WOW! Well, there's a LOT to say about this one, pretty much all good things too. So much so that I feel like I should leave a lot out, because it's just not the same unless you experience it for yourself. So many twisty turns and winds and bends and thank god I'm reading this all so close together (I think I started this series like a month ago? 5 or 6 weeks ago?). If I wasn't reading it all so close together, I'm unsure if I'd be able to take it all in as I'm meant to.
Honestly, for the first time in seven volumes, I was way more taken in by the story than I was by the romance elements. All of this goes far deeper than imagined, but I guess Kikuhara knew, so he's flushing out EVERY member but Queen, it seems. Though it really isn't fair that Makimura died... I liked him off and on and really liked him at the end. And now I'm glad that I was coming to like the new captain, as it seems he's not actually bad. He's undercover twice over, it seems. Same with Makimura... It just seems the captain was better at it or more valuable. He is damn strong, so... I understand. They're both so righteous, but it seems the captain is more ready to kill. Now I understand why he never showed any hate for devils either, despite working for the CCC. I always wondered about that. We finally solved the mystery to the two dead bar ladies too... They weren't mercilessly killed. Makimura was trying to save them but they ended up dying instead, and he feels both their blood is on his hands. He was going to turn himself AND Kikuhara in. It's too bad Kikuhara is always so prepared.
OH, yeah, one thing that didn't translate so well in English, I think. When that one officer figured out what was written on the table, I think looking at the kanji on his phone helped him. Can't really translate that into English though... It just looks a little odd. But yeah, the smallest indicators can really help the brain piece everything together. Of course, the main thing was that it was freshly written and didn't match anyone's handwriting that they knew of. Makimura is fucking clever though, goddamn. Why couldn't he just join F squad instead of dying?! Unf. Well! On to the next volume.
P.S. The dynamics between Ishimaru (the captain. I finally remembered his name) and Anzai are something I really like. I think they've made friends in each other, to some small degree, at least. Though, Ishimaru is right, the type of bonds they've fostered in F squad does make them all complacent and soft and squishy. Though, I don't think he will be able to stop himself from falling into it. I'm greatly looking forward to that. I hope he doesn't end up dead. I honestly thought that Sawazaki or Yousuke were going to end up dead in this volume, so thank god Anzai did what he did. As for Yousuke, well, it feels like he's about to get himself killed in just about every volume, to be honest...
Also, was Eleven always so ugly...? I thought that in the first two volumes, they made her out to be tall and gorgeous with a mean streak. But she just slowly devolved into a drooling round moon cake. What in the world happened with that character? It's like the mangaka suddenly decided to change half of her aspects. Oh well, she was minor and unimportant anyway...is what I'm sure everyone including myself and the mangaka will say.
Ooh, right, and I thought that I would dislike Nanako's new hair do, but actually it really suits her just as much as the last hair style. She looks so good! More grown up too. What a pretty lady~. I hope she falls in love with 9s and forgets about Kikuhara. He may have saved her once (twice if you count from himself), but he's bad for her now, and has tried killing her about as many times as he's saved her now. You can do it, Nanako. It is really terrible though... When she was 7, she had to kill someone she loved. And now as a young adult, she has to do the exact same thing all over again. I don't think she'll be able to face Kikuhara until she has put her past behind her.
And thank god Anzai is saved. But will Hans Lee be okay?