I’ve never reviewed Volume 12 of MURCIÉLAGO because it’s probably one volumes with the least lesbian content in the series. It does, however, contain a tale of obsessive love that, while incredibly bizarre, is not at all creepy (in the sense of it being straight up horror and not sexual in any way.)

Someone is killing the traditional swordmasters of Japan. Kuroko and the gang are called into to track down the killer, who appears to be a phantasm. In actual fact, she is a phantasm, the soul of a deeply broken woman who would have been the greatest sword wielder had she lived. Instead, killed by her sister, she has possessed her sister’s body and in enacting her vendetta. To combat her, Kuroko challenges her to a duel, but Kuroko may have, at last, met her match.

This volume still has more straight up action than almost any previous volume, which is both really interesting and not at all interesting, as the art is less worried about the specifics than the general effect.

A short epilogue lets us join in with Kuroko as she takes sniper Reiko out for some new clothes. We get to see Reiko play dress up and are left knowing that she’s buying them for her girlfriend, which is the only Yuri we get in the volume, but I’ll take all the Reiko I can get. ^_^

Ratings:

Art – 8 For this series, it’s quite good
Story – Same as above
Characters – 8
Service – 3
Yuri – 1

Overall – 8

An even more action-packed and fight-filled volume of MURCIÉLAGO than usual.

Next up, we’re gettin’ weird. Again. ^_^