Tomodachi x Monster – Vol. 2 (Manga Series)
April Marie
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Written by Yoshihiko Inui
Illustrated by Yoshihiko Inui
Published by Seven Seas Entertainment
Suitable for ages 16+
Literally everyone has heard of Pokémon. It doesn’t matter if you’ve played the games, read the comics, watched any of the tv show/movie adaptations, you know what Pokémon is. When we reviewed Tomodachi x Monster Volume One, we compared it to Pokémon because of its adorable monsters, and children “trainers.” Now that we’ve read Volume Two of Tomodachi x Monster, we’d like to ask you to remember Pokémon’s long-lost cousin, Digimon. Things have taken a turn in Tomodachi x Monster that have hearkened us back to the 90’s in remembrance of Digimon.
When we left Narimiya Wataru and his “friend” Peke in Volume One, they had just rescued a boy looking for his brother. Peke had evolved into a different form and helped Wataru save the day. Another nail in the coffin really for the Pokémon reference, if only Peke hadn’t gone back to his original form. Hello, Digimon.
As it turns out, Peke is a special kind of “friend” since he can evolve into multiple different forms depending on his situation. So far only two different kinds have been revealed, but there are sure to be more in the future. While this is one of the most vital plot points in Tomodachi x Monster, so much more happens in Volume Two.
A gaggle of new characters are introduced, but not all things are as they seem. Mystery abounds in this volume, as these new children fight for their lives, while still trying to do what’s right. At the head of this morality is of course Wataru. A constant crusader for only fighting when necessary, he stays true to his heart. The same cannot be said for others, but of course we’d rather not ruin the end of the volume for you.
The art style in Tomodachi x Monster continues to walk the line between cute and creepy. While the children’s monsters are all adorable in their own ways, the darkness in Tomodachi x Monster is still apparent. There are scenes where major injuries happen, and while gruesome, they don’t really cross the line into gore. Whenever there are children involved, it can be difficult to cross that line for fear of backlash. Still, Tomodachi x Monster is a manga about kids killing kids, so it’s a bit inconsistent that the violence feels so neutered.
While we learn more about Peke’s evolution abilities and some big reveals at the end, this volume of Tomodachi x Monster felt like filler. Most of the story was wildly forgettable, and it’s difficult to keep an audience interested with fluff. However, the reveals at the end indicate some bigger battles to fight in future volumes. So if you can make it through Volume Two of Tomodachi x Monster, it might be worth it to stick around.
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Manga
Categorized:Reviews
