This week’s batch of minis includes two final volumes and one that might prove to be a game-changer. Starting us off is Connie, with a look at the third and final volume of Ballad of a Shinigami from CMX. Next, Michelle checks in with her review of volume four of Fire Investigator Nanase (also CMX). Lastly, Sam is slightly disappointed by the resolution offered in the ninth and final volume of The Record of a Fallen Vampire. But man, what a pretty cover!
By Asuka Izumi (original novel series by K-Ske Hasegawa)
CMX, 191 pp.
Rating: T+
In the third and final volume of light, bittersweet shojo short stories, Momo the Shinigami helps different people come to terms with death once again, including a grieving sister, a young boy who lost a friend, and a set of three step-siblings and bandmates. The stories are unconnected to other volumes of the series, but the way the first and fourth chapters are structured brings a nice sense of closure to the volume.
I skipped over the second volume in this series, but it’s nice that any volume of Ballad of a Shinigami can be picked up and read independently. The only things tying the series together are the themes of death in all the short stories and the presence of Momo, whose part is so small that she may as well not be a character. The step-siblings’ story is the most interesting in the volume, and I like that the same character histories are related from two different perspectives across two different chapters. That makes the second half a lot more fun to read, especially since you know exactly what’s going to happen plot-wise.
The stories do a good job of changing things up (the death has already occurred in the first story, while the other two take a slightly more traditional approach), but reading them is a little less fun when you know each one is going to cover the same death and grief ground. They are well written, though, and unique enough so that they stay interesting all the way through.
There’s not very much to these stories, but they’re good at accomplishing what they set out to do. Sad fluff like this is hard for me to enjoy, but I did like the writing enough to give the author’s other series, The Lizard Prince, a try.
Volume three of Ballad of a Shinigami is available now.
–Reviewed by Connie C.
Fire Investigator Nanase, Vol. 4
By Izo Hashimoto and Tomoshige Ichikawa
CMX, 200 pp.
Rating: Teen Plus
Nanase Takamine is a fire investigator, a job at which she not only excels but also approaches with a dogged determination to discover the truth. In this volume, she’s on the case of a fatal fire at the home of an elderly, wealthy man with three suspicious children, and later must determine why an experienced arsonist made a beginner’s mistake.
Nanase is, in a way, haunted by a notorious arsonist called Firebug, who seems to turn up at every crime scene, provides clues that point Nanase in the right direction, and is possibly responsible for the fire that killed her parents seven years ago. Their interactions are the highlight of this series, with Firebug increasingly insisting that Nanase turn to administering vigilante justice, either against arsonists or, more recently, against a detective who seems to know Firebug’s true identity.
Usually, the Firebug scenes overshadow Nanase’s investigations, but the first case in this volume proves more interesting than most, managing to sneak in some character development and surprises with a cast that’s only around for four chapters or so. This improvement, coupled with intriguing glimpses of the detective’s suspicions, means that the fourth volume of Fire Investigator Nanase is its best so far.
Volume four of Fire Investigator Nanase is available now.
–Reviewed by Michelle Smith
The Record of a Fallen Vampire, Vol. 9
By Kyo Shirodaira and Yuri Kimura
VIZ, 264 pp.
Rating: Teen
My feelings for The Record of A Fallen Vampire series have always fluctuated with each book I read. At the beginning, I wasn’t very impressed, but the series did pick up in later volumes. Unfortunately, the ninth and final volume doesn’t rise to the occasion, wrapping up the wide array of stories, characters and elements in a rather blasé way.
“Red Rose” Strauss and his former lover, Adelheid, must put aside their differences and take on the threat posed by aliens called the FIO. This task, however, can only be completed by the vampire king and queen and could ultimately lead to their destruction, causing the characters to realize that their lives will shortly be changing forever. The change in these characters is abrupt and the realization that certain goals may not be met feels forced, leaving a lot of issues unresolved. This is disappointing, as I felt like there was much more story to be told through these people; they had so much more to give.
Aside from all of this, though, I enjoyed the way it ended. The storyline is a departure from the overarching idea of the book (revenge), becoming more about redemption and doing what is right, ending on a calmer and more subtle note. I do wish the artwork had more of chance to redeem itself, remaining as consistently undetailed and stagnant as it has throughout the whole series.
Ultimately, this is a tough judgment call to make, even for the whole series. While there are a lot of good elements in the writing and characters, the artwork holds it back and the writing never digs as deep as it could. If you really like vampires and drama, pick it up; otherwise, it’s not essential reading.
Volume nine of The Record of a Fallen Vampire is available now.
–Reviewed by Sam Kusek
Review copies for Ballad of a Shinigami and The Record of a Fallen Vampire provided by the publishers.
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