The Nokkers make a vigorous attack on Renril, but Fushi has found battle-ready allies in Kai, Hairo, and Messar. The sides match each other blow for blow, and exhaustion soon takes its toll on Fushi and the townspeople. Meanwhile, a familiar little girl is resurrected, and makes her way to help her cherished Fu.
Even though her one-shot Koe no Katachi won critical acclaim, it took a longsome law suit to get a magazine to publish it because of its socio-critical theme. Eventually, it was featured in the February edition of Bessatsu Shounen Magazin, where it placed first, and later in the 12th edition of the 2013 Weekly Shounen Magazine.
She has also collaborated with UBUKATA Tow for the manga adaption of his novel Mardock Scramble.
Another wonderful entry. This arc has received a lot of flack for being drawn out, but I believe that that's mainly caused by the increasingly erratic release schedule. Altogether, it's only about as long as the Bon arc (so far), and it meaningfully advances Fushi's character just as much as the others.
In keeping with Fushi's nature as a blank slate, his development is almost entirely driven by his relationships with others. Up to this point, he has been blessed to have supportive and prosocial companions, but now, at his moment of greatest responsibility, he is surrounded by ambiguously benevolent "friends". Bon has never been honest with Fushi, and while his motivations are seemingly less selfish now, he maintains his lies in order to achieve a specific goal in relation to Fushi's growth. Kahaku's love for Fushi has an impure source in his incarnation of Hayase. He's a source of discomfort and instability in Fushi's life as often as he is helpful. The three warriors have no ulterior motives in helping Fushi, but their quick acquaintance with Fushi means he can as yet only treat them as tools in his battle with the knockers. Eko/Iddy has a positive relationship with Fushi, but given that she is dependent on him, she cannot be a source of support.
What a perfect set of companions for Fushi to push beyond his limits with - the battle with the knockers proves far more difficult than he'd believed possible. This is an even lower moment than the low point of the Bon arc - at least then, the only people at risk were Fushi's friends. Now his war with the knockers has endangered thousands of innocents. His new powers have morbid consequences, both for himself and those who have to clean up the bodies. His wide perspective and use of the three warriors as tools is pushing his personality into a simultaneously painful and detached position - feeling the pain of all the people he is responsible for, yet becoming detached from people as beings in their own right.
March's resurrection last volume represents an ambiguous development - reunion with his mother figure could spur Fushi forward at this difficult point, but it will also signal an irreversible change in his relations - Bon's lies will be revealed and the situation with Kahaku will become even more fraught. What's more, Fushi's ability to resurrect the dead promises to create a world unlike our own - if what Black Hood says is true, Fushi is intended to become a new world. While he's very far off from becoming that world, Oima has never been shy about showing the direct consequences of his powers. If Fushi can resurrect the dead and provide infinite material goods to humanity, all social relations will be completely changed. While such ideas are common in science fiction, fantasy's more nostalgia oriented view often precludes the presentation of such concepts. I hope that Oima can come up with a fitting course for Fushi's future development given the momentous possibilities. I'm increasingly tired of works that uncritically embrace the status quo. Yes, it's good to be cautious about change in reality, but in fiction we should be free to imagine totally new orders of being, rather than being tied down, because to do otherwise is "inhuman". I'm not necessarily accusing Oima of this - it makes sense from Bon and Kahaku's position as "friends" of Fushi to want to keep him "human". I do worry though, that the portrayal of Black Hood means it will go this way. Black Hood's detachment from all human suffering seem like a plausible consequence of the kind of pain Fushi is going through just to protect one city.
The only disappointment I have in this volume is the very small amount of Eko. She is the most interesting mystery to me aside from the big picture questions of Black Hood and Fushi's nature. What kind of relation she will have with Fushi going forward, whether March will teach her how to speak like she did for Fushi, if she will end up providing a way to communicate with the knockers. I've got big hopes for her going forward.
It's been nearly two years since I read the last volume of this series, so I'm not entirely sure if my interest has waned during the gap or the series has lost it's forward momentum. This is a dark chapter with our hero fighting to exhaustion to defend the kingdom of Renril against evil monsters called Nokkers. Everyone is worn down physically and mentally by the ongoing siege, and trust and relationships fray everywhere. It's unrelentingly gloomy and depressing, with only a few nuggets revealed about the bigger story.
I'll be back, but I hope we escape this mire soon.
Y se está armando incluso más. Este arco está siendo un poco extraño, más centrado en la acción y en la lucha contra los enemigos de Fushi que en lo que realmente es el punto fuerte de la obra: el crecimiento de la humanidad de Fushi a partir de las relaciones que va formando. Podría decir que cuando mejor funcionaba esto era en los primeros tomos, con March, Gugu, Tonari y Pyoran... Pero al mismo tiempo, es interesante ver la contraposición que se está gestando aquí. Si las relaciones eran lo que humanizaban a Fushi en un principio, ahora nos encontramos en el extremo opuesto: Fushi está perdiendo esa humanidad por las nuevas relaciones (Bon, los tres peones, Kahak...). Fushi es contemplado como un arma o una herramienta. Kahak le ama de una forma oscura y retorcida y eso, junto a las mentiras de Bon, le están alejando de su "Yo", del Chico que conoció en un paraje nevado y el primero en enseñarle que hay bondad en el mundo. Está olvidando sus últimas palabras. Por eso, el final de este tomo da tantas esperanzas.
