The Eminence in Shadow (2019)

[陰の実力者になりたくて!]

Volume 3

Author: Daisuke Aizawa
Illustrator: Tozai
Publisher: Enterbrain

Synopsis:
Claire brings Cid along for a vampire hunting quest in the notorious Lawless City.

Impressions:
This volume covers two of the three arcs featured in the second season of the TV series. In the first arc in the Lawless City, I particularly like the dynamic that forms between Claire and the vampire hunter Mary. We also have the introduction of Yukime, who features heavily in the second arc. She's one of my favorite characters in the series and has a rather compelling background with a solid throughline. Also, I have to admit having a bit of a weakness for the oiran dialect. Speaking of the second arc, the narration indicates somewhat more noble motives for Cid's plot to take down the Mitsugoshi Company besides him just being salty that the girls are making so much money without him (because he's too stupid to realize that every zeni they make would be devoted to him and at least what they think is his cause). Regardless, it's interesting watching the trade war between Mitsugoshi and the Major Corporate Alliance play out, all while being a proxy war between Shadow Garden and the Cult of Diablos, with Cid acting as a third-party spoiler under his new identity as John Smith. As always, the disconnect between Cid's perception of reality and everyone else's never fails to be amusing, but I do feel sorry for Alpha and the other Shadow Garden girls, who are put through some tough times. If your interest in Delta was piqued in the previous volume, she gets a lot more screentime here and I really enjoy her interactions with Cid as he shows more of his true face around her and because Delta doesn't overthink things, she's actually more perceptive than most when it comes to him. (But because she doesn't think about it, she isn't disillusioned by the truth. Boss is Boss. Boss is strong. That's all Delta needs to know.)

Needless to say, I enjoyed this volume quite a bit. I'd honestly argue that Aizawa is progressively upping his game as we go, so if you've become a fan of the series, you should be thoroughly satisfied as well. I can gladly recommend adding it to your collection, so be sure to get it.

Rating:
Own It