Soul Eater, Vol. 5

ソウルイーター [Soul Eater] #5

by Atsushi Ohkubo

On the night of DWMA’s anniversary celebration, every meister and weapon in Death City has gathered at the school for an evening of music and dancing. Little do they know that the witch Medusa is about the crash Shinigami-sama’s party. Trapping the meisters inside, the witch makes her way to the chamber where the First Kishin is imprisoned. Will the few meisters who’ve managed to escape be enough to prevent Medusa from rousing the madness that slumbers far below in the Kishin’s domain?

Genres: Manga, Fantasy, Shonen, Graphic Novels, Comics, Comics Manga, Action

192 pages, Paperback

First published December 22, 2005

About the author

OHKUBO Atsushi

Atsushi Ōkubo ( 大久保篤), also romanized as Atsushi Ohkubo, is a Japanese manga author and fantasy artist known for his work on the manga series Soul Eater, which has been adapted into an anime. Okubo worked as an assistant under Rando Ayamine, on the manga series Get Backers. He also created artwork for various cards for the Lord of Vermillion game.

Atsushi Ōkubo was not a model student and was more attracted to drawing than to learning. At the age of 20, after finishing studies at a manga school where he met Rando Ayamine, the author of Get Backers, he became Rando Ayamine's assistant for two years. Finally, he won a competition at Square Enix's Gangan magazine with his first manga series B.Ichi and it was published for four volumes. After the end of his last manga, he created Soul Eater, still for Square Enix's Gangan magazine, which brought him worldwide success.

Reviews

[Gabriel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Al final, Medusa está logrando su cometido y ya se puede avistar lo que pretende dentro de Shibusen.

Maka y el resto de personajes tienen que impedir sí o sí lo que esta primera está a punto de liberar pero para ello todos deben enfrentarse a alguien y lograr impedir la tragedia.

Las batallas me encantan, en especial este tomo lo protagoniza más Maka, Soul y Stein en sus respectivos duelos.

[Moon_child31 · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5⭐️

[Kali · Rating 4 out of 5]

volumes 1-5

2/? manga rereads

This one I have been itching to come back to because 1) the anime was one of my favourites growing up, and 2) the manga I've only read once, right as the last chapters were coming out in 2013. I'm pretty sure I don't remember much of anything past a certain point, even in the anime from where they diverge. So this is very exciting. Really want to see how it holds up (nostalgia will make me biased through).

So much of the imagery has stuck with me. Everything from character design to how the world looks (everything is enhanced in the anime which has quite the memorable soundtrack, seriously, it slaps so hard (listening to it as I read, because obviously). It's all very distinct, very Soul Eater

laughing crescent moon with blood dripping down your teeth, and maniacally laughing sun, you'll always be famous

Pacing of the first five volumes is pretty okay. The beginning is quite rough, more than I remember. But we start of low, introductions and everything, then escalate tension and stakes. The current ark is probably my favourite from whole series (again, I actually don't remember much past a certain point, so I'll be coming back to this) with solid fight sequences, character interactions, and most importantly - one of my favourite horror sequences.

I love the characters so much, even their goofy elements. We have quite the variety of relationships and how they play off each other is fun to read. There's some mirroring going on, some direct opposition in others. It's a pretty big cast.

One thing in the writing that the manga suffers from throughout the whole series is that there are moments of quite the unnecessary or heavy-handed explanations of either things we had just read about or info-dumping.

As to the fanservice… yeah, it wasn't good back then, and I would say it's worse looking at it now. The first three chapters, which were originally published as standalones, are the most egregious. Then it mellows out, only to occasionally jumpscare you. Because it's weird - it's supposed to be sexy but every time it is the butt end of a joke. And like, I don't mind nor care if the focus is a character like Blair (I love Blair lol) who is an adult and in control of the situation, but when it's a teenager who is basically being harassed… jail.

[Mary ♥ · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5 stars (and yes, this is so getting better and better)

Things worth mentioning in this manga

1) I may be in love with (Franken)Stein
2) Soul and Maka are just such a cute ship
3) I ship Stein and Spirit more than I ship Stein and Medusa
4) I shouted 'Go die' at a werewolf, although they are my favorite fantasy creature and I usually like werewolf characters
5)Death the Kid is so perfect (but mostly in a 'my child' way)
6) I NEED TO CONTINUE

~Mary

[Nakarem]

How can a scene of two women grabbing each others boobs feel SO straight?
A few hours ago I was literally talking about how happy I am about the fact that there is less sexual fan service in Soul Eater than at the start....and then I read these panels...

