Pet Shop of Horrors 3

Matsuri Akino – Tokyopop – 2003 – 10 volumes

Ooh, a deeper look at D this time. He’s not as heroic as most main characters are, and we learn that he can be downright evil when he wants to be. I continue to be completely baffled by the relationship between D and Leon, too. Leon seems to want nothing more than to bust D on anything he can think of, but has no problem frequenting his shop and chowing down on cakes, complaining all the while of D’s sweet tooth. D isn’t bothered by this or Leon’s promises of arrest, either. It’s a really, really bizarre situation.

D’s character development comes more in the flavor of hints about his background and… possible magic powers he has? Or at least one use for his always-covered eye. The first story in particular was a great D story. It talked about his grandfather and his resemblance to him, and the plot involved D fulfilling a promise to one of his father’s old friends, via some seemingly out-of-character but expertly accomplished acts of terrorism and murder. It’s not clear if D really did do all of the violence himself, although it’s strongly implied. The whole chapter was simultaneously interesting and a slap in the face, which is… really something. We also learn a little about D’s father, enough to know that the two are nothing alike, which seems like it invites confrontation down the road.

That first chapter… I just re-read it, because the pieces didn’t fit together. The last page finally makes sense. I see what you did there. Extraordinarily clever, that. I have a new appreciation for this series, because that was a tricky way to tell the story.

There are two “pet” chapters, one about a little girl who wants to get rid of a puppy, and another about a non-pet teddy bear that functioned the same way that any of D’s pets would have. The third chapter is an unusual one about a mythical and uncommon Chinese creature. Elsewhere, Leon is tracking a serial killer, and D seems to be falling for the new chef at a restaurant he frequents. Like most of the mysteries in this series, it is stylish and very fascinating, and D’s reaction to things, when all was said and done, was unexpectedly creepy. I couldn’t see the end coming, and there’s plenty of action to keep things interesting, too.

This volume is maintaining the status quo, and I have to say, it will be hard to beat that first chapter. That was one of the most clever short stories I’d read in a long time.