MANGA REVIEW | "Mission: Yozakura Family" - Volume Twenty-One
The next generation of the Yozakura Family has arrived. It was quite the shocker that Taiyo and Mutsumi would have a family so early in their lives. Then again, with the family home to themselves, perhaps it shouldn’t be shocking that their teenage hormones kicked in and…well, I don’t want to give the doujin artists any ideas. But even at the age of four, the twins Alpha and Hifumi already want in on the spy business. Naturally, in order to dive into that dangerous world, they must complete a series of tasks to earn the family’s trust. And in the twenty-first volume of Mission: Yozakura Family, Alpha and Hifumi start making progress.
To be a part of the big mission, Alpha and Hifumi need to collect stamps of approval from every other family member. First on the list is Futaba, who takes the role of doting aunt seriously. While Hifumi just wants the stamp, her jealousy towards Futaba over Alpha fawning over her is what pushes her to get the mission over with. The test given is not an easy one, especially knowing Futaba’s skill set. In fact, it’s such a toughie that Hifumi’s quest ends in failure. Thankfully, it’s a failure with a good life lesson attached to it.
It’s when Shion and Kengo enter the picture where the trademark fun reappears in Mission: Yozakura Family. They first attempt to act like the cool relatives, but seeing Alpha and Hifumi in the flesh causes a hilarious meltdown of cute proportions. But no amount of presents and pampering can sway the twins from their main objective: the stamps. So Shion and Kengo make a game out of their quest: a game of tag, with one hour given to capture them.
Watching how the relatives outsmart the twins has the true-natured silliness of all four characters: Shion’s smarts, Kengo’s wackiness, Hifumi’s sisterly protectiveness, and — at first — Alpha’s cautious mannerisms. But as the clock ticks down, a new side of Alpha slowly emerges. Yes, Hifumi’s nickname for him, “Bad Alpha”, is weak sauce, but she’s four, so that nickname is okay for her standards. However, it’s a great moment that shows the complex nature of Alpha, especially in a series that’s filled with complex characters.
All of it heads towards a good wrap-up for the test, and while I won’t spoil the outcome here, it nevertheless shows the quick growth of Alpha and Hifumi. Although their skills aren’t the same as their parents’, they do have Taiyo and Mutsumi’s sheer determination in their DNA. Already, one can tell that if/when the time comes to join the mission, these twins will be valuable assets either on the ground or even behind-the-scenes. But again, it’s all up to them getting the other stamps.
This leads to their next mission with Kyoichiro, one involving the search for Nanao. It’s a good thing that these twins have their Creepy Uncle Radars on high, as Kyoichiro no doubt is an S-tier sis-con. Be that as it may, he’s still an intelligent man on the field, meaning Alpha and Hifumi will learn plenty when it comes time for the search to kick in gear. However, with three Yozakuras out and about in Paris, there’s no telling who or what might be lurking in the shadows!
Volume Twenty-One of Mission: Yozakura Family gives readers plenty of reasons why to love the new additions to the roster. Alpha and Hifumi could’ve easily been mere clones of their parents, but instead, they have their own sort of uniqueness tied to them. Hopefully, as the tests get tougher and more family arrives, we will see the full potential these twins are capable of. Well…potential on a four-year-old’s scale, that is.
FINAL GRADE:
Promotional consideration provided by Chantelle Sturt of VIZ Media.
