MANGA REVIEW | "Kill Blue" - Volume Two
Well, it’s been a hot minute since I reviewed the first volume of Kill Blue. Thankfully, all I had to remember was that it basically took the premise of Detective Conan but had the man-child be a bodyguard for a CEO’s daughter. With its second volume, Kill Blue shows that this is not just a tale about an assassin trying to get back his old body. If anything, its narrative is a lot deeper than one would think.
However, there’s one other aspect of Kill Blue that’s pretty important: the child version of Juzo Ogami is pretending to date the CEO’s daughter, Noren Mitsuoka. Considering she’s on the top tier of the school, the news of her dating anyone sends a fiery fit of rage through any other student. Because of this, Juzo not only has to deal with kidnappers who want to hold Noren ransom; he also has to face off against any jealous person who wants Noren’s heart. Needless to say, with all of this and his quest to regain his age, Juzo has a bunch of headache-inducing stuff on his plate!
Volume Two doesn’t deal too much with the kidnappers, but it certainly gives us a couple of bros wanting the heart of Noren. The first is Shin Kohazame, who is also a hit man like Juzo. But despite his knack for killing and completing missions, he has the worst kind of social anxiety imaginable. So much so that in order to function as a human being, he’s got to be sucking on a pacifier.
This is one aspect of Kill Blue where the visual comedy reaches golden levels. Author Tadatoshi Fujimaki is able to craft some amazing fight sequences in his panels. And when we watch Juzo face off against Shin, the maneuvers, the attention to detail, and even the techniques we see these characters use are truly mesmerizing to look at. But man, how can you not laugh at a dude who’s trying to act cool and macho with a pacifier in his mouth?
It’s right after this arc where we get something of a staple of school-based comedies: preparing for a big exam. And while Juzo is the kind of guy who gives it 100% every time, it’s here where we see him struggle with something. After chatting with some of his comrades at his favorite snack bar (which, seeing a kid there talking like a grown-ass adult, is also pretty funny), we are greeted with another element of Kill Blue that will play an important part in the narrative. That element: the ability to make mistakes, and then learn from them.
Since he was a child, Juzo was forced to be a perfect killer. One small mistake could spell his death. However, now that he’s on this mission to protect Noren, he’s able to do something he’s never experienced the first time around: be a normal student, one that makes plenty of mistakes that he’ll learn from the next time around. It’s an aspect of Kill Blue that might not seem important now, but it will certainly play a bigger role later on in the narrative.
Speaking of things Juzo will experience for the first time, participating in a sports event. That’s where the other person wanting Noren’s heart appears: the super soccer athlete Tenma Tendo. He’s one of the toughest players around, but underneath that rough exterior is a heart of gold. Nevertheless, it’s another challenger, and Juzo needs to take him on to protect Noren. Thankfully, he’s got a solid ally in the match…so long as he has that pacifier on him.
Considering Fujimaki also created Kuroko’s Basketball, it should come as no surprise that he captures the game of soccer beautifully in this mini-arc. Not only do we see a solid game in action (despite how it ends), but we also get to witness Juzo do something else he’s never had the chance to: have fun with a sport. Even with Noren’s hand in marriage up for grabs, Juzo finds a way to enjoy his match against Tenma, who takes the results of the match with sincerity and honesty.
Volume Two ends with a bombshell of a reveal, and it occurs when Juzo and Noren go on a double date. It’s a moment that could change the rules of Kill Blue, as the situation could result in something dire if it were to occur in broad daylight. And it’s a good spot to end the volume at, as it demonstrates the sorts of surprises Kill Blue is capable of delivering. The question now is, with the final panel’s big twist, just how the hell is Juzo going to handle it?!
FINAL GRADE:
Promotional consideration provided by Chantelle Sturt of VIZ Media.
