Zatch and Ponygon decide to sneak into school by hiding in Kiyo's bag, but a sudden bout with a common cold earns Zatch a quick trip to the nurse's office. Meanwhile, Kiyo is reunited with Apollo, but Apollo's mamodo partner Rops is nowhere to be seen. It seems that Apollo and Rops had a run-in with Zatch's mysterious and dangerous double, and things took a turn for the worse.
Sneaking into Kiyo's school with Ponygon ends up placing Zatch in the nurse's office, but his time in the school is short-lived - Apollo has returned, and his partner is nowhere to be seen! Raiku raises the stakes in this mysterious entry sure to please fans. What does Zatch's lookalike Zeno have to do with the disappearance of Rops?
Interesting battle with Baransha an Garza and we finally learn the name of Zatch's twin even though I am kind of let down that Ropes and Apollo did not get to fight Zatch and Kiyo again. But it seems we are finally getting into the Zofis arc.
Real rating: 13 Stars One of my fav books of all time, and trust me, I've read SO many! So has anyone else noticed that most mangas have sucky covers? Because it's true. I judge novels by covers but not mangas I guess...Apparently Zatch has a fever but it's a normal temperature for humans. Then again, he isn't human, so who knows? Zatch's blankets are SO kawaii!!! When Kiyo's teacher is questioning him about leaving Zatch at home, it's like they're in court!-and the jury is not impartial. “Your heart must be as cold as ice. I bet your chest hair froze off.” Apollo's an intruder in a Japanese school but no one seems to notice or care...How did he even know where Kiyo goes to school? “Kiyo is an ogre. He's pure evil. He's just disguised as a human...” Zatch says with a very happy face. Yay, the backstory with Dufort and Zeno, cutiepies! Dufort is attractive and I love his Answer Talker eyes. He was pissed that Apollo interrupted him when he was trying to eat a hot dog. Burning their book twice is SO cruel. Mochinoki City mall time! Wow, Kiyo, that's mean to draw a face on Kamakiri Joe. Zatch, you can't walk so you have to ride Ponygon? Sabae's so awkward...Everyone got SO ripped off. Why does everyone hero-worship someone so ugly as Praying Mantis Joe. I'm surprised the department store bothered carrying all the real products. Hot springs look so fun! I like Baransha but not Garza. Garza should realize that hunting is wrong once Kiyo and Zatch one-up him. The Vulcan and Vulunlun game looks fun? Zatch burnt a lot of books! The torturing Pamoon in a stone tablet thing is SO funny, especially in the anime! Only 40 mamodo left...and Ponygon STILL doesn't have a book owner.
This volume is mostly humorous, light-hearted and episodic though it does have one main them running through. There is fun when Zatch sneaks to school when he has a cold and is supposed to stay at home but then serious news comes with a master who tells Kiyo that his mamodo was taken down by the Zatch look-a-like. Back to humour with a hilarious one-off when everybody goes shopping and meets up with the teacher's wife, what a hoot she is! Back to serious as Zatch and Kiyo meet up with a nasty team who treat the fight like a game of hunter and prey. More fun as Tia, Zatch and Ponygon decide to go train in the mountains. The theme that keeps the plot going relates to the mysterious stone tablet found in the last volume. Lots of stuff going on and a fun volume. Ponygon has me in stitches but I have to say I'm wondering if he's as innocent as he seems.