Golgo 13 5
February 23, 2008
I’m kind of sad that I didn’t like this volume as much as the last one. On the other hand, there’s very little that I can think of that can top space sniping and… you know, the whole English job thing that was the second story.
I didn’t like the first story that much. It was mostly concerned with the Mob in… New York, I think? I’m pretty sure. There was a specific family that was being targeted by a politician, and one member in particular was seeking the politician’s head for a grudge. Golgo was sent in to make sure that the member succeeded. My roommate liked the trick shot Duke Togo pulled off at the end, but… it was kind of easy to see it coming as soon as you saw the belt buckle, you know?
The second story was notable because… well, they played Dungeons and Dragons. What the hell. Not just anybody though, people who I think were representing what is or was the EU around the time the Berlin wall fell. At one point during the game, Golgo was “hired” and his success was determined by the roll of a 100-sided die. The die came up 2 and the hit succeeded, because Golgo 13’s success rate is 99%. It was pretty awesome. Later in the chapter, Duke Togo is double crossed, so we get to see him retaliate. Always a treat.
My roommate would also like to point out that all the chapters in the second story are named after D&D spells, something I couldn’t have picked up on. Nice all the same.
There is, in the file in the back, a lengthy essay pondering why it is that Golgo 13 is never kicked in the balls for torture, and explains why this would be an absolutely devastating method of defeating him, citing examples and science and all that. I enjoyed it immensely.
February 24, 2008 at 4:54 am
That essay about genital torture was hilarious, especially when the writer went on about how Togo has probably mastered the lost art of sucking his balls up into himself for protection. Wow.. just, wow.
February 27, 2008 at 12:55 am
[...] Jouhou. At Slightly Biased Manga, Connie reviews vol. 2 of Presents, vol. 4 of Kashimashi, and vol. 5 of Golgo 13. Lissa Pattillo checks out vol. 1 of Level C and writes a thoughtful and non-spoilery review of [...]
February 27, 2008 at 4:19 am
Yeah, it was really amazing. I fear that the “File 13″ segment has climaxed, and nothing will be able to top it in the later volumes.