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Island in a Puddle #3
Island in a Puddle, Vol. 3
A CHILDHOOD IN THE UNDERWORLD
Evading police, suspicious neighbors, jealous boyfriends, and the traitorous co-conspirator after his body, Minato is tracked down by the mysterious Dodokai and asked to do their bidding. His plans to return home and figure out what happened to his body, now occupied by the mind of the murderer whose body he occupies, are becoming harder and harder to realize.
Evading police, suspicious neighbors, jealous boyfriends, and the traitorous co-conspirator after his body, Minato is tracked down by the mysterious Dodokai and asked to do their bidding. His plans to return home and figure out what happened to his body, now occupied by the mind of the murderer whose body he occupies, are becoming harder and harder to realize.
192 pages, Paperback
First published March 23, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
October 15, 2024
This volume was great! I have really been enjoying this series but this one just flew by! I loved the plot line and how much activity there was in this volume! I do still have some trouble with the names and artwork but it still catches you and keeps you entertained throughout the whole volume. By this volume I am extremely invested in the story so I cannot wait to pick up volume 4.
August 8, 2022
The games continue, as Minato is pulled into Kuromatsu’s shady world even further. When tasked with a job that’s far beyond the pale, Minato learns exactly how much honour there is among thieves. Elsewhere, Kuromatsu continues to make for a fairly useless young boy.
Kuromatsu’s reputation as a hitman has landed Minato in a real jam, as he’s sent after a crime boss with his new friend’s life being obliquely threatened if he doesn’t come through. Most of this plays out as a series of double, triple, and so forth, crosses as the weed of crime bears bitter fruit.
Meanwhile, Kuromatsu couldn’t be any more obvious that he isn’t actually Minato by this point, which rather saps the energy out of him running around. For somebody who seemed so clever, not putting a lock on a smartphone makes him seem like a total dumbass.
Coupled with his personality changes and oddities like, say, the sudden appearance of a television in a house of dirt poor kids, you really have to wonder how he’s getting away with any of this. Obviously the impossible nature of the story is one thing, but his personality change would make Phineas Gage think it was a bit much.
My problem with this story consequently comes from the niggling feeling that I should be enjoying it more. I brought up Monster last time and that was because that’s a masterpiece of suspense and I’d settle for this being half as strong in that department.
It’s also rather underwhelming that Minato manages at least one daring escape because somebody took something he said the wrong way. Dumb luck is a lot less fun than careful planning or clever thinking, so it robs that section of some oomph.
In the grand scheme of things, I think this is primarily Minato’s story, but there’s a lot that they could be doing with Kuromatsu as well that they’re just not. Minato is freaking out that he’s gradually transmuting into Kuromatsu given his occasional burst of skills he doesn’t have.
So where’s the opposite effect, where Kuromatsu is learning about family and compassion by being stuck in Minato? The likely answer is that they’re probably saving that for the ending, but it’s very one-sided right now. Neither section is especially strong, so there’s a balance there, but I’d much rather that both were excellent.
It’s not a bad story, there are just a lot of problems that need addressing to make it great. Those ridiculously over-the-top thugs led by the chainsaw guy are so nonsensical that they feel like they’re from a different story altogether, rather than the quiet anxiety the first volume had.
Maybe my expectations are different from the author’s, but this just doesn’t hit me the way I feel like it should. In the moment it’s fine, but it holds up to exactly no scrutiny and the second you train your eye on the narrative it begins to crumble.
3.5 stars - and a lean 3.5 at that; like I said, I enjoy this in the moment, but there’s a lot it’s not doing that it probably should be if it wants to really stand out in this genre.
Kuromatsu’s reputation as a hitman has landed Minato in a real jam, as he’s sent after a crime boss with his new friend’s life being obliquely threatened if he doesn’t come through. Most of this plays out as a series of double, triple, and so forth, crosses as the weed of crime bears bitter fruit.
Meanwhile, Kuromatsu couldn’t be any more obvious that he isn’t actually Minato by this point, which rather saps the energy out of him running around. For somebody who seemed so clever, not putting a lock on a smartphone makes him seem like a total dumbass.
Coupled with his personality changes and oddities like, say, the sudden appearance of a television in a house of dirt poor kids, you really have to wonder how he’s getting away with any of this. Obviously the impossible nature of the story is one thing, but his personality change would make Phineas Gage think it was a bit much.
My problem with this story consequently comes from the niggling feeling that I should be enjoying it more. I brought up Monster last time and that was because that’s a masterpiece of suspense and I’d settle for this being half as strong in that department.
It’s also rather underwhelming that Minato manages at least one daring escape because somebody took something he said the wrong way. Dumb luck is a lot less fun than careful planning or clever thinking, so it robs that section of some oomph.
