Don't Call it Mystery (Omnibus), Vol. 5-6

Don't Call it Mystery Omnibus #3

by Yumi Tamura

An Angel of Mercy?

Kunou Totonou keeps finding himself right in the middle of mystery after mystery. After taking a tumble down a hill, Totonou is hurt and ends up in the hospital. There he meets a beautiful young woman named Leica. As he follows her coded instructions, he uncovers a disturbing urban legend about an “Angel of Embers” who’s made it their mission to save children. But who exactly is this “angel” and what are their true intentions?

Genres: Manga, Mystery, Josei, Comics, Contemporary, Crime, Graphic Novels

388 pages, Paperback

Published December 12, 2023

About the author

Name (in native language): 田村由美
Birth Date: September 5
Zodiac: Virgo

Tamura is an avid RPG videogamer - Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, etc. She also loves to read mystery books, and going on the computer to chat with her fans.

Reviews

[vin .ᐟ (hiatus)]

me being that meme of the guy connecting all the dots rn

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

CW: child abuse

The Angel of Fire story line is the strongest in the series thus far - it's a blend of realism, wish fulfillment, and what happens to children who slip through the cracks. Then the story hops over to Garo, Totonou's missing friend (or is it "friend?") who is pursuing justice for his sister in ways that dovetail neatly with what Totonou is doing. I can wish the art was better, but it's Tamura Yumi - I knew what I was getting into on that front, and the storytelling more than makes up for it.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite volume yet, this installment explores some heavy themes regarding morality and life and death, while also introducing a fascinating overall mystery, and greatly deepening our understanding of both main and side characters. I'm very invested and am eager for more.

[Warren Tutwiler · Rating 4 out of 5]

I find this series very interesting, the "mysteries" are intriguing and the characters are memorable. The artwork is somewhat uneven - sometimes very detailed, sometimes very simple - but this seems deliberate and is not too distracting. The stories are well-woven, and in this volume in particular, you get to discover that some things that were unresolved in earlier volumes will be revisited later to provide more clarity.

The one thing that may be a detraction from the overall enjoyment of the series can be seen as both a positive and a negative: the main character often presents his ideas on (somewhat) controversial issues, and these ideas are presented as "good" alternatives to the issues as they are being faced by other characters; however, these ideas are almost always wrong in some way and have a feeling of idealism and immaturity, and tend to lean heavily in a liberal direction. This is understandable as far as the character is concerned, since he is a university student and thus has a limited perspective on life and reality, but the fact that the other characters accept his ideas as proper and preferable, even though they are usually older than he, and may actually know better, is a bit unrealistic. Still, his pronouncements ARE thought-provoking and could lead to profitable reflection.

[Jennifer]

The overarching scheme with the zodiac symbols showing up is a little unbelievable, but each arc is interesting. This volume mostly focuses on an arsonist that “saves” kids, and then we get more of Garo or whatever his name was - his arc was set concurrently with an arc from the previous volume. You have a serial killer with a rather dumb fixation that he uses to pick his victims, and it ties that into a killer in the previous volume.

The villains are pretty horrible in this one, though Kunou does show a lot of understanding. He gives a bit of his own backstory as to why he feels the need to share his odd reflections.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I think we should give some thought to all of our surroundings. To reflect...and reflect...and reflect..and then share our reflections"

I think the scene truly encapsulates what Dont Call it Mystery is about. A boy who reflects and shares his reflections with everyone. He's a lonely kid as evident by his never going to K-BBQ but he's able to pick up on everything around him and isn't afraid to voice his thoughts. I can't wait to see how everything unfolds in the next volume!

[Samuel · Rating 4 out of 5]

74%

Some of the mysteries were a bit slow for me imo, but maybe I’m just brainrotted idk. I liked the change of pace in the final quarter though. I assume that’s to reveal more of the star sign jewellery which’ll lead up to a big reveal or sumn. Anyway, this series is great for if I want an interesting, slower read.

[Amara · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars

This volume showed how integral Totonou is to the flow of the story. Though it was interesting to see what else was going on at the same time. The cases discussed were okay, but not my favourite.

[yamzreads · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 🌟

[Shae · Rating 5 out of 5]

OBSESSESD!!!! EVERYONE PLEASE GO READ THIS SERIES!!!!

[Mindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75/5

[Kristen · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

I wasn't as invested in the second half of this omnibus. A lot of this volume felt long winded and slow compared to the other stories, which flew by.

[reese · Rating 5 out of 5]

it's really just uphill from volume one and volume one was mt. everest