“This means hired killers and mercenaries the world over will be racing to Japan to find him.”
This collection contains volumes 5 and 6 of Until Death Do Us Part as originally published. In addition to nuanced plot and characters, this book directly continues an arc started in the previous one. Best to start reading at the beginning.
Until Death Do Us Part is rolling along nicely, with another book filled with both captivating action and compelling, deepening intrigue.
The entirety of volume 5 features the conclusion of an intense fight started last book. It illustrates just how dangerous and hard to control things have become, and raises the stakes drastically.
Volume 6 moves things forward with Blade tackling a new, troubling situation with head on escalation. His blunt nature creates a solid anchor for the chaos around him, and also allows room for the more level headed members of the cast to shine.
And shine they do. They flesh out the world nicely and as I’ve gushed about in every review so far the intertwining and conflicting agendas and points of view of everyone make the manga extremely engaging and compelling. Well developed characters form the heart of any great story, and Takashige’s are great. Certain members of “The Wall,” Detective Genda, and Haruka all get spotlights and important moments. There are also several introductions of characters that will obviously be important later by way of minor, superbly paced cameos.
Another thing that’s impressive Takashige and DOUBLE-S’s storytelling is the economy of information delivery they achieve. The significance and meaning accomplished with little looks, expressions, and careful composition add an incredible level of atmosphere and depth to the narrative.
The book ends with a nice pair of weighted confrontations / meetings that continue to complicate the situation in the best possible sense. It’s wonderful foreshadowing of long term impending doom as well as leaving things on a mild cliffhanger in the short term.
Another excellent entry in this series.
Derailments of Thought 