MANGA REVIEW | "Choujin X" - Volume Nine
What makes Choujin X such a fun read is its unpredictability. Yes, this is a dark tale, which is to be expected from Tokyo Ghoul creator Sui Ishida. With that being said, this manga has two kinds of predictability: the shocking, heart-wrenching kind and the wacky surprise kind. So it’s a nice change of pace here in its ninth volume that Choujin X delivers more of the silly than the grim.
Most of this is thanks to the character Nude. You may think he was assassinated on the last mission, but we’re playing with Seinen manga rules here. With the aid of zombie maker Palma, Nude comes back from the dead. And all it takes is a little bit of blood from Palma. Okay, that’s a lie; it takes a freaking ton of blood from Palma, which comes from slicing her arms and neck open.
By doing this, the Yamato Mori believe that they can find the location of the poppy fields that Zora uses to numb her suffering. However, it’s not an easy task to convince Nude to play along. For starters, he up and tries to run away when brought back to life. Then, he tricks Tokio in the bathroom, shrinking him to a tiny size before messing around with both Palma and Ely. And that’s where Choujin X decides to have some fun.
Nude’s deck of cards brings about some wild powers, ranging from shrinking and freezing to making people lose control of their bodies. In the case of the latter, we’re treated to a little dance by Ely, who finds the situation all the more embarrassing. Thankfully, we find that Tokio is quite powerful in tiny mode, which allows Ely to deliver some revenge transformations on Nude. This whole segment is delightfully silly, to the point where it feels like a breath of fresh air for this series.
However, this is Choujin X we are talking about. There needs to be some sort of dark cloud hovering over our heroes. And that arrives in the form of Ely’s belief that Zora’s prophecy is real. Her goal to take Zora’s power and make it her own is a noble one. With that being said, Tokio has a feeling of uncertainty when Ely reveals all of this to him. (After all, there are plenty of other manga and comics that show why having too much power is a bad thing!)
But action time comes around again at Mount Daizo, as Tokio, Ely, Nude, and Palma set out to take hold of Zora’s poppy fields. Giant golems roam the area, and a long-haired being known as Cabriol 16 is the one who controls them. We get another impressive fight between heroes and villains, with Tokio and Ely showcasing how much they’ve evolved with their skills. But all seems futile, until Nude shows that he can be a selfless individual from time-to-time, as he uses his powers for the good of the mission.
Choujin X then has itself a breather, with Ely’s birthday just around the corner. A cake is made, presents are bought, and a surefire way to surprise her is laid out. But it goes awry in a delightful way, but not too much as to ruin it. With that being said, how would you feel if your best friend gave you a special bra for your special day? (Needless to say, the gift-giver gets a mouthful from everyone in a very deserving manner!)
Still, it’s a nice break before what could be Yamato Mori’s biggest battle yet. With the poppy fields found, they now have the upper hand. But this is Choujin X after all, and another dark situation could befall everyone, as Master Mado may believe could happen. Nevertheless, we got a lead up with the right balance of humor, action, and drama, things that we greatly need the right mixture of before readers enter a heavy situation. One hopes that Tokio and Ely have the strength to lift us all from the heaviness that may befall us once Zora re-enters the picture.
FINAL GRADE:
Promotional consideration provided by Chantelle Sturt of VIZ Media.