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5

[Miss Ryoko · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am really digging this series a lot. I am really enjoying the story, the artwork, and the characters, and Ohkubo-san has a great way of always making me want to start the next volume immediately after finishing the one I'm reading.

[Liz (Quirky Cat) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Summary:

In a world where witches, minions, and tainted souls exist, there must also be those that stand against them. These people are known as Weapon Meisters and their Weapons. They are charged with devouring tainted souls and protecting the world.

Even schools like DWMA need to celebrate, right? Thus every meister and weapon of Death City is getting ready for a little (large) party. Unfortunately, they're not the only ones gathering for this event, as a certain witch has plans for how this evening will go.

Review:

Yessss! Soul Eater Vol. 5 dives into my favorite plot arc of the series (probably). It's intense yet oddly humorous at times. In other words, it perfectly showcases the balance that Soul Eater has found, and I love every minute of it.

We all know Medusa has been plotting something horrid for quite some time. This is the volume when we finally get to see a bit of how it's going to play out. Best of all, there's lots of action and a few big reveals.

I won't explain why this is my favorite arc, as doing so would delve into spoiler territory (do I need to worry about spoilers for a ten-year-old book?). Read this volume if you love seeing character dynamics, chemistry, and odd twists in the plot.

Highlights:
Shinigami
Paranormal
Humorous
Has an Anime

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[Ben Truong · Rating 4 out of 5]

Soul Eater, Vol. 5 continues where the previous tankōbon left off and contains the next four chapters (15–18) of the on-going manga series.

Death Weapon Meister Academy (DWMA) holds a celebration on the anniversary of its founding. Medusa uses this time to stage an attack with Crona, Free, Eruka Frog, and Mizune's sisters to execute her ultimate plan: to use the black blood to awaken the original kishin, Asura, who is sleeping beneath the DWMA building.

Maka Albarn, Black Star, Death the Kid, Franken Stein, and their partners manage to escape before Shinigami and the other DWMA students are imprisoned within a pocket dimension by Free. Franken Stein battles Medusa with Spirit Albarn to let the others stop her cohorts from awakening the kishin.

Black Star and Death the Kid track down Free and Eruka Frog while Maka Albarn stays behind to engage Crona. To defeat Crona, Maka Albarn and Soul Evans draw upon the power of the black blood, which drives Maka Albarn insane.

This tankōbon is written and illustrated by Atsushi Ōkubo. It mainly focuses on the attempted resurrection of Asura – the ultimate kishin. However, in order to complete the ceremony, Medusa to attack the Death Weapon Meister Academy with her compatriots to distract everyone while she attempt the resurrection.

All in all, Soul Eater, Vol. 5 is a wonderful continuation to a series that seems really intriguing and I can't wait to read more.

[Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Crona makes me cry everytime

[Blake the Book Eater · Rating 3 out of 5]

The fight between Crona and Maka/Soul is heating up. It’s okay, and the art is cool. Nothing crazy.

[Kiersten Buckner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Diving deeper into madness ☺️

[Mélaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

À mon humble avis le meilleur arc

[Lory Blanco (areaderheart) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars. Some random thoughts: Soul and Maka will forever be one of my favorite ships! Still have a crush on Stein and any scene he’s in is 👌lol especially if Spirit is also there. Soul telling that lil ogre to fuck off always gives me life 💕

[Katherine Velasquez · Rating 5 out of 5]

On Christmas Eve there’s a party for the school
Medusa has a plan to bring back a horrid monster under the school
She traps them although the main cast is able to escape
They split up so they can each take on an opponent and recuse the school

[Julie Hayes · Rating 5 out of 5]

DWMA is having a celebration! It’s their much-anticipated anniversary and should be a blast! Unless a certain someone gets her way, aka Medusa the Witch, who has plans of her own.

Maka is concerned about Soul. He’s hanging out by himself, but denies there’s anything wrong. She tries to get him to dance with her, thinking it will help with their Soul Resonance, but ends up with her father as a partner instead, to her dismay. Meanwhile, Crona and Ragnarok have entered Death City and are waiting for Medusa to give them the signal.

A rather drunken Dr. Stein drags Medusa out onto the dance floor, to her embarrassment, but it seems he has his own agenda, and confronts Medusa with the knowledge that she’s a witch. He connects her presence at the school with the presence of a kishin beneath the Academy, and she admits that he is right. Sid returns, having survived the explosion at Medusa’s lab, and warns everyone to get out. But it’s too late, the trap is sprung, the school sealed. No one can get out! Free warns Eruka the seal will only hold for about an hour, as she sends in the Mizune.

