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Reviewed by Ysabet Reinhardt MacFarlane Tail of the Moon comes to a satisfying conclusion with volume 15, and I continue to be glad I've had a chance to read some of the series (exactly a fifth, which is nice and tidy, but not the same as reading the whole thing). It's always especially pleasant to be able to say that a series ends well, which is something I try not to count on with manga--or with stories in any medium that lets them be drawn out, for that matter. Any form of serialized storytelling runs the risk of getting too long or too tangled, or of the writer(s) simply not knowing how to end it. Usagi is thrilled that Hanzo is alive, but less happy about his plan to assassinate Oda Nobunaga in retaliation for the destruction of Iga; she believes that taking revenge will do no one any good, least of all Hanzo himself. She finds herself in the peculiar position of being in Nobunaga's service and trying to protect his life despite how he's hurt the people she cares about, and despite the fact that he's just stripped her friend, the loyal Mitsuhide, of his lands. Action ensues! And that's all I'm going to say, since I don't want to give anything away. Roughly half of the book is devoted to wrapping up the main storyline, and there's quite a lot packed in there. This series has some strong feel-good elements to it, but there's tragedy, too, and Ueda does a good job of maintaining the balance between them. The second half of the volume gives us a brief look into the future and a short side story, Promise of the Moon, which takes place several years after the conclusion of the main story and focuses on a supporting cast member. In the way of such things, it's a little predictable, but it's also pretty sweet. Volume 15 of Tail of the Moon includes two pages of cultural/translation notes. Review copy provided by VIZ Media. Comment on this review of Tail of the Moon v15 on the Manga Life Forums. |
6 October 2009
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