This volume was pretty intense and I feel as worn out as the characters. I'm sure a lot of people will complain that this (and last volume) are dragging, or not progressing the story, but I couldn't disagree more. This is the most progress we've had since the manga began: We have the power system evolving, we have new heights of battle, new scope of existential conflict, and most importantly we have some very important philosophical anchors and themes being explored - themes that are crucial to the message of this story. Journey before destination.
I continue to enjoy this series. I do feel like it is starting to wrap up at least this story arc, if not the whole series within the next couple of volumes. I can't lie, I teared up at the end of this volume though!
rating of the last 3 volumes I read; Vol. #09: ★★★☆☆ (3.5) Vol. #10: ★★★☆☆ (3) Vol. #11: ★★★★☆ (4)
This arc was very... weird. I like the scope it added to the story but I wasn't vibing with it, idk. The ending of volume 11 left me speechless. That was the highlight, along with the surprise of March. I'm just bracing myself for the terrible deaths that are about to come, I can feel them.
so much action (which is understandable) and i am glad we are still getting the humane side of things despite it all. i will admit it gets difficult for my brain to keep track of so many characters and a lot of them are new too but that’s just a me thing bc i am not the biggest fantasy reader (that being said, i have read quite a bit of fantasy this year).
Honestly? I feel like this story is cruel just to add more drama and conflict to keep the series going. I will follow to the end, but that doesn’t mean I’m happy about it.
Después de mucha transición y mucha trama sin rumbo, por fin llega un tomo con un foco claro. No es en absoluto notable ni destacaría gran cosa, pero menos da una piedra. En vez de mostrar los poderes de Inmo o introducir nuevos personajes, Ôima se dedica a narrar una guerra a lo largo de varios capítulos. En sí, está bien narrada y funciona como un tiro, pero es cierto que no hay peligro ni tensión si apenas hay un solo personaje destacable. La autora se esfuerza por hacer que sus nuevas inclusiones al reparto del manga importen, no lo niego; el problema es que no tienen tiempo para desarrollarse y sus dramas personales se introducen a trompicones. Véase la princesa, vaya.
Como he dicho, no es un gran tomo y sus nuevos conceptos (los inmortales, por ejemplo) vienen rodeados por un aura, creo, innecesaria de misterio que no permite disfrutar (o sufrir) de la guerra que se plantea. La única idea realmente destacable termina siendo el progresivo dolor de Inmo; por fin se muestran las consecuencias de su poder sobre su persona. Está adecuadamente llevado y me gusta que llegue un punto en el que sobrepase su límite y desee que todo pare. Ahí entra Kahaku y, la verdad, es todo lo contrario: bastante mal llevado y sin ningún interés genuino. Los últimos capítulos son un festival de sangre hasta cierto punto innecesario que no ofrece demasiado más allá del impacto. Eso sí: March es un golpe muy bajo que funciona de lujo para el propósito que Ôima quería darle. No tiene mucho sentido, pero logra ser emocional solo por la nostalgia al personaje.
Will Renril survive or will the nokkers and their impressive adaptability wear its defenders down?
Something I have noticed in this volume (beside Kahaku gets a dream cover of what he would like to happen) is that not all of the volumes have story so far or characters involved in the story at the time. With such a large cast of characters spanning a very, very long time these quick reminders not only help you remember what is going on in the story after waiting a few months to read the next volume but also helps us remember who the big characters that will play a role in what is to come as well. However this volume being entirely about the efforts to hold off the nokker threat leads to big changes to multiple characters so I am sure it would have been hard to summarize very well. :)
With the burden of spreading himself over the city of Renril, offering sustenance to those hiding from the battle, and doing everything he can against the approaching nokker threat Fushi is getting tired as he pushes himself longer and harder then ever before. In a moment his whole world changes as he discovers he can succumb to fatigue and hose that have allied themselves to him step up to defend in his stead but for all the difficulties Fushi had fighting his human allies get a miracle of sorts as Bon's plan comes to fruition at last. In the end it still seems to be too much but don't worry for even with all the dangers Fushi may face a miracle has come to help in one of his darkest moments.
This is killing me. Fushi is clearly overwhelmed and everyone relying on him didn't notice and now they paid the price. The nokker attacks seem to be unending and it's only been a few days.
The battle for Renril is on, and Fushi has found allies that are ready and willing not only to help, but, literally, to die for him.
But he is gradually becoming more and more exhausted, and there might also be a traitor in his midst ...
This was another tense, exciting volume, although, in my opinion, the many different battle scenes occasionally blended together and caused some confusion. There were also other times when the transitions between panels were a bit abrupt.
Kahaku is creepy. Something really needs to be done about him.
I really hope poor Fushi gets some relief in the next volume.
