MANGA REVIEW | "Choujin X" - Volume Six
“Holy mother.”
This is a phrase that’s said quite a lot in Choujin X. And yet, that’s how most people will respond when they read the sixth volume. How does one describe a visual spectacle that goes beyond the speed of light with its excitement level? Well…that’s kind of my job here as a manga journalist, but — in the most positive of ways — even I’m having a hard time describing what I read!
Tokio, Azuma, and Ely are now face-to-face with a huge monster named Zora. She aims to give Tokio her powers to prevent a catastrophe. But because he didn’t understand the situation, our bird-beaked hero responded bluntly: “Ms. Zora, we’ll get back to you on that.” Apparently, the monster took that as a “no”, leaving our trio of Choujins on a life-or-death chase.
Said chase is where author Sui Ishida decides to go ape shit with his art! If you thought Volume Five was filled with acid trip-inducing visuals, then you're not prepared to see what Volume Six has to offer! I’m glad the author is releasing chapters on his own accord, because the level of detail he places in these moments of chaos would kill an artist if they had to do it weekly! That level of freedom allows Ishida to do the hell what he wants with his story, and perhaps that’s a good thing.
Chapter 34 is where Choujin X demonstrates how hard it will go to bring something badass to their readers. Whether fleeing or fighting, Tokio, Azuma, and Ely show off just why these three are the focal point of the series. And seeing Tokio level up here is when we witness just how much Ishida is putting into his work. He’s either a crazy genius or an intelligent lunatic, but either way, its outcome is some of the most jaw-dropping eye candy around!
It’s also in this chapter where we see a bunch more Choujin in action. From sand users and psychics to ninjas and magicians, we see these other fighters having their own level of bang for their buck. It’s when they appeared when I realized what Ishida was creating. Just as Kohei Horikoshi is creating his own Avengers in My Hero Academia, Ishida is concocting his own interpretation of the X-Men! (Seeing what they’re capable of, it’s not exactly hard to see this comparison.)
Thankfully, we get a tiny bit of calmness in Chapter 35, with Tokio deciding to quit school to become a stronger Choujin. Azuma and Ely don’t take that news well, especially when Tokio just bolts without saying goodbye. But then, we watch these two Choujin grow into their own. Without a word of dialogue, Azuma and Ely live their lives, become more responsible, and raise their strength both in hand-to-hand combat and with Choujin skills.
The series doesn’t take too long to show its readers the results of that dedication. Yet another airplane incident — similar to what happened to Ely in the first volume — happens involving two Choujin. They’re a little too engrossed with destruction to actually have a formidable plan, which allows Azuma and Ely to come in and stop some of the chaos. Well, I would say “all of the chaos”, but there’s another bloke onboard who seems to be more levelheaded with their means of crafting mayhem.
Volume Six of Choujin X is a gift to the eyes. It’s painstakingly beautiful and psychotic, giving way to visuals I’m certain Syd Barrett must’ve seen after taking one too many hallucinogenics. A reunion with Tokio seems in the cards the next time around for Ely and Azuma, which I don’t have the faintest idea how it’ll go down. For now, I’m going to allow my brain to digest carefully the imagery Ishida has given us readers, as I’m certain thinking too quickly will suck me down the rabbit hole for good!
FINAL GRADE:
Promotional consideration provided by Chantelle Sturt of VIZ Media.
