07-Ghost Volume 10
Creative Staff
Story/Art: Yuki Amemiya and Yukino Ichihara
Translation: Satsuki Yamashita
What They Say
Reuniting Capella with his mother leads to far more intrigue than the tearful reunion Teito and Frau expected. Then, it’s off to a Hawkzile Race that will sneak the duo into District 1′s enemy territory undetected. But even more dangerous than the destination is the blindingly brutal course – and the growing darkness within Frau.
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
Though our heroes are finally closing in on Capella’s home, Frau forces them to take a break when Teito comes down with a cold. When they argue over this we get a glimpse of the darkness hidden inside the perverted priest before Teito finally agrees to rest. With Teito refreshed the gang heads out to the home where Capella’s mother is staying, but they run into trouble finding it. However, a slash at an inconspicuous wall courtesy of Frau breaks down the illusion and lets them into the impressive mansion. After some rowdy introductions we learn that Capella’s mom, Lutia, has been standing in for the mother of Lena, the lady of the house. Lutia has a joyous reunion with her son, and then explains that she could no longer make ends meet once her eyesight worsened, and she even considered killing herself along with Capella. However, she didn’t want her son to die, so she took the painful path of selling him as a slave, figuring he would at least live on that way.
With that out of the way, we learn that Lena’s mother was the owner of the estate, and was murdered via poisoning two months ago. Lena needs to be one year older in order to inherit the estate, and she’s certain that her relatives plan to sell off the land for their own benefit if they gain control. As such Lutia, who looks just like Lena’s mother, was brought in as a replacement to cover up the death until Lena’s birthday, which is now one day away. Things seem to be going well as Teito and Frau agree to help make sure Lena safely reaches her 15th birthday, but when midnight chimes space starts to warp and time resets back to when our heroes arrived at the mansion. As Frau is the only one who remembers, it’s up to him to break the time loop and bring things to a close. Fortunately, he’s able to use this to his advantage and find the one person not stuck in the loop, singling them out as a Kors. The villains are properly punished, their wrongdoing is explained, and Teito and Frau are able to give a heartfelt goodbye to their young travelling companion.
After a quick revelation in which we learn two of the Ghosts infiltrated the military, the time comes for the next arc. In order to get into District One without the need of an inspection, Frau and Teito muscle their way into a big Hawkzile race that passes through. They actually do very well for themselves, arriving first at the checkpoint of Werneza Castle. But just how will our heroes be affected when it the twisted owner sets her sights on them? And will Frau be able to resist his dark urges, or will they lead him to disaster?
In Summary
This volume does rather well for itself, wrapping up one plot and giving us the start of another fun story. The opening with Capella is of course nice, including a different sort of attack on our heroes, and also providing for some solid emotional moments. With the heavy parts out of the way, though, the second half takes a chance to have some fun. The race story definitely sets itself apart from the series norms, which makes for a nice change of pace. Though there’s still obviously some drama, it’s mostly just packed with action and laughs, and it’s easily the highlight of the volume. The intense moments are obviously still coming, but for now this volume does a great job of making use of both the serious and the silly.
Content Grade: A-
Art Grade: B+
Packaging Grade: B+
Text/Translation Grade: B
Age Rating: 13+
Released By: Viz Media
Release Date: May 13th, 2014
MSRP: $9.99
