MANGA REVIEW | "Rooster Fighter" - Volume Five
As we’ve come to find out in the last couple of volumes of Rooster Fighter, demons have been misunderstood. In fact, they want to do their best to help out humans. The reason why many have been attacking recently has been due to an outside source, one that looks more human than devil. But make no mistake about it: this mysterious trio of villains are the epitome of evil, as the fifth volume of Rooster Fighter showcases.
After seeing the good demon Morio attack a town, Keiji sets out to find out what exactly is going on. The gang find another familiar demon and save him, revealing that a parasite’s entered their brain. That’s when Keiji goes to the barn where his father is held captive, with the three devils awaiting. What happens next is nothing sort of a pure shonen manga spectacle…but with chickens!
Keiji, Chicken Little, and Keisuke soon find themselves surrounded by demons of great shapes and sizes. The initial reaction to the situation is to kill them all, which is exactly what Keiji aims to do. However, after having a tearful reunion with her father, Elizabeth returns with a new weapon that could save the good-natured demons from death. With a powerful zap, the demons become paralyzed, making their dire situation a bit more tolerable.
For the tougher demons, that’s when Keiji and Keisuke throw every move and attack they’ve learned at the creatures. What occurs is nothing short of visually stunning, as bodies explode, buildings collapse, and anger boils up. But when one of the three devils enters the fight and transforms into something straight out of Tetsuo: The Bullet Man. And even with his stubbornness to team with his half-brother, Keiji gives it his all and fights heroically.
However, the real MVP of this volume of Rooster Fighter is none other than Chicken Little. The small chick conjures up an idea, resulting in her going inside of Morio to deal with his problem. No matter how frightened she gets, Chicken Little swallows her pride and tackles the nasty critter that’s causing Morio so much pain. But then, a moment we all wish wouldn’t happen…does.
I don’t get how Rooster Fighter keeps doing it. With every volume that's released, the series manages to become more epic and jaw-dropping. And it’s about fowls, of all things! This doesn’t make any sense, and yet — as I’ve mentioned in reviews past — I’m all in for this! If the story keeps one-upping itself the way it has been, then Keiji may very well go down as one of the greatest heroes in manga since Kenshiro himself!
FINAL GRADE:
Promotional consideration provided by Chantelle Sturt of VIZ Media.
