Zatch Bell!, Volume 8

金色のガッシュ!! [Konjiki no Gash!!] #8

by Makoto Raiku

Kiyomaro Takaminé is a brilliant junior high student whose inflated ego (and tendency to blow the grading curve) has made him a major target for teasing at school. So his father sends him a bizarre birthday present--a strange little boy named Gash--to help him make friends and reform his bad attitude. Gash brings with him a mysterious red volume of spells, and Kiyomaro discovers that Gash has magic powers that are unleashed by reading from the book! But there are more surprises to come, and Kiyomaro's destiny is about to change forever!

Genres: Manga, Graphic Novels, Fantasy, Magic, Young Adult

208 pages, Paperback

First published August 15, 2006

About the author

See also 雷句 誠.

Reviews

[Kelsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my fave volumes in this series. I'm obsessed with the cover—it's so pretty & cute! 😍🙈

[Manmangaboy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Meguimi and Kiyo go on a date with zatch and Tia in the amusement park

[Hannah Belyea · Rating 3 out of 5]

At last, seems things to be slowing down for Kiyo, Zatch and their friends, giving them time to relax and hang out at the amusement park - but trouble is waiting not far down the road! Raiku will have readers awing and laughing the whole way through this entry! Could their friendships grow, or will too much time off get on all their nerves?

[Timothy Pitkin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice to see more of Tia and Megumi along with more diverse spells instead of the usually beams and blasts. Also we get introduced to new allies of Zatch and Kiyo with Wonrei and Li-en with a brief diversion into a kung fu movie for a bit with their introduction.

[Kurtis Burkhardt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty awesome and funny manga so far! 😻😁👌💕💕

[Yuki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Real rating: 12 stars
An amazing book, plus it has a really nice cover. The insults that Lupa+Purio and Hige+Zoboron exchange are SO true, especially in the Japanese version what with the swearwords. Like THEY'RE a good team. Ha ha, everyone's such a shorty baby that they can't ride the amusement park roller coaster. Purio's spells are just like him...gross, weak, and annoying. At this point it's hard to believe his book burning's really sad (It's only because Lupa's backstory is delved into and his book is burned in an arc where every book burning is a tear-welling event, the Clear Note arc). Of course Tia and Zatch can beat you! Wow, Purio, clearly Tia won't marry YOU...just Zatch. Hige using Purio as a shield...When Tia was stuck to Zatch's back, at least he happened to wear underclothes today...or maybe just in the English version. Aww, Kiyo wuvs Megu! And he gets to eat a superstar's cooking! It's sweet how Tia's shy around Zatch although she spent a lot of time making that bento for him. Megumi wearing glasses isn't a good disguise. Yay, Li-En & Wonrei's backstory! I cosplayed Li-En at an anime con and run a blog in her name (li-en-loves-wonrei.tumblr.com). I was love with Wonrei :) He's beautiful and chivalrous and sweet and great at kung fu and just amazing. Clearly Wonrei and Li-En were my OTP as the best couple of Zatch Bell. It's just so romantic and a great story! Li-En's dad is stupid. I love Li-En's determination and the way she's fine to take the pain just to help Wonrei, doing anything to support her love. But it's so sad that they have to separate even if he becomes King...which he doesn't, but he would be a good King. Wonrei, just face it! You'll both get hurt in the battles but it DOESN'T MATTER since Li-En just wants to support you! Zabas is a stupid mamodo. Yay, now Wonrei and Li-En can live together and get married! Princess Marie of Karnoir is pretty and I wish I would cosplay her eventually even though I guarantee not one person will recognize her as only 2 recognized Li-En. The Princess is strong and determined and her eye color in the anime is just SO beautiful.

[Nikki in Niagara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, I'm loving this series and volumes like this one is why. So full of emotion! Starts off with a very rapid battle scene that reads very fast, turning pages quickly and while battles continue through the volume this ones focus is on relationships. Kiyo and Zatch meet up with Megumi and Tia at an amusement park and a friendship is blossoming between these four that even hints at possible feelings more than just friends. Tia is a mamodo and a hilarious riot. What a temper! The second half of the book sees Zatch and Kiyo making another strong friendship and the plot breaks for a sidestory about a star-crossed pair of lovers which is very tender and heartwarming while at the same time creating great battle scenes since the girl's father is a mobster. Just loved this couple and the man is a mamodo, the first one we've seen who has a human form. He has the same outlook on the mamodo battles and kingship as Zatch. These alliances/friendships being made are going to certainly have an affect on the final outcome when the mamodos are supposed to fight until the last one standing. Loved this volume, I really fell for the two lovers.

[Ashleigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have I mentioned how much I love the author of this thing? His little messages are usually of him lying in his bed or bragging about his mail-order hammock. He is clearly a superior human being. So good.