Volume 6 of MURCIÉLAGO, by Yoshimurakana, is a particularly nasty volume. Oddly, I found it easier to take in English than in Japanese. I do not know whether that is a function of the translation or simply because I read through the nastiest bits more quickly in my native tongue. 

A bomber is threatening a school and Kuroko and the team have been called in to investigate. What she finds is that a ring of kids have been bullying a girl practically to the point of a psychotic break. The keyword is “practically”. Although Minako is sure that her lover is responsible for her abuse, she’s not all that angry because she’s a “get even” kind of gal. By the end of the series, Kuroko has left Minako with a penchant for domination, a slave and a desire to commit controlled violence. 

The bomber, it turns out, is also looking for revenge for a one-sided same-sex crush gone toxic. All in all, a school full of terrible people. 

Kuroko gets to kill a few inconsequential children, Hinako gets her kunoichi on, and everyone lives happily ever after, except for the people dead, beaten, abused, raped, and otherwise emotionally and physically traumatized. ^_^

Ratings:

Art – 6 
Story – 5 I still prefer adults beating the crap out of one another
Characters – 8 Violently insane, so thumbs up from me
Service – 10 
Yuri – 8  Extra Psycho Lesbians for your money! ^_^

Overall – 8

My review yesterday of Cutie Honey Universe seems to have surprised some new readers. Let me assure you that while I find tiresome service tiresome, I am wholly fine with horrific violence and psychotic lesbians. ^_^

In Yoshimurakana’s MURCIÉLAGO, Volume 5, little girls wearing yellow boots and carrying blue umbrellas are turning up strangled and the police are stumped.

Kuroko works on the case…and one of the bereaved mothers. She also finds time to meet with her erstwhile opponent at Virginal Rose, Teresa, now going by her real name, Narumi, who has gathered the Virginal Rose survivors and is trying to make a safe space for abused girls. Kuroko offers to underwrite the shelter/school if they work as informants, an idea that has been used in some of my favorite literature for centuries, so I approve.

In the meantime, we are subjected to the trials of Sora, who was kidnapped by the killer, so that we can be creeped out by the storyline. It is successfully creepy.

 Kuroko wraps this storyline up swiftly, for which I am now twice thankful. Even more thankfully, the end of the book see the return of weird-eyed Reiko the sniper in a new, exceptionally violent chapter. 

Final chapters are both silly and awful in equal part. Hinako is coming across as ever more unhinged. 

Reading this manga has taught me a lot about myself. I’ve known since Ikkitousen days that I do not mind violence as long as it is between two equally matched people. Exploitative or abusive violence enrages and disgusts me (probably much as the kind of violence I don’t mind makes other people feel, I imagine.)  I like weapons expertly handled. There is no form of hand-to-hand combat that I find dull, but man, do I really dislike the idea of people being beaten to death by skillless jerks with bats. Pisses me off no end to see people beaten by cowards who have to gang up or sucker punch victims. Huh. So, this too, goes into the folder of “no” when it comes to tolerable violence. On the other hand, I have a mental folder for tolerable violence. Huh. 

Yuri? Yes. Kuroko’s amassed quite a harem by Volume 5. Chiyo is her steady, of course, and we see her with Nanami and Matoi and of course Yuria, the medical examiner (who I had completely forgotten by Volume 10 in Japanese, which I was reading along side of this. Good thing she was here to remind me who she was. ) 

Ratings:

Art – 6 No less ugly than usual
Story – 5 Violence against little girls is in the no folder.
Characters – 8 Manipulative and vile, but I like ’em.
Service – 10 Nothin’ but
Yuri – 8  Having a lesbian psychopath as a protagonist definitely keeps this rating high. ^_^

Overall – 9

I love the next arc and any and all time spent with Reiko. Spider ahoy!

In Volume 1 of MURCIÉLAGO, we were introduced to serial killer Koumori Kuroko, who now subcontracts for the police, “closing” cases they can’t deal with. 

MURCIÉLAGO, Volume 2 begins with the final piece of the “Murder Party” arc, in which we can see that Kuroko is in fact, a pervert, as well preternaturally good at her work.

The phrase “Congenital Insensitivity to Pain and Anhydrosis” is less funny here if only because it was originally presented in English. However, killer maid Yukari’s response is still a hoot. 

“Murder Party” wraps up with several key points – a glimpse of sniper Reiko and a hope that we will see her again, and a detailed exposition of Yukari’s situation and, ultimately some discussion of how Kuroko found herself in this position. Speaking of positions, Kuroko gets a little sex in (yes, I went there and did that) and Hinako gives us our first glimpse of the not-really-rightness that is her. It’s just a brief hint so far. We’ll get more later. 

The book wraps up with a lead-in to a new arc that is, I must warn you, really quite horrible on at least two levels. If you were waffling about the violence in Volumes 1-2, wait ’til Volume 3. “Domestic Killer” ramps it up considerably. And it’s also creepy and lolicon fetishy. That may work for you if that’s works for you. It was not my favorite arc. 

Ratings:

Art – 6 Still very ugly
Story – 7 Still  horrible violence and sex
Characters – 8 Double the amount of psychotic women means it was twice as good.
Service – 10 Creative, awful and pervasive
Yuri – 9 

Overall – 9

I am biding my time waiting for the Virginal Rose arc. ^_^