Stein tells them the only way to stop the intruders is by going underground and asks if anyone wishes to go with him. Maka, Soul, Black Star, Tsubaki, Kid and the sisters all volunteer. Meanwhile, Shinigami-same tells those who remain the story of the Kishin beneath DWMA.

Blair the Witch, in cat form, is strolling through Death City, wishing she could be at the DWMA celebration, which apparently is only for students, when she runs across the guy from the fish store who gives her free fish and he isn’t looking very good. Just then the mizune attack!

Stein instructs all the weapons to remain in weapon form and not take human form. He realizes the enemy has split up, lying in wait for them. Taking charge, he tells them he will take on Medusa as Make, Black Star, and Kid break through Medusa’s wall. Kid, being fastest, is to go after the ones who are after the Kishin. Maka is to pass Medusa and the Demon Sword and catch up to Kid. Black Star will hold back the Demon Sword so Maka and Kid get past, driving his soul wavelength into the enemy.

However, Maka has her own ideas of how things will go down. She is determined to get back at the Demon Sword for what he did to Soul!

This is one of the more action-packed volumes of this series, as Stein and his students work together to prevent Medusa and her minions from getting to and reviving the Kishin beneath the Academy. As always, the story is interspersed with the author’s humor. I love the scene with Stein and Medusa as they dance, and the one with Maka and Soul is very sweet. We learn about Crona and his background (his mother is a real witch!) and one has to feel sorry for him. (I keep forgetting that Crona is male, since he looks female to me). I guess we’ll find out if this treatment has destroyed his humanity or if there is a good person lurking underneath.

I liked the scenes with Stein and Death Scythe. Even though Death Scythe tends to be on the sleazy side, I can tell he really loves his daughter. Be aware that there are scenes involving Blair Witch that some might describe as ecchi. But I’ve seen worse in Food Wars lol

There is also another consideration here, that of Soul having the Black Blood in him. How will that work out, and will it become a problem? More to come, can’t wait to read it!

[Lilly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Soul Eater by Atsushi Ohkubo is a action packed manga. In the book the main characters Maka, Soul along with their friends got invited to the DWMA, Death Weapon, meister Academy, anniversary celebration. All of the meisters and weapons in death city joined in the festivities of music and dancing. Half way into the party the witch Medusa crashes the party to trap the meisters, weapons, and Shinigami-sama. The witch makes her way to revive the first kishin, an old meister who betrayed worked along side of Shinigami-sama. Maka, Soul and friends escape along side of Doctor Stein, A trusted “scientist”and meister, and Spirit, A death Scythe and Maka’s Father, to stop Medusa and her plan. The fifth book in Soul Eater the series is by far my favorite.

The fifth book has to be my favorite because I love all of the action it has. It also has many characters in it that have been talked or showed about finally have a big part in the book. For example Crona and the Mizune sisters had been talked about in the previous books, but in this one we get to know and see them interact with other characters. On pages 175-177 are my favorite action packed scenes because of the graphics, and the way Maka, and Soul talk and fight with so much emotion from then and the past. I think people who like manga, action, and fantasy books will like this book! I give this book five stars!

[˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚HIATUS˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚ · Rating 3 out of 5]

some of the parts in this volume were missing, so I'm taking it out on the rating. Also, why do they really not make some spell to contradict the soul-hiding thing or whatever? Kilik or whatever his name is is right... (I am so bad with names god fucking damnit)

Medusa: I'm a mother now, it's really changed my perspective.
Stein: And, do you find it hard juggling kids and a career?
Medusa: You can juggle these nuts
Stein: wha- * gets beaten up *


Crona and Maka fight Crona and Maka fight Crona and Maka fight Crona and Maka fight Crona and Maka fight Crona and Maka fight Crona and Maka fight Crona and Maka fight Crona and Maka fight!!!! I love themmmm!!!! I am very excited for the next volume because it has some of the cooler stuff from the show, and so seeing it in this style is interesting to me. The art got better! Kid still looks really weird but all the others are slowly taking shape. And if we ignore Blair, whose whole purpose is fanservice, and her new Girlfriend Mizune - there was basically zero fanservice!! Hooray!! Hooray!!
Also, Maka looks so good in that black dress inside Soul's mind. Black is her color for sure.

[Kayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the last book that I have read in the Soul Eater franchise. So, in this new story.. We get introduced to a new character, Dr. Frankenstein. He is also a shinigami just like Death, and Death the Kid. Dr. Frankenstein is the meister to Maka's dad, Death Scythe. These two are very powerful on their own. But as a team, they're one of the most deadliest duos. As Maka, Soul, Black Star, and Tsubaki go on a training mission. They run into Dr. Frankenstein, at first. We see him as an enemy, as he is fighting all of the students. But later on, when Maka is almost dead.. Soul decides to sacrifice his life in place of her's. As soon as that happens, Dr. Frankenstein confirms that they have passed the test. Turns out, Dr. Frankenstein is a teacher at DWMA. And was assigned to help guide these two teams to pass their quiz.

[Nat · Rating 4 out of 5]

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So Dang Happy -- September Wrap Up || 18 books!!

First off, love the exposition of the big bad for the series, the evil genius energy of Stein, but also all of the action in this one. Definitely very manga-style in that these fight scenes span multiple chapters.

Second, could have done without the witchy fan service though.

[Samuel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book because unlike the 4th one that had lots of action this one also had a balance by adding just as much dialogue but still wasn't any less exiting, again I really enjoyed the balance of dialogue and action they also included and revealed things we were still in the dark about and like usual revealed some things that were about to happing but also revealed a lot about what to come because it was divided into 3 parts so I predict the other parts will be in the next book I'm definitely excited

[Niki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don't mind me, I'm just casually re-reading the entire manga for the 5th time or so because A) it's one of my comfort series and I need all the comfort I can get right now, B) I own the entire thing physically so it's right there, and C) everyone is talking about fall/ Halloween reads and SE fits that to a T.

Gonna give all the volumes 5 stars as a default. There's plenty I could complain about if I wanted, namely the unnecessary fanservice/ weird sexualization of teen characters, but I'm not gonna do that right now. It pops up rarely enough that I can just pretend it doesn't exist.

[Sean Halpin · Rating 5 out of 5]

first five star volume of the series so far. really enjoying myself. ohkubo is quickly becoming a favorite mangaka of mine. they were already up there with fire force but reading thr sequel (which was written more than a decade prior) is so much fun. gonna put some serious hours into this today. my goal is to get thru volume 10.

one thing I love about this story, its not the art or the story itself, its the chapter length. each one is like 50 pages, opposed to the 15ish one piece has been serving up lately lmao

[Lili · Rating 5 out of 5]

J’ai encore mieux aimé ce volume que le précédent. Maka est tellement adorable dans sa robe. Je pense que c’est important de souligner que la connection entre Soul et Maka est super importante dans les combats. Ils se sont vraiment améliorés depuis le dernier tome. Le fan service était loin d’être nécessaire mais il y en a de moins en moins. J’ai hâte de lire le sixième tome pour voir maka devenir complètement folle à cause du sang noir.

[Amanda Setasha · Rating 2 out of 5]

I swear, there's at least 2-4 pages in every volume that's just fan service and it's annoying because it doesn't make any sense to the plot.

The character art still gets me. I don't really like it.
The plot is acceptable though, and so are most of the fight scenes.

The reason I felt the need to rate this down further was because there's actually some bubbles that aren't translated. Weird.

[LordSlaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

Medusa's plot is put into action! We learn about the origin of Cona and Ragnarok! The relationship between Maka and Soul evolves to a fascinating new level! Witch Blair battles a group of foes! Lots of battles, lots of action, drama, comedy, with a dollop of sexy! Cool art, cool story, Atsushi Ohkubo's Soul Eater manga continues to deliver the goodness!

[India♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

DWMA is having an anniversary celebration, but things take a turn when Medusa and her very powerful child, Crona, come to stir things up. The fight scenes, the storytelling, everything was top notch of course! My poor Crona! They’re my favorite character, so as an anime watcher I knew their backstory was coming and it makes me hate Medusa even more.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Still following the anime so that's interesting to me.

It's the anniversary of death City and the school is holding a party. This is also when Medusa's plan comes to action. With Frankenstein fighting Medusa with spirit and round two for Maka and soul vs crona and ragnarok it's very action packed.

On to the next book.

[Mangekyou · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nan j’ai juré meilleur tome à l’heure actuelle.
On en apprend enfin sur Médusa.
On en apprend enfin sur Crona.

Les combats dans ce tome c��est des bangers qui, je l’espère, finirons en légende dans le prochains tome.

La tension est là, le style artistique est là, les personnages sont là, les combats sont là. Il manque plus qu’un très bon scénario est c’est des vrais 5 étoiles à chaque tome !!

[TrashKat · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good lead in to a great bunch of battles! This volume adds some important background information that makes the series seem more plot oriented rather than a bunch of random battles strewn together.