I have managed to build up a fairly sizeable backlog of manga to read and review, so I figured I would spend the next week or two working my way through that. I will try to post a manga review on days when I’m not covering anime, though I won’t hold myself to that – it pretty much will depend on how I am feeling.
For now, though, I am feeling like writing a manga review, and this one will be for the second volume of Magical Girl Spec-Ops Asuka. This second volume contains chapters four through to eight.
The cover of volume 2 features Magical Girl War Nurse Kurumi
Asuka wants to leave behind her past as one of the Magical Girls who saved the world, and live a normal high school life. Unfortunately, things are never easy for a retired hero. When a pair of sorcerous Russian mercenaries kidnap one of her classmates, Asuka is forced back into the fight. There’s more to this kidnapping than meets the eye – and it might just take some Magical Girl Spec-Ops to set things right.
This second volume begins with Kurumi transferring into Asuka’s school, and the line between Asuka’s normal life and life as a magical girl just gets blurrier and blurrier. It only seems to be a small hint for now, but Kurumi seems a little jealous when she meets Asuka’s friends.
It doesn’t take long for things to turn bad, with the aforementioned kidnapping of Asuka’s classmate. This ends up causing Asuka to take on the role of Magical Girl once again, as she and Kurumi mount a rescue mission.
Being a dark magical girl series, the kidnap victim is tortured as well – this gives the reader an idea of what the Russian mercenaries are capable of. Even after Asuka and Kurumi find her, her safety is not guaranteed.
The main action in this volume is Asuka’s fight against said mercenaries. Asuka may be a Magical Girl, but it seems that there are plenty of other people out there capable of wielding similar powers. The two Russian mercenaries are quite an imposing pair, and very efficient at their jobs.
Kurumi has to fight as well, but it is not the Russian mercenaries she has to deal with. Rather, her opponent is one who wields very similar powers – though perhaps sending a medic to the front line is a bad idea. This volume also introduces the Magical Girl Spec-Ops Development Unit. After all, Magical Girls won’t always be allies.
This volume takes the time to give us a little information about each of the ‘Legendary Magical Five’. The locations of four of them are known, but as for the fifth – that seems to be quite concerning.
It also seems that Mia Cyrus will be heading over to Japan, so I imagine a reunion with Asuka and Kurumi will be on the cards in the near future.
There is a lot more military stuff in this second volume, and military advisor Naoya Tamura even comments on that in the afterword. It certainly does result in an increase in the intensity of the Magical Girls’ battles.
This second volume of Magical Girl Spec-Ops Asuka was something I enjoyed reading. Asuka’s fight was particularly good, and there is intrigue surrounding the main antagonist. We don’t know much about her yet, but she knows Asuka.
Rory Muses 