The first volume of Soul Eater NOT! ended with Akane asking Tsugumi if she would be his partner, despite the fact Tsugumi has two other willing partners. In this volume, Kim and Jacqueline get some focus.
There are a total of nine chapters in volume 2, starting with the seventh and finishing with the fifteenth.
Chapter 7 is called ‘How To 2!’, which opens with Tsugumi waking from a dream to discover that Meme is sleeping in her bed… naked.
Turns out Akane was only kidding about becoming her partner.
P.E. class is the focus of this chapter, with Tsugumi noticing that Akane seems to be keeping an eye on Anya – I know exactly why this is, but I won’t mention it until it comes up in the manga.
‘Invitation!’ is the title of chapter 8, which opens with some information about the stuff that Akane and Clay were investigating.
When the focus shifts back to Tsugumi, Meme and Anya, two of them are playing rock, paper, scissors whilst the latter refuses to do so… at first.
Kim shows up, and tells them she found a job – they need to change into something they don’t mind getting wet. Turns out the job is cleaning the swimming pool.
Jacqueline also joins in.
After they finish, Tsugumi realises that Jacqueline wants to partner up with Kim. This plays out almost like Jacqueline trying to ask Kim out.
In chapter 9, ‘I’m Tight All Over!’, Tsugumi, Meme and Anya try to find a way to get Jacqueline partnered up with Kim. They make a couple of attempts to get the two of them together, but they backfire. Trying to gather information turns out to be a bust, too.
It is in this chapter where Shaula starts making a move to crush the DWMA.
Kim reveals she is a witch in this chapter, and Jacqueline discovers that. Since she promises not to reveal that information to others, Kim is willing to partner up with her.
‘Fighting Street’ is the title of chapter 10, which opens with the three main girls acting like thugs due to watching street crime films. It is in this chapter where Liz and Patty Thompson are introduced – they work in the café that Tsugumi and the others worked in during the first volume.
At the end of the chapter, they provoke Anya into a fight, and we see that Patty can transform into a gun – common knowledge for those of us who have seen Soul Eater, but it certainly comes as a shock to Tsugumi.
Chapter 11 is called ‘SF2!’, and continues with the confrontation between Anya and Liz. Anya tries to put up a fight, but the Thompson sisters are both able to transform into weapons and are more experienced.
Everyone comes out of the commotion unharmed, though Meme and Anya decide against returning to the café. Tsugumi, however, goes on her own.
We get a cameo from Death the Kid, and Tsugumi actually compliments the Thompson sisters.
‘Study Group!’ is the title of chapter 12, and that’s exactly what happens. Tsugumi, Meme, Anya, Kim and Jacqueline all gather at the café for that. Some rowdy types disturb the session, but some words from Liz and Patty and a death stare from the café’s owner quickly silences them.
All the girls beside Kim change into uniforms and start helping out when the café becomes crowded. They don’t get much studying done, though…
Chapter 13 is ‘Labyrinth!’, and it features the three main girls getting lost within the DWMA. As they wonder around, they bump into Justin Law and then Tezca Tlipoca.
Tsugumi realises that she will need to make a choice between Meme or Anya to be her partner soon – a decision she is not looking forward to.
The girls stumble into the ‘Anti-Witch Headquarters’, where they find Akane and Clay. They escort them back outside.
‘Scorpion!’ is the title of chapter 14, with the witch Shaula Gorgon being identified as the main suspect for the attacks that occurred earlier.
At the DWMA girls’ dorm, Anya convinces Tsugumi to go to the Death Bazaar – basically a flea market.
The girls browse the various wares, some of which are being sold by familiar characters.
The chapter ends with Eternal Feather (the lass who showed the girls around the dorm) buying a ring from a suspicious woman, and then attacking an innocent person.
Volume 2 closes with chapter 15, ‘Brainwashed!’. Eternal Feather attacks Anya, but Meme is able to intervene with some advice from Maka. Maka and Soul fight against Eternal Feather, making sure not to injure her as she is a fellow DWMA student.
Of course, Shaula observes this fight, and gives Eternal Feather the order to kill herself.
The chapter ends with Tsugumi fainting.
This volume of Soul Eater NOT! gives us some insight into how Kim and Jacqueline became partners, as well as what Liz and Patty were like before becoming loyal to Kid. These are things that weren’t really touched on in the main series, so it’s great to see them here.
Of course, Tsugumi fretting over who she should choose for a partner is a key part of this volume, and pretty much her story – Anya has used her most in battle, but Tsugumi is too nice to leave Meme alone.
Taking into account the last two chapters of this volume, it seems like Soul Eater NOT! is shifting into a darker tone – will this actually be the case or not, though? Well, I know, but for those who don’t keep an eye out next week for my thoughts on the third volume.
Next time, one of my favourite characters from the main series makes his Soul Eater NOT! debut.
Rory Muses 