MANGA REVIEW | "Undead Unluck" - Volume Nineteen
Now that Phil’s been rescued, Fuuko has her eyes set on the next Union member: Shen. But his addition to the Union comes in the most peculiar of ways, as Fuuko and the rest find their way to Hong Kong. It’s not Shen who comes to Fuuko; it’s Mei, his little sister! And out of her mouth comes a plea to save her brother. In its nineteenth volume, Undead Unluck goes into tournament arc mode, with Shen its big star!
Champion Feng is holding a tournament to find the strongest of fighters. Shen has entered in order to finally defeat his master, but Mei knows Feng will kill him. It’s up to Fuuko to build up Shen’s strength before the ultimate face-off. Not only will Shen need to find physical strength, he’ll also need some of the spiritual kind if he aims to defeat Feng.
Thus begins what is both a training and tournament arc all in one go. Undead Unluck has a knack for building up characters, and combining two Shonen manga staples into one story is as manly as one can get. Yes, we all know Shen already, and have seen the kind of strength that he is capable of. But that’s the funny thing about time-loops: sometimes you’ll have to awaken within a hero a strength we already know exists.
How it’s handled is pretty funny. Basically, Shen has to fight everyone in the tournament before he gets to Feng. Much akin to playing any fighting game in Arcade Mode, Shen moves up the ladder towards his main goal. However, in some instances, the fighters he faces purposely don’t give him the challenge that he’s looking for. Perhaps that’s for the best, as Feng is the definition of a formidable opponent.
With every match is a reminder of what kind of person Shen is. His strength, his ability, his courage, and his nobility are on full display with every match faced (or, in some cases, forfeited). In one instance, he even has to fight Mui, the one that becomes the love of his life. It’s a situation that forces him to go all out, but once the dust settles, his heart takes over for his muscles in order to both protect and defeat Mui in the right way.
When Feng finally enters the ring, the true battle begins. Fists fly, negations activate, and jaws drop as the two throw everything at each other. It’s a truly glorious match, as Feng unlocks a technique that even his master can’t see coming. As the dust settles, the only thing left between the two of them is a feeling of satisfaction. Well, that and a lot of broken teeth and bruises, but mostly satisfaction!
So where to next for Undead Unluck? Surprisingly, it’s a place Fuuko has dreamt of experiencing for herself, and it’s going to take all of the current Union members to make it happen. When Shen and (seemingly) Feng are now locked into the plan, Fuuko’s got plenty of reasons for this next mission to succeed. That is, if she can handle the toughest thing in the world: schoolwork. Yes, you read that right.
FINAL GRADE:
Promotional consideration provided by Chantelle Sturt of VIZ Media.