Siento que esta historia no se valora lo que corresponde, si bien este volumen tuvo muchas fallas narrativas, debido que planta demasiadas tramas en paralelo y muchas preguntas más que respuestas, creo que la capacidad creativa para plantear todo este tipo de universo, además de la guerra en sí es tremendamente creativa. Desde el momento que entendí que la obra no me iba a entregar cierto tipo de trama, he podido disfrutar muchísimo, porque es realmente llamativo como cada punto está puesto con una finalidad, independiente si se desarrolla en profundidad, haciendo que la drama sea tremendamente dinámica. Por otra parte, el cliffhanger es muy bueno, poniendo nuevamente un personaje como March, para ir de apoco darnos las respuestas que íbamos buscando.
One of my favorite volumes in a while, or at least one I’ve read the quickest, and I’m not even a huge fan of big battles, especially in the fantasy genre. This volume is almost all this, but reading through Nausicaa recently, which has been nonstop war, has given me more of an appreciation for it paired with good storytelling. This volume adds a lot of interest to the overall narrative, even if it’s all smoke and mirrors or filler or whatever, and FINALLY, one of the best characters makes a welcome return. Still doesn’t hit as hard as the earlier releases but, again, it’s been a wild ride reading through this series and am on my third volume in as many days.
The battle is finally under way properly and Immo is stretching himself very thin trying to become all of the city and the surrounding land. He's trying to fight the knockers himself while providing weapons for the soldiers, water and food for the civilians and new bodies for the three men.
Although it was at times hard to keep track of everything that was happening this was a fun volume that I raced through. It's interesting to see so much action in this series as up until now there have only been a few short action scenes.
I'm interested to see where this goes next and how Immo fairs trying to keep up with everything.
❌ SPOILER ❌ "NO MATES A FUSHI! ¡NO LO MATES! ¡FUSHI! ¡NO PUEDES MORIR! ¡MAMÁ ESTÁ AQUÍ! ¡MAMÁ ESTÁ AQUÍ!"
Te emocionas cuando Fushi cree que los tres guerreros son inmortales, aunque al mismo tiempo sientes una pesadez en el corazón al saber que Bon sabe que Fushi puede revivir a los a muerto.
Y ahora que Kai, Hylo y Messar han olvidado su propia mortalidad, ocasionan que Fushi esté en una complicación moral.
Fushi está muy agotado.
¡MARCH HERMOSA TE EXTRAÑÉ!
Kahaku sigue sin agradarme pero odio más a su mano izquierda.
La mejor escena es cuando aparece March deteniendo a Kahaku.
Ich konnte mich nicht so richtig in die Situation reinfinden. Lag der Fokus in den letzten Bänden sehr auf der Entwicklung der Charaktere, ging es hier sehr zügig voran. Dabei ging es teilweise so schnell, das ich nicht richtig in die Situation rein kam.
Die Panels waren dabei gut gestaltet, dennoch ging es mir zu schnell. Die Charaktere mochte ich, der Fokus lag mir aber ein bisschen zu wenig auf diesen. Auch wenn es wirklich interessant weiter geht und auch die Spannung und Vorfreude auf den nächsten Band groß ist.
La fecha de publicación es tan errática que no ayuda con tanto batiburrillo de personajes y sucesos; así que la relectura es casi obligatoria (y el esquema también). Más allá de eso, es el manga de fantasía que más he aguantado y considero que es uno de los más originales. Creo que el arco de la batalla se está alargando demasiado y estamos perdiendo el potencial con Inmo, su poder y su mundo. Esperamos a ver cómo se resuelve el cliffhanger (lástima el spoiler de la contraportada).
The nokkers begin their assault on Renril and it's all Fushi can do to keep up...then he passes out. And while he's out, a lot of people get killed including Kai, Hairo, and Messar.
Then Bon uses his super special secret to turn the tide and the siege continues with neither side giving an inch... until the emotional damage starts taking its toll and Kahaku goes a bit crazy. And...what is going on?!
Ce tome est un peu plus long j'ai l'impression, il se passe beaucoup de choses et en même temps c'est un peu fouillis et la guerre stagne. Vu la fin (bon déjà la fin du tome 10 était ouf) mais j'ai l'impression qu'on va enfin avancer dans l'histoire ! C'était touchant les questions sur l'humanité et les sacrifices, j'ai hâte de lire la suite.
The author finally improved their battle drawing skills, which is good. I enjoyed Bon’s development, so far he is the only character with a “gray personality” and I kinda confuse with where are we going with Kahak because he seems to love Fushi in a creepy way but at the same time he faded into the background. Overall, this was considerably better than the previous.
Wow, c'était hyper sombre... Imm a du mal à protéger toute la ville et sa condition commence à lui peser. J'ai attendu pendant tout le tome et ça n'arrive qu'à la toute fin du tome... tout ça pour donner encore envie de lire la suite.
This is a 3.5 stars rounded up to 4. The story of the war continues. There are some major plot points and some....interesting interpretations of Fushi's abilities. Better than the last couple of volumes, but I am looking forward to this storyline being done.