What is with this trend nowadays of manga series that cannot wrap up gracefully?! Do they all have to spiral down into an unrecognizable mess?There were so many eyeroll-worthy, ridiculously convenient occurances in this volume that I wanted to throw it across the room. Every last twist of intrigue and potential interest raised in the previous installment was hand-waved away with absolutely no consequence. People literally appeared out of thin air to save other people just in the nick of time...it really was just absurd.And all that nonsense with Sho and Misao...please. This is the dude that beat a puppy to death and nearly did the same to a bunch of little children; I don't care how much he grovels at Misao's feet and blubbers about how alone and misunderstood he is, I'm not feeling sorry for his psycho ass. That scene took Misao from your typically empty-headed manga heroine to a level of epic idiocy all her own.On a positive note, the art is still pretty, but that only saves a blundering story for so long. I'm only hanging on for the Daitengu at this point.I feel like a crotchety old woman here, bitching about how newer manga sucks...but this is the second really decent shoujo series that I have watched crash and burn. It's kind of disheartening. :\ ♥ ♥ ♥ HOKI!!! ♥ ♥ ♥Wow things are getting so intense!! I am gobbling up this series! I've been trying to read Claymore alongside this but when I finish a volume, I immediately start the next one, pushing Claymore to the side. I better just pick up the 5th volume of Claymore and force myself to read it otherwise it'll have to wait until I finish volume 16 of this series!Man, poor Sho! I love when the bad guys get humanized and you're forced to pity them and feel sorry for them. That is why I love what Misao did! I love that the lines are slightly blurred for both good and bad in this series. Kyo is the "good guy" but there are things about him that are "bad" and Sho is the "bad guy" but there are things about him that are "good." It's more believable that way because that's how it is in real life.I can't wait to get home to start reading the 14th volume with that cliff hanger ending!!!
