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Reviewed by Ysabet Reinhardt MacFarlane Volume 13 of Tail of the Moon begins with an unexpected reunion as Usagi and her friend Yukimaru (newly returned from studying abroad) return to Iga, a full year after the attack by the Oda Clan. After distancing herself emotionally from her old life in an attempt to deal with the pain of what happened there, Usagi is finally able to reach out to and reconnect with the people she'd been withdrawing from, and she finds that not all of them are doing as well as she'd hoped. In particular, rumor has it that her friend Goemon has become a thief and dishonored his training as a ninja. Usagi takes this news to heart and blames herself for the change in Goemon, since she'd refused to see him every time he tried to visit her during the year she spent at Okazaki. But despite how they've both changed since they've seen each other, when they finally meet again it seems that their relationship is much the same as always. Between Goemon and Yukimaru and the people who've been supporting her all along, nearby or from afar, Usagi seems ready to think about finally moving on. I like Usagi more with each volume I read: she's warmhearted and has a very good head on her shoulders, which aren't always traits that go together. She feels everything very strongly, but while she seems to sometimes be overwhelmed by her emotions, it never lasts long. She's still fairly young, and it shows, but she's obviously matured considerably just within the last few volumes--some of which is due to extenuating circumstances, but not all of it. This may be a little strange, since I haven't read most of the series, but my favorite part of this volume was the "Little Hanzo" four-panel comics between the chapters. This installment is far less grim than volume 12 was, but it's still nice to have that quick interjection of lightheartedness here and there. Tail of the Moon continues to be a very accessible, readable series. With only two volumes left, the story is starting to wind up, but Ueda is still adding new plot threads while resolving some of the older ones. As before, I'll be interested to see what happens next. This volume includes two pages of cultural/translation notes. Review copy provided by VIZ Media. Interested in writing for MangaLife? We're always looking for talented reviewers and columnists, so drop us a line! Charles Webb Editor-in-Chief, MangaLife.com |
1 September 2010
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