Yuri Narushima

THE MAD PRINCE BECKONS and shock it turns out Kagami is basically Jack Harkness without the omnisexual prowess. This kid...he messed with time and space to save his sister.

And maybe all the other worlds. I'm a bit hazy on it truth be told.

So Bambi kidnaps Kaguya for Kura, Kura is basically villain-monologuing over Kaguya who is like OH MY GOD STOP I'M JUST AN ORDINARY GIRL AND YOU ARE LYINGGGGGG

Which probably true in some ways. She's kind of a fake out in a way. Kagami wanted to protect her but knew to protect her he had to make the others do certain things so he had that prophecy created that told people she was important so people started to protect her but it sort of fell apart because Kura's ambition defies logic but it's fine because Seeu woke up.

Or something.

Whatever.

So the worlds probably won't end any time soon but now everyone is normal and Kagami is gone and Seeu apparently got over his fear of folk touching him to the point where he has sex.

This series was a weird, wild ride and I think too metaphysical sci-fi for me. It got really hard sci-fi pretty quick and my brain could not keep up.… (more)

THE MAD PRINCE BECKONS...but he's super young and adorable if weird.

This is an information heavy volume, even beyond volume 2 with Bambi's stuff. Also GODS DAMMIT BAMBI YOU ARE WHY WE CAN'T HAVE NICE THINGS.

UGH

Welcome to new cast member Waseda, a giant Robot Chicken from the late Taisho period. He gives us a long, sad tale about what happened to Asu - or at least the residents of the planet as well as a very good reason as to why Seeu really isn't great with goodbyes, people or communicating.

Horrifying disease that I very well remember giving me nightmares as a senior in high school. Hell they may give me nightmares now.

Kaguya finds confidence though and is off to face the wiz--er well Kuro, a dictator in Geo who is the bearer of Nox Light*. He's a former comrade (or sorts) of Seeu, Kagami, Ragunahaan* and Idou.

Also a grade A asshole.

SHOULD BE FUN GUYS.

(*So the translation here changes in three places from books 1&2 - Idou is now the bearer of Zenith Crystal not Zenith Crio, Lagunahaan is now Ragunahaan and Nukeslight is now Nox Light. It's slightly confusing since this is Gabi Blumberg's last volume translating so I'm wondering if because thats how the new translator for 4&5 Nan Rymer spelled them? I don't have the old SMILE magazines the chapters originally ran in to compare against to see if they changed it between chapter and collection, nor do I know which translation is truer. Two more translators for this series sign on with only one other change I see - Gavies Ebira becomes Gaviella somewhere between 4 and 5/6)… (more)

THE MAD PRINCE BECKONS

So two things - this series makes little sense on a whole scale, but pieces of it make sense on a small scale. I remember wanting to treat this like a bunch of interconnected short stories.

Second - stare very hard at the cover, especially near the waist. It's pretty at first...but try to figure out how her proportions work and you'll go mad.

Now then. In a brief somewhat coherent way let me summarize - Kaguya, an adopted child thought to have been abandoned at 4 years old, has vivid dreams of a dangerous place where a boy offered her his hand. Amidst the scandal of her adoptive father being arrested for bribery, some strangers with weapons duke it out to have the right to kidnap her.

She winds up with the silent, eerie young guy who follows her orders to the precise letter. Instructed to keep her safe by his master - the Mad Prince Seeu - the two find themselves in a heavily forrested area. Meanwhile Idou hunts them, Seeu went (presumably) home to his creepy castle, and some weirdo with a braid is keeping tabs on everyone.

Also Kaguya's adoptive older brother may have a sister complex

This is confusing and it's not helped by the fact the translation is jarring. Some of the conversation doesn't transition from thought to thought while observations are abrupt or strange.

Overall though my nostalgia glasses are still firmly on and those feelings of love for Seeu are quite strong. Even if it's a volume or two before he proves interesting.… (more)

THE MAD PRINCE BECKONS...but guys this book was soooo confusing. On the one hand the artwork has definitely improved volume to volume, but I think the story is so confusing now.

So Meshie, the Sage of the Forbidden Comet (which apparently means every time you get reborn you remember everything from your previous lives and your future lives...so he's a Time Lord basically), explains how Kagami and Kaguya rewrote history.

Kagami by saving Seeu's life and participating in the battle. Kaguya by...I guess being herself. Somehow Kaguya being Kaguya changed history - namely Bambi picking up Pyro instead of rejecting her birthright. Meshie seems both amused by what Kaguya and Kagami have done and worried.

It's no small thing that Kaguya was born after "the end" and that no one knows where Kagami came from. Which pisses off Kura almost as much as the fact that Ragunahaan went to his death willingly.

Actually lemme stop there I'll need to re-read this to understand. I'm so so confused.… (more)