par with one Captain America.
The reveal of one other Yozakura member comes as a big surprise for the narrative. While I won’t reveal who it is, it does deliver an air of mystery of what may be truly going on in Mission: Yozakura Family. Their reasons for meddling aren’t exactly noble, but one can’t help but feel like they’re doing a fair job making sure Taiyo is right for Mutsumi. One hopes that we may see them again down the road, despite Kyoichiro pushing them away and out of the family circle.
After this change in tone, things go back to the more comedic side of the manga. Taiyo assisting Shion with dealing with a pair of scummy parents has some nice visual gags going on. Mutsumi’s cooking chapter may have plenty of jokes we’ve seen in the past, but there’s at least some good heart when Taiyo offers to help. The last chapter is the start of a hot springs arc, which is filled with crazy driving, crazy food, and a crazy-yet-tantalizing offer from Mutsumi to Taiyo.
There’s plenty of solid action and comedy in the sixth volume of Mission: Yozakura Family. Taiyo gets to show a new level of strength to the readers, as he and Mutsumi grow closer as a couple. We also get some good silly side-stories, as well as a demonstration of how powerful and scary Kawashita can be. What happens next in the hot springs remains to be seen, but one can guess that things are about to get a little…steamy.
FINAL GRADE:
Promotional consideration provided by Chantelle Sturt of VIZ Media.