In the grand scheme of things, I think this is primarily Minato’s story, but there’s a lot that they could be doing with Kuromatsu as well that they’re just not. Minato is freaking out that he’s gradually transmuting into Kuromatsu given his occasional burst of skills he doesn’t have.
So where’s the opposite effect, where Kuromatsu is learning about family and compassion by being stuck in Minato? The likely answer is that they’re probably saving that for the ending, but it’s very one-sided right now. Neither section is especially strong, so there’s a balance there, but I’d much rather that both were excellent.
It’s not a bad story, there are just a lot of problems that need addressing to make it great. Those ridiculously over-the-top thugs led by the chainsaw guy are so nonsensical that they feel like they’re from a different story altogether, rather than the quiet anxiety the first volume had.
Maybe my expectations are different from the author’s, but this just doesn’t hit me the way I feel like it should. In the moment it’s fine, but it holds up to exactly no scrutiny and the second you train your eye on the narrative it begins to crumble.
3.5 stars - and a lean 3.5 at that; like I said, I enjoy this in the moment, but there’s a lot it’s not doing that it probably should be if it wants to really stand out in this genre.
September 6, 2022
I’m excited!! Can’t wait to continue reading!!
November 5, 2022
I am in shambles bc everything feels like it’s ramping up??? let me go check to see how long this is gonna be before i start jumping to conclusions
June 19, 2024
Actual ratings: 3:75
October 26, 2023
(note: re-read after collecting the whole series)
I could probably cut and paste my review of the prior book word for word, including the mention of "the pandemic" (although, it wouldn't have been the first mention, in either event, though a mention at all is still somewhat rare), but this volume is the slightest bit better than the second, because it attempts to bridge the gap between "eleven-year-old holding his own against yakuza" and "things that could actually happen." The short of it is . So... POSSIBLE but still pretty far-fetched.
(The series end is pretty far-fetched, too, I'll warn you. I'll get to that when I get to that, though.)
Recommended if you read the first two, otherwise it's (probably) too difficult to pick up what's going on.
I could probably cut and paste my review of the prior book word for word, including the mention of "the pandemic" (although, it wouldn't have been the first mention, in either event, though a mention at all is still somewhat rare), but this volume is the slightest bit better than the second, because it attempts to bridge the gap between "eleven-year-old holding his own against yakuza" and "things that could actually happen." The short of it is . So... POSSIBLE but still pretty far-fetched.
(The series end is pretty far-fetched, too, I'll warn you. I'll get to that when I get to that, though.)
Recommended if you read the first two, otherwise it's (probably) too difficult to pick up what's going on.
September 13, 2022
Kuromatsu (in Minato's body) is starting to slip and Nagisa is getting suspicious... enough to follow him. Kuromatsu is definitely not a spy. But we are getting pieces of Kuromatsu's past via residual memories.
Meanwhile, Minato (in Kuromatsu's body) has been contracted by some yakuza to assassinate a different yakuza boss. But Minato hasn't killed anyone before but is realizing that he is living in a killer's body and it remembers how to murder. And there are those who still want to murder him. (It's interesting how this part plays out.)
Meanwhile, Minato (in Kuromatsu's body) has been contracted by some yakuza to assassinate a different yakuza boss. But Minato hasn't killed anyone before but is realizing that he is living in a killer's body and it remembers how to murder. And there are those who still want to murder him. (It's interesting how this part plays out.)
March 27, 2025
Kedua tokoh utama yang bertukar tubuh sama-sama ngga tahan ingin menjadi diri yang biasa. Satu penjahat satunya seorang kakak yang baik hati.
Kondisi lingkungan yang bertukar ini smakin memojokan kedua tokoh ini. Kuromatsu, si pematah leher dan Minato, seorang kakak. Dalam vol 3 mereka sedang dalam bahayaaa.
Secara art mah ngga bagus tapi cerita yang bikin penasaran dan makin bahaya ini yang membuat komik ini mesti dilanjut. Apalagi cuma 5 vol tamat.
Kondisi lingkungan yang bertukar ini smakin memojokan kedua tokoh ini. Kuromatsu, si pematah leher dan Minato, seorang kakak. Dalam vol 3 mereka sedang dalam bahayaaa.
Secara art mah ngga bagus tapi cerita yang bikin penasaran dan makin bahaya ini yang membuat komik ini mesti dilanjut. Apalagi cuma 5 vol tamat.
August 19, 2022
A lot of craziness just happened. Memories are being exchanged, a lot of close calls, some new reveals!
August 25, 2022
Great volume got to learn more about the characters
September 24, 2022
My poor Minato :((( I feel really bad for him. The ending was so good, I need volume 4 now!
July 18, 2024
Gripping.
Intense.
The plot snowball is rolling.
Ka-Splat!
Intense.
The plot snowball is rolling.
Ka-Splat!
September 8, 2024
I love this manga! The mom though, she makes me sooooo angry and murdery, someone needs to kick her ass!
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews