MANGA REVIEW | "Kill Blue" - Volume Four
One would think that a trained assassin that’s been turned into a middle schooler would want to hurry up and get their body back quickly. Not Juzo Ogami, the star of Kill Blue. He’s absolutely loving his new school life, as he’s able to do normal kid things that he couldn’t do in his first childhood. However, it’s never a dull moment for Juzo, as he still deals with assassins and kidnappers who wish to nab Noren Mitsuoka for some sweet cash. But there’s another sort of threat that arrives in the fourth volume of Kill Blue, and it’s the romantic kind!
But before that happens, there’s a slice of normalcy in the school halls. Even as the assassin bros Eiji and Kazuma join his class, it doesn’t take too much air out of Juzo’s enjoyment of being in a regular school setting. However, there are some students that are in need of some help outside of Noren, and the first one’s got a pretty good Napoleon Complex.
Second-Year Home Ec Club member Mei Tamada is less than five feet tall, meaning that she’s (literally) looked down by the rest of the student body. She thinks that buffing up would be the best way to combat this, only to realize that she’d still be a short stack. That’s when Juzo introduces Tamada to an old friend, whose tallness makes Tamada jealous. But with a little pep talk from the friend, she learns to cherish what God’s given her, as there are many who wish they could be dotted on like she is.
Speaking of being dotted on, a Parent-Teacher Conference is held, where Nekota needs to play the part of Juzo’s parent. It sounds like a proper plan, until readers see which parent role Nekota chooses. The story is pretty humorous, especially when you see Juzo contemplating his own future, one that he’s certainly already had. But if you were turned into a kid, wouldn’t you also ponder about what you might do when you grow up again?
Shin and Noren have a ramen battle, one that feels more at home with another Shonen Jump food series. But the real kicker is the judge, who is randomly picked for the event. The lady is yet another “unicorn”, one whose split personality makes her taller and her skin tanner. Mai Otohime is her name, and the title of “Waifu of Kill Blue” is hers to claim! She’s fallen in love with Juzo, and challenges Noren to a surfing match to win his heart.
What follows is a short training arc, as Noren agreed to the match without ever having set foot on a surfboard. It results in the entire Home Ec club heading to the beach and learning the art of wave riding. But it’s also a chance for the girls and boys to get some scoops about love and romance from both Jozu and Noren. And as it turns out, they have some surprising answers when it comes to how they see one another.
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Sadly, we don’t get to see the surfing match between Noren and Mai in this volume of Kill Blue. And honestly, I kind of wish they did present it. Yes, the love talk part was entertaining, and the late-night game at school has its funny moments, but they could’ve been shortened so we could get to the main part of the arc. With that being said, it doesn’t take away from the fact that Volume Four of Kill Blue is a lot of fun to read. All it could have used was a little less filter to get to the meat of the narrative.
FINAL GRADE:
Promotional consideration provided by Chantelle Sturt of VIZ Media.
