MAO (2020)
[MAO（マオ）]
Volume 5
Author/Artist: Rumiko Takahashi
Publisher: Shounen Sunday Comics
Synopsis:
In Kyoto, Kuchinawa follows the trails of the water caster.
Story/Characters:
We get a new bit of mystery when Kuchinawa's investigation reveals the water caster isn't who he was expecting, which leaves him wondering what happened to the more accomplished apprentice who should have been successor candidate. Afterward, we are introduced to a new character, Yurako, who has an interest in Mao. Nanoka has a run-in with Byouki and the way he interacts with her is interesting, enough to have me wondering if he's not as malevolent as he's made out to me. (It's likely a trick, but who knows?) Mao then gets a lead on Yurako's activity, which gets intertwined with another plot thread involving Captain Shirasu, a Russo-Japanese War veteran who's actually Hakubi, another one of the successor candidates. It's funny. I was wondering about metal casters not long before this volume came out and we get to see it in action. This leads to Mao and Kuchinawa paying the local salon a visit (and by "salon" we're referring to hoity-toity social gathering, not a beauty parlor), where they encounter Yurako and uncover her true identity. I won't spoil it, but it's a big deal. We then close with the aftermath of a dust-up between Mao and Shirasu.
Art:
The art is solid as ever. We get a decent fight between Kuchinawa and Shiranui and the introduction of Shirasu/Hakubi demonstrates some neat stuff with metal casting. Yurako has a rather striking design and I like how the cover of Chapter 8 teases Nanoka dressing up for the salon visit when she actually ends up posing as a maid.
Conclusion:
While I haven't been consuming this series with much passion, it's always been a competent story. However, it's the plot twists and reveals in this volume that have grabbed my interest more than anything that's come before. I'm rather curious about how things are going to develop. It's worth a read at the very least, so give it a shot.
Rating:
Read It