MANGA REVIEW | "Undead Unluck" - Volume Seventeen
Fuuko’s mission: to get the band back together. Now that one-half of the Undead Unluck heroes is embarking on the second loop, the time to gather up the rest of the Union has come. Andy’s time to join the gang will arrive soon enough, but his addition isn’t needed at this time. Instead, Fuuko is focusing more on the second bananas and the mid-bosses of the original Undead Unluck timeline. And in Volume Seventeen, she starts off against Void Volks, better known as “Unavoidable”.
What better profession for a man whose punches always hits than a boxer! Never would I expect to have seen Fuuko get into a ring and go full Mike Tyson on an opponent. In her humble beginnings, she was a loner, afraid to even be touched and make a connection. But now, Fuuko has grown as both a person and a hero, and getting into the ring against Volk is a stepping stone in her path towards becoming the hero she’s destined to be.
Volk Vs. Fuuko is visually stunning, with some homages to real fights, Ashita no Joe, and Hajime no Ippo thrown in for good measure. Her tactic to use her Unluck isn’t as strong as it normally is, but the way she fights is still impressive. So much so that when the final bell rings, even with another victory under his belt, Volk still feels like he lost. In the end, Volk joins the Union, and gets his seat at the table.
But now, Undead Unluck is getting some bigger fish: the trio of Billy, Tella, and Creed. With them neck deep in battle within the jungles, grabbing them won’t be so simple. As such, Fuuko brings in Unseen into the mix. At first, Unseen seems like an odd fellow, as his flashback shows that he aims to be a star, but cursed to be a background character at best. However, Fuuko gives Unseen the spotlight he craves, showing why even those in the background are just as important as those in the foreground.
One by one, the Union starts to reunite the crew. It’s when Billy finds himself eye-to-eye with Fuuko where things start getting really good for the future of Earth. After he, Tella, and Creed are rescued from a surprise attack, his true Unfair side starts to peek through. Fortunately, unlike the last loop, there will be no need to betray Union. Instead, thanks to Fuuko’s knowledge of the past, Billy will be a hell of a key player in the final battle against God.
Thus far, Fuuko has found plenty of success in this new loop. But will all the former Union members latch on? Undead Unluck has been known to pull a fast one on its readers, so who’s to say all 25 of them will be cool with joining the ultimate fight. We’ll have to see, but until then, the gang’s being rounded up in the fun and wild ways that Undead Unluck is only capable of!
FINAL GRADE:
Promotional consideration provided by Chantelle Sturt of VIZ Media.
