Hiromu Arakawa

As I feared, just like with Full Metal Alchemist, the cast list just keeps growing -- by a dozen every volume right now! And no character is so minor they aren't worthy of a backstory and left in the lineup to be called back for later volumes.

Still, the slow untangling of the plot and the many forces working against each other is engaging. I just fear I'll be totally lost by the time I get my hands on the next volume and have to piece this all together again and be ready to identify any of the four dozen characters already in play.

FOR REFERENCE:

Contents: Chapter 9. Asa and Break -- Chapter 10. Ink and Whiteout -- Chapter 11. Suspicion and Conviction -- Chapter 12. Embrace and Whisper -- Cowshed Diaries. The Tale of the Higashi Village Conquest Strategy -- Entombed -- Black and Triangular -- Black, Triangular, and Cool -- [Assailants' Daemons] -- Kagemori Manor, Gabby and Asa's Bedroom -- Translation Notes -- Author Commentary… (mere)

Yuru is a direct character, so he makes a beeline toward the girl claiming to be his real sister. It's getting harder and harder to tell the good guys from the bad guys as a new faction comes into play while the previous two factions each seem to have their own share of angels and devils. So it's a bit of a muddle plotwise, but the action and strong central characters and their frequently cute or humorous daemon servants are carrying the day so far.

FOR REFERENCE:

Contents: Chapter 5. Jin and Yuru -- Chapter 6. Hare and Tortoise -- Chapter 7. The Kagemori Clan and the Unknown Assailants -- Chapter 8. Loyalty and Hostility -- Cowshed Diaries. The Tale of Vast Japan -- Impeccable Service -- Social Studies -- Wrap Party -- [Assailants' Daemons] -- Gabby's Recuperation Room -- Translation Notes -- Author Commentary… (mere)

Hiromu Arakawa, creator of the excellent Silver Spoon series, the pretty good Full Metal Alchemist series, and the very dumb Hero Tales series, is back with a new fantasy tale with lots of action and demons.

Yuru is a teenager living a fairly decent life in his ancient mountain village, hunting to feed everyone and looking for things to amuse his confined twin sister. But then the village is attacked by outsiders and Yuru learns how little he truly knows of the place where he lives and the world beyond it.

This aims for that same balance of drama, humor, and action as Full Metal Alchemist and does a good job of hitting the target. I feel pretty good about continuing with this for a while, but I do hope the cast size stays about where it is right now so the main characters stay in focus instead of getting lost in the crowd as Edward and Alphonse did in the ever-expanding epic sprawl of Full Metal Alchemist.

FOR REFERENCE:

Contents: Chapter 1. Asa and Yuru -- Chapter 2. Right and Left -- Chapter 3. Dera and Hana -- Chapter 4. Ai and Makoto -- A Great Pair -- Cowshed Diaries 1. The Tale of Makoto -- Cowshed Diaries 2. The Tale of Ai -- Right and Left (with Base) -- Dera's Pendant -- Translation Notes -- Author Commentary -- Next Volume -- [Epilogue]… (mere)