The Brother's Nose (Shaman King #26) ★★★☆☆

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Title: The Brother's Nose
Series: Shaman King #26
Author: Hiroyuki Takei
Rating: 3 of 5 Stars
Genre: Manga
Pages: 200
Format: Digital Copy

Synopsis:

Yoh realizes Team Ren has powered up so he and his cohorts race out of the stadium for more special training. The new member of the Wisdom Kings takes Ren out with a mental attack and Joco steps up to do battle with him. Joco's new oversoul tells him to keep cool when suddenly the 3^rd member of the Wisdom Kings does a sneak attack and apparently kills him. Now it's up to Horohoro to face down the strongest members of the Wisdom Kings.

Horohoro pretty much goes super-sayan on them and just completely overwhelms them. The scene cuts away to the lady in charge of Gandala and she's thanking Bonze the musician monks and Jun Tao for bringing Team Ren to her attention. Turns out Horohoro is some wolf-god incarnate and so powerful that Hao realizes the futility of turning him. Team Ren wins and the next match between a Hao affiliate and a Gandala affiliate begins.

Hao's team almost literally slices and dices their way to victory. While this match is going on, some X-Laws are attempting to assassinate Hao. Hao unleashes his fire elemental on them and devours their souls. They knew that Hao could read their minds, hence their plan, so they initiated a secret plan, an unrevealed Angel of Fire, a laser satellite and use it to destroy the entire area where Hao is.

Sati, the head of Gandala, confronts Yoh and tells him he must die for the sake of the 5 Warriors. Yoh prepares to test out his new oversoul.

At the time of the rogue X-Laws attack, a brother of one of the contestants beaten by Lady Jeanne confronts the car carrying Marco, Lyserg, Jeanne, Manta and Tamao. Marco appears to be killed outright.

The volume ends with the X-laws attack failing, Yoh being killed and sent to hell by Sati and Lady Jeanne and Co defenseless.

My Thoughts:

A good bit of fighting but once again, it is overwhelming on a visual aspect. I see this huge explosion of power and just pass it over as it's to much effort to parse it out. It would appear that Joco has been co-opted by Gandala and the whole 5 Warrior thing, whatever that is. Honestly, it seems a bit late in the series to be introducing yet another wrinkle into the plot. It certainly does create tension though.

One of the X-Laws sees Hao crying right before Hao kills him. Which means that Hao's ability to feel sympathy/empathy isn't gone like he claims. Not sure what that is going to portend, but I'm sure the manga-ka will make hay with it at some point.

Right at the end, when Sati kills Yoh, Matamune is shown greeting Yoh in the afterlife. So hopefully Matamune will power up Yoh and reveal some weakness about Hao. Or he'll just blather the manga-ka's useless palaver about not hurting anybody, ever, blah, blah, blah.

★★★☆☆

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