The Fable Omnibus 7 Review
In this edition we see a return to the more comic side of The Fable, but also the return of old enemies.
Having survived an attempt on his life by the Taihei Detective Agency and getting a promise from the wheelchair-bound Hina that she will learn to walk again in six months’ time, the hitman known as The Fable (aka Akira Sato) can get back to something at least resembling a normal life. He continues his work at the Octopus Design Company, where things are busy. This is a partly because it is the run-up to the festive period and partly because of an increased workload between everyone, now that Etsuji has died.
To improve the mood, company boss Takoda suggests a Christmas party, to which Fable/Akira, and co-worker Misaki happily agree, with it being decided to be held at Fable/Akira’s sister Yoko’s place. However, Takoda has ulterior motives: believing Fable/Akira and Misaki would actually make a good couple, he hopes to get the two together at the party. As you might expect, things don’t go to plan however, resulting in Fable/Akira and Takoda getting involved in an arm wrestling match which both try to lose, and then Takoda getting into a drinking game with Yoko.
Following this, we discover that a new threat is coming from an old enemy. Shuichi Sunagawa, the man who tried to set-up a call-girl business using Misaki, is planning his revenge on the Maguro Group by hiring a hitman calling himself Jiro to take out at least one of the top two members of the organisation. It won’t be long before Fable/Akira gets involved in the forthcoming mess.
While this section is setting out the groundwork for the next major arc in the story, it’s the comedy that stands out in this collection. The highlight of this is the Christmas party, with both Fable/Akira and Takoda trying their very best not to win at arm wrestling. The drinking contest, where Takoda and Yoko drink tequila slammers one after the other, is also a great scene. The comedy in this moment is made even better by letterer Arbash Mughal, who turns Takoda’s drunken slurring into indecipherable squiggles. Adam Hirsch’s translation, Ben Applegate’s editing of the print edition of the manga, and Abigail Blackman’s cover design are also good, but Mughal’s contribution is the highlight when it comes to the production side.
The more dramatic side of the story is also not something to be understated. There is not just the aftermath of Taihei Detective Agency plot, but also the return of Sunagawa to the story, and his plans to move higher in the Maguro Group via any means necessary. The groundwork for what is to come is being set and by the look of things, it’s going to be a big ride for all concerned.
Overall, this edition of The Fable is an entertaining one. While I suspect that some readers would prefer the more dramatic elements over the comedic, both sides of this story are entertaining to me in their own way, and they work together to create a great manga.
Our review copy from Kodansha was provided by Diamond Book Distributors.
