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Title: Wrath of Angels
Series: Shaman King #12
Author: Hiroyuki Takei
Rating: 3.5 of 5 Stars
Genre: Manga
Pages: 200
Format: Digital Copy
Series: Shaman King #12
Author: Hiroyuki Takei
Rating: 3.5 of 5 Stars
Genre: Manga
Pages: 200
Format: Digital Copy
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Synopsis:
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Boris, one of Hao's
minions impersonating a vampire, begins fighting Ryu but starts
monologuing about how his ancestor Vlad Tepes was actually a hero and
that his reputation was ruined. Boris reveals that his family was
being hunted down and it was due to Hao's intervention that allowed
them Shamanic powers. Thus why he's loyal to Hao. Boris proceeds to
kill all the innocent bystanders to pump up his powers with blood and
Lyserg, still under his control, puts a sword to Yoh's throat so he
can't interfere. To prevent the other Shamans in Yoh's group from
ganging up on him, Boris has Lyserg prepare to cut his own throat if
they move against Boris.Through the Power of Friendship, Yoh
convinces the ghost controlling Lyserg to simply step aside while the
3 other Shamans (Ryu, Ren and Horohoro) begin the battle against
Boris.
We get a flashback
to Ryu asking Yoh's grandfather to train him as a shaman. After
passing a test of endurance, Ryu is accepted for training.
The battle with
Boris continues in the here and now. Ryu expends all his mana and
blows Boris into a mountain. When Yoh goes to question Boris about
Hao, a mechanical angel appears and stabs Boris to death. It is
actually a spirit ally to a shaman who is part of a group called the
X-Laws. The X-Laws are a group of Shamans dedicated to defeating Hao,
not even bothering with the Shaman Fight. Their methods are brutal
and concise. Hao, and anyone assisting him, must die. Each X-Law has
an Angel as a spirit ally, a powerful spirit akin to a god of myth.
Two more of Hao's
minions attempt to stop Yoh's group and the X-Laws as a diversion
while a third makes an attack on them. The X-Laws wipe him off the
face of the earth. Yoh steps in to prevent any killing. He directly
opposes the leader of the X-Laws, who shoots Yoh's sword and breaks
it. The X-Laws walk away and warn Yoh to never go agains them again.
Anna, Manta and
others land in a helicopter and are immediately confronted by Hao.
Hao wants them to succeed though, as that will mean that Yoh will get
immeasurably stronger and hence be of greater assistance to Hao in
the end.
Yoh and Co head to
an underground cave and find out that only one path will lead them to
the Patch Village. All other paths will lead to death. They must use
their shaman powers to determine the right path.
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My
Thoughts:
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This was a very dramatic volume, but I found the X-Laws to be a bit
heavy handed and unintentionally hammy in their attitude. A group of
adults who command Arch-Angel level spirits are going to be the
disciplined kind of people who don't fly off the handle, but that is
exactly what the leader of the X-Laws does here. I mean, it is on
purpose by the manga-ka but it jarred me a bit.
The “fight” with Boris was a bit anti-climactic but it helped
showcase just how powerful the X-Laws are.
I think I enjoyed the flashback of Ryu beginning his training the
most. For whatever reason, I definitely resonate the most with Ryu.
Overall, this was a decent read but there was no breathless thrills
like in previous volumes nor was I tempted to rush right into the
next volume.
★★★☆½
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