Grand Guignol Orchestra 3

Kaori Yuki – Viz – 2011 – 5 volumes

Okay, yes, I like this series an awful lot now. There are still some confusing things about the plot (mostly with the cast of side characters that appears infrequently but are often discussed and important to the story), but this volume did a good job of making the characters a whole lot more likable and the plot a little more clear. Sort of. Plus, the art is still wonderful to look at, and suits the story well.

The convent story from last volume wraps up quickly here, but not before introducing two new reoccurring characters and a “shadow organization” that opposes the queen. One of the characters is interesting, the kind of crazy Victorian psychopath that only Kaori Yuki can bring to life (well, Kaori Yuki and Black Butler’s Yana Toboso). I like him well enough, but unfortunately he’s yet another piece of the complicated Lucille backstory, something that involves a lot of minor characters and confusing flashbacks. While Lucille’s backstory is proving to be more and more interesting, it’s annoyingly involved and told poorly, and really, it’s about the only thing dragging the series down right now.

The next story in the volume is one that finally spotlights the mysterious Gwindel, the tall cellist of the orchestra. He’s got guignol arms and insists that Celes is better off not knowing too much about the other members of the orchestra. The group shows up at the home of a powerful Duke that opposes the queen, one whom raised a character behind the atrocities at the convent in the last story. There, they find that the Duke is preparing to marry Spinel, a spy for the queen.

Just kidding. The duke and Gwindel suddenly turn on everybody and Lucille is bitten by a guignol.

This story is awesome. It was difficult to tell how things would go for Celes and Kohaku, because Lucille really is bitten and infected by a guignol, and Gwindel did turn on his traveling companions rather spectacularly, and is insane to boot. Could the series continue as a story with Celes and Kohaku looking for a way to cure and/or free Lucille, trapped in the body of a guignol? Sure, I could believe that. I was looking for ways the characters were going to squirm out of the setup, but I was prepared for the worst all the way through.

Lucille’s backstory continues to unravel. We see flashbacks of his time with Spinel, we learn about some of his days with crazy Berthier in the orchestra, and we learn a bit more about his… nature. It comes off as rumor and speculation, but part of me wonders if it may actually apply to the story.

Every volume gets better and better, though. The series isn’t without its flaws, but the convoluted backstory with a thousand characters is way better than the one in Angel Sanctuary, the plot is far more interesting than Fairy Cube, and the characters more fun than the ones in what I’ve read of Earl Cain. I like Kaori Yuki, and so far, this is my favorite of her series. Good news!

This was a review copy provided by Viz.