Man, I almost wonder what’s the point of me writing a review when Fe’s own comments do a pretty good job pointing out the highs and lows. For instance:
“In this chapter, Chateau breaks her own record for never dying.”
“On reflection, I do wish I had developed the showdown with Hou a little more…It’s over too quickly…”
“I intended to let Indian Guy show off his ability, but that failed somewhat, lol…”
“I think this might be the most date-like chapter so far.”
Add in a few comments about Ritzland’s wife and a luxury cruise ship, I think the author almost fully covers Love of Kill volume 3 in just a few short blurbs!
So the story first finishes up with Hou, and it does go by pretty fast. However, what’s most impressive about these couple of chapters is how Fe lets the art do the talking. I bet the anime adaptation doesn’t need to do much storyboarding for these sections; the action is already laid out quite clearly and dynamically as Chateau tries to escape and Ryang-Ha and Hou have a gun vs. knife fight. This manga is a perfect example of a work that shows, not tells and looks good while doing so.
Speaking of not tells, there are still more secrets surrounding Chateau’s past, but just when readers think answers are around the corner, Fe gives readers a shock. While that is a story-changing surprise, there are also humorous ones, like the fact Ritzland is married to an older, hotter, rich businesswoman who loves him a lot. Dude, why are in this field when you’ve hit the life partner jackpot??
But I guess it’s also precisely because she’s a hot, rich businesswoman that she needs some security as the Ritzland and his two employees’ next mission is to guard her while she travels on a ship.
However, Ritzland is a bit distracted because Ryang-Ha keeps approaching Chateau — and she is becoming slightly less annoyed by his presence. Volume 3 gives readers plenty of moments between the two of them, and Ryang-Ha’s straightforward pushiness continues to play well off of Chateau’s guarded personality. I don’t think words like “cute” fit their relationship, but it does bring a smile to my face to see Chateau try to keep this strictly professional while he both annoys her with his passes and yet perfectly pinpoints what’s really troubling her.
There really is a lot to like about Love of Kill, and volume 3 is yet another enjoyable entry. Like Fe said, the confrontation with Hou could have been longer, and it’d be nice to see Indian Guy as more than just a comedic prop. But if Fe recognizes their own strengths and weaknesses, there is good reason to hope the manga will just keep getting better.