Mr. Villain’s Day Off Volume 5 Review
“Oh man, I could be a real panda.” Mr. Villain, joyously contemplating dressing up in a panda suit for Halloween on Earth.
On Earth, during his precious days off incognito, Mr. Villain continues to pursue his calming obsession with pandas – and enjoys steamed buns. The Earth Rangers are distracted by the burning desire to obtain a certain cute gachapon phone charm; why do they all keep getting the panda one instead?!
However, back at the Evil League’s headquarters, Rooney is in a panic: Robot C-018 (the General’s pet cat robot) has gone missing after a routine examination and Rooney very much fears that it might have been abducted for nefarious purposes by Meurah, the League’s most capable and bloodthirsty torturer. Not wishing to venture there alone, Rooney begs the disinterested and reluctant Trigger to go along too to Meurah’s room. Horrors! Meurah has not only found C-018 but has given it a task to perform. How is Rooney going to persuade the dangerous and unpredictable torturer to let C-018 go before the General finds out?
But what’s this? The General is feeling off-colour? His Evil League subordinates are worried. His voice is a little scratchy – is he ill? So he goes to the infirmary where he’s greeted by a shy young woman, Ul. Next moment, Ul’s expression has changed and she’s grinning and lively. “Am I speaking to Ashe?” the General asks. It turns out that for reasons (not yet wholly explained) both Ul and her brother Ashe are currently sharing Ul’s body and they alternate as they check on the General’s health. Is the General unwell?
And so Mr. Villain’s Day Off reaches its fifth volume and we’re moving beyond the chapters animated for the TV version, always an interesting moment for readers and viewers alike. Does it still have its original charm? Certain established story/character threads are still ongoing (the boy and girl tree spirits who use Mr. Villain as their intermediary in their touching but awkward attempts at establishing a relationship) but the new material introducing three new Evil League members gives this volume some extra and welcome pizzazz! Of course, because it’s Yuu Morikawa, the baddies are shown to be not all-out villains (like the General) but layered, complex individuals who just happen to be invading Earth. Did you ever wonder why the General has such a fearsome tail when in full battle mode… but never on his days off? This is the volume in which you find out! And the art is as charming and persuasive as ever (yes, there are pandas).
The fifth volume is expertly translated again by Julie Goniwich for Square Enix Manga with a wonderful variety of appropriate lettering from Kelsey Denton to suit tree spirits and villains alike. There’s an attractive colour page at the front and some adorable full-colour chibis on the contents page. Volume 6 is not due out until March 2025 (we’re catching up with Japan). All in all, this quirky and charming tale continues to delight… but I wonder whether the mangaka will choose to leave it as an ongoing slice-of-life that happens to be about a fierce (yet honourable) supervillain who adores steamed buns and pandas, and leave the background conflict between Earth and the Evil League… in the background. One to read and enjoy only if you’re not looking for a plot-driven rangers versus the evil aliens tale.
Read a free preview on the publisher’s website here.
Our review copy from Square Enix Manga was supplied by Turnaround Comics (Turnaround Publisher Services).
