by Hiroaki Samura, 230 pages Rin, Manji, and the Mugai-Ryû keep vigil over the roads out of Edo in order to spot Anotsu before he leaves the area. But since only Rin's ever met the man, and he may be in...disguise...picking him out of the crowd won't be easy. As she watches out for their target, Rin also observes her mysterious new comrades and mulls over her feelings regarding their sudden alliance.
I suspected as much last volume, but I now officially hate Shira. Hate, hate, hate him. He's not some cold, untouchable machine, but conscienceless, cruel, and terrifying in the most horribly human way. Everything he does or says is filled with unchecked malice. More than just a misogynist, Shira's a sadistic misanthrope, and I don't think his jaded world view lets him truly enjoy anything, however much he may cackle over his own sick jokes (disturbing precisely because he's not joking) and the misery he so readily inflicts on others. His motley Mugai-Ryû colleagues are just doing their jobs--some of them are funny, some cool, some both--and, as with the Ittô-Ryû, I find myself having a hard time deciding whom to root for when the conflicts come down to individual human beings. Everybody's got their own motives, their own pain, their own ideals and uncertainties, and I feel a little for all of them, even if I don't think what they're doing is right. But I spare no such thought for Shira. He just needs to die. *swears she's a pacifist* :)
Until he's dealt with, I'll be fantasizing about Manji, Rin, and Magatsu (my favorite unhateable Ittô-Ryû) putting aside their differences and taking Shira out permanently. Clearly, Samura's got me wrapped around his skilled, Eisner Award-winning finger, since I've bought into these characters enough to be afraid for them (or afraid of them, as the case may be). However much I may worry about what happens next, I still want to know....
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