Reborn 12
June 14, 2009
Akira Amano – Viz – 2009 – 26+ volumes
This volume was much easier to get into than the last. Last time the rules for a tournament were established, and a lot of the strange mob/time warp/different factions stuff came into play. This volume was only mid-tournament story, and benefited immensely from featuring a battle between a knife wielder and a dynamite user in an exploding school for most of the volume.
Tsuna and his group aren’t actually faring that well against the Varia, and due to a misstep at the end of the last battle, are in pretty bad standing in the tournament. The battle that takes up the majority of this volume is between the Storm Ring bearers. I think the titles indicate a fighting style rather than special powers, because neither of the contestants in this battle really have special powers other than trying to outsmart the other. The varia opponent, a pyschopath named Prince Ripper, is pretty crafty, but Gokudera is pretty good at turning his tricks back around on him.
The humor is rather hit-and-miss. On one hand, I enjoyed Gokudera’s teacher’s complete apathy for how his student learned or fared in battle (and, to be fair, his point is that Gokudera has to think for himself rather than just told outright how to fight). On the other hand, he also made a lot of breasts jokes, so that put things back at zero. Tsuna’s also too much a goody-goody for my taste, since he’s constantly yelling out not to get hurt and that his friends are more important than the rings, and how they should do it for Lambo, who was taken down last time. Ugh. His philosophy will probably win in the end, of course, since it’s pointed out that the varia are kind of heartless and lack the teamwork the… uh, “family” needs in order to control the Vongola rings. Mmm… yeah, Reborn is pretty eccentric, to be fair, but from what I’ve seen, there are a lot of other series that do the exact same thing better.
This was a review copy provided by Viz.
June 16, 2009 at 8:11 am
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