Tokyo Aliens Volume 3 Review
After a solid first outing and an okay but flawed second entry, I think it’s fair to say that Volume 3 of Tokyo Aliens has a lot riding on it. It’s make-or-break time for this shonen series, but will it be able to deliver? Let’s take a look.
When we left Akira and Sho they were on a bodyguard mission, protecting a young alien called Erika waiting for her family to arrive. Unfortunately, she’s being targeted by assassins and at the end of Volume 2, Akira and Sho’s hideout is attacked, leading to the three being put in mortal danger. Sho gets hit with an attack that splits his body in half and leaves Akira convinced his partner is dead. But there’s no time for Akira to grieve for his partner as the attacker is still lurking and if he wastes the opportunity Sho sacrificed himself to create, both he and Erika will wind up dead too.
So Akira makes a run for it with Erika, but of course, our protagonist is only a rookie with no field experience until now, so it’s not long before he’s attacked by the enemy. Luckily he and Erika are saved once again by Sho, but Akira is left bewildered by the fact he’s alive having seen his decapitated body for himself. Now there’s not a scratch on him and a glowing horn coming out of his head…
Back at AMO HQ, Akira learns from Amamiya that Sho is what’s considered a former earthling. Nine years ago, Hakugin (the beast that killed Akira’s father), attacked Sho and his little sister which left his sister in a coma and Sho became an alien with hyper-regeneration abilities. Amamiya stresses that Sho is not immortal; he still ages and feels pain, but he can’t die so Akira doesn’t have to worry about it in the future.
Of course, Amamiya’s blasé comments do absolutely nothing to reassure Akira as he cares about Sho and doesn’t want to see him in pain. Who cares if he doesn’t die, it still hurts and Akira doesn’t want Sho to go through that just to protect him. Worse still, Sho’s alien nature has left him labelled a ‘monster’ by other members of the AMO and even Amamiya sees him as a weapon to be used to fight dangerous aliens, neither of which Akira can let slide. Maybe now, finally, Sho has found a partner who will value him for who he is. And Akira may have just found his reason for being in AMO, for chasing after Hakugin and working this dangerous job.
When I reviewed Volume 2 of Tokyo Aliens I talked about it feeling disjointed compared to Volume 1 and there was a sense that the author didn’t know what to do with the series (perhaps not helped by some editorial meddling as explored in the afterword for that release). But this time around, those fears are unfounded. These chapters feel as though mangaka Naoe is putting their cards on the table, has committed to a path forward and finally figured it all out.
The storyline this time around moves quickly with lots of action scenes, but it’s also packed with character developments and emotional flourishes that keep the readers who are invested in Akira and Sho on the hook. There’s a point towards the end of the book where the roles of Akira and Sho are reversed, with Akira taking charge of the mission for the first time, illustrated by a two-page spread. At this moment I knew that Tokyo Aliens had found its way and that it would be okay because the strength of our protagonists will carry it through anything. Their partnership has always been integral to making this manga work and now Naoe is capitalising on that, with no room for arguments. It’s not very often that I walk away so satisfied by how a creator has portrayed such an emotionally charged scene and even now, a couple of weeks after first reading this release, I’m still thinking about it. If that’s not the sign of a good manga I don’t know what is.
Of course, now this arc is over the next volume may fall back into bad habits but unlike when I finished Volume 2, it’s going to take a lot for me to put this one down for good. That’s how confident I am in Naoe’s newfound determination. Even if it stumbles, Naoe has proven that Tokyo Aliens can bounce back.
Tokyo Aliens Volume 3 comes to the West thanks to Square Enix Manga and continues to be translated by Andria McKnight. As has been the case for the previous two books, this release reads well with no issues to note. Volume 4 of the series is currently scheduled for a release in August, so it won’t be too long until we get to enjoy more of this one.
Overall, Tokyo Aliens Volume 3 has proven the series has what it takes to be a recommendable shonen series. With what feels like renewed determination, author Naoe smooths out the wrinkles of the previous book and shows us the very best of what this one has to offer. If you’re invested in Akira and Sho’s story so far, you’ll certainly find yourself coming back for more.
Our review copy from Square Enix Manga was supplied by Turnaround Comics (Turnaround Publisher Services).
