In/Spectre Vol 8
Rating: 4/5
Buy or Borrow: Buy
Source: Copy courtesy of the publisher!
Totomizu was a flourishing little seaside tourist town until suddenly, thousands of dead fish started washing up on shore. No one knows what's causing it--no one, that is, but the spectres. They say a strange wooden doll is behind this unnatural phenomenon. Can Kotoko solve the mystery and save the town?
I do really love the storytelling for this series, we hear about the problem along with Kotoko and then we head to the town and a character called Tae, who lives there along with her talking cat...who may or may not be an alcoholic. Via her we get all the speculation about what's causing, including a legend/story of the town that's almost like a ghost story. It did kind of creep me out, I won't be looking at Pinocchio the same way again. So creepy.
But the mystery builds up and we get all the clues and threads, and Kotoko shows up to add more theories to it and give us some lore. She's kinda like a supernatural Sherlock, in my opinion. Of course no volume of this series is complete without the relationship bickering between she and Kuro. According to Kuro "boyfriend is such a strong word", would it kill him to act cute for once!? I mean he does in his own way sometimes but still!
This time round the case is solved within a couple of chapters and it's kind of a sad one, actually. Before the volume finishes we get a cute, yet amusing chapter with Kuro and Kotoko doing a spot of sightseeing on their way home.
I feel like we're kind of chilling out, having a couple of cases come in that are easily solved in one volume, as we build up to another big and weird case like the Steel Lady Nanase case of previous volumes! But with this volume, we're definitely getting back in to the swing of things compared to last volume!
In/Spectre Vol 7
Rating: 4/5
Buy or Borrow: Buy
Source: Copy courtesy of the publisher!
Both touched by spirits called yokai, Kotoko and Kuro have gained unique superhuman powers. But to gain her powers Kotoko has given up an eye and a leg, and Kuro's personal life is in shambles. So when Kotoko suggests they team up to deal with renegades from the spirit world, Kuro doesn't have many other choices, but Kotoko might just have a few ulterior motives...
Man I've missed this series! I wasn't sure how this volume was going to go after things wrapped up in the last volume, but it was such a fun volume to get the series going again! I seriously, so badly ship Kuro and Kotoko and it was interesting seeing their relationship from someone else's perspective in the first chapter! On the one hand I kind of long for fluff with the two of them, but on the other...the relationship they have fits the two of them, and is kinda cute in it's own way. I mean Kuro was worried in his own little way, which was sweet and it was like "ah you do care, bless"and it does seem almost like he doesn't care sometimes.
This volume gives us another fascinating murder mystery with plenty of different theories that Kotoko talks us through and dismisses or pokes holes in as is her custom. I really love the way she presents all the options and then tears them down, and I love how its portrayed in the manga. With the final chapter it was fun to see someone else do the deducing and Kotoko take a backseat for that final chapter. It was a fun little twist.
While there isn't much action this volume, there's a lot of mystery and deductions as well as funny scenes and interactions between Kotoko and Kuro! I feel like after the Steel Lady Nanase case, this is a nice little volume to bridge the gap for whatever story arc is coming our way next!
In/Spectre Volume 6
Rating: 4/5
Buy or Borrow: Buy
Source: Copy courtesy of the publisher!
Both touched by spirits called yokai, Kotoko and Kuro have gained unique superhuman powers. But to gain her powers Kotoko has given up an eye and a leg, and Kuro's personal life is in shambles. So when Kotoko suggests they team up to deal with renegades from the spirit world, Kuro doesn't have many other choices, but Kotoko might just have a few ulterior motives...
With the start of this volume we're coming in to the second part of the 'deductions' stage of this story arc, and Kotoko throws out her final two theories. I've actually been quite intrigued to see what she's going to come up with and it was actually quite masterful how she handled it all and brought it to an end. I really loved the smart way the ultimate solution came about and the enemy was defeated, and the way all of Kotoko's theories fed in to and contributed to what she was ultimately trying to do. It's all very Sherlock Holmes, I'm not going to lie! The way it was drawn was a lot of fun too!
Now, this volume brings the Steel Lady Nanase case to an end as the case is solved and I'm very satisfied with how it all ends! Everything wraps up nicely with one liiiittleeee thread dangling. From what I understand, that's all of the light novels adapted to manga form and from the next volume it's all going to be original story! I'm quite intrigued to see what's going to happen, I mean I'm assuming it's going to be to do with Rika, but we'll see!
I'm not going to lie, I ship Kotoko and Kuro pretty badly so it was nice to see some cute moments between the two of them in this volume, and get more of an insight in to what the relationship between them is like. I do find their interactions amusing as well as cute! As for Kotoko, she's my favourite character, I love her so much! She just has such a vibrant personality and you get to see just how intelligent she is in this volume, as you see just how far Kuro can push his powers!
