Kamui

Publisher
Broccoli Books
Writer
Shingo Nanami
Artist
Shingo Nanami
Country of origin
Japan
Year
2001

Kamui V. 4

By David Rasmussen
6th Aug 06

Last time we sat down and talked about this (and if I haven’t totally remind me so I can put together a combined review of Kamui V. 1 to 3 for you) we were waiting for the hammer to drop -- which finally happened. Kamui V. 1 and 2 had been a mix of few bursts of energy mixed with slow pacing, right up to the second half of Volume 2 when Atsuma went to the prom with this girl he saved, and who seemingly had a crush on him, and ended up going dark side as this “spirit” apparently cohabitating his body took control during an attack by those out to get Atsuma, and proceeded to wipe the floors with them which caused the deaths of several students (guilty or otherwise).

Then Volume 3 came about, and things only got worst from there.

In the aftermath of Volume 2, Atsuma was thinking of getting a divorce from his “pals” at NOA, which just doesn’t work out because he was compelled to go with Surmine and one other to check out someone whose acting weird, only for Atsuma to realize that he’s been right near that spirit he’s been looking for for the longest time (slumbering away).

From that point forward it’s a dark dark turn of events that puts at least two characters into the dead column, with the promise of many more secondary and minor characters to be snuffed as things go critical mass.

Now we’re in Volume 4 and things are not getting any better.
Utsho’s plans go full throttle as Okikurumi (that spirit thing Atsuma was looking for) begins to grow, consuming all life in it’s path… then, as the building begins falling down around them you find out Utsho and Atsuma are brothers, which is good timing because as NOA comes crashing down on Atsuma (burying him) and his joined at the hip spirit thing (Kojomaru), now seperated from Atsuma, finds him in the rubble… this is about as good a time for a flashback!

Seems the village he comes from is the Village of the Damned (makes you wonder why he even thinks of doing anything for them) as it is a village without women… gee, dysfunctional as it is I wonder why!
Anyway, after a long disturbingly dark (mostly disturbing) flashback we come back to the here and now only to find that the situation is going downhill faster than Mel Gibson’s present relevance post his drunken escapades recently. Then again, considering the severity of the flashback you kinda can’t blame Utsho for going all Darth Vader on everyone and re-enacting the purging of the JedI Temple on his own village.

Oh, as the story ends it looks like the title may need a new main character as Atsuma might be dead… or something. Maybe if there wasn’t a next volume preview we might have thought that at any rate.
Well, breakdown time!

Kamui V. 4 Breakdown
Dark, disturbing, wonder why people go sith lord when they have flashbacks like this to justify their insanity. Yeah, Kamui is like getting kicked down the dark staircase of disturbing, but at least it’s a good read (with things going further downwards as things get more desperate next volume).

Could things get any worst next volume? I bet it can, I bet it can.
Anyway stay tuned as more revelations are sure to come.

-- David Rasmussen 6th Aug 06