Pandora in the Crimson Shell: Ghost Urn vol. 19

Mangaka Koshi Rikudo really wanted you to think that things were turning around with the appearance of King Gertsucoma at the end of vol. 18.  Anyone with half a brain, though, could tell you that the advantage was going to shift right back to Poseidon at the start of this volume.  Which it did, and not just because of the fact that Bunny has become an unwitting suicide bomber.  Yet there’s one force on Cenacle Island that has just begun to fight:  The police!  

The crack team assembled a few volumes back makes their move and doesn’t get immediately wiped out by Poseidon’s superior forces.  That’s an achievement in itself for a group that initially comes off like a bunch of redshirts – and one guy who’s clearly meant to resemble legendary anime director Hayao Miyazaki.  Of course, when their beloved leader finally makes his long-awaited return (Believe it!) they might actually stand a fighting chance.

I was not impressed with how the momentum of the battle against Poseidon was managed in the last volume, and I was hoping we’d be moving on from it here.  However, Rikudo and company actually manage things better here, sneaking in some worthwhile character developments and actually stalling the bad guys’ efforts here.  I wouldn’t say that it’s all entertaining enough to offset the total absence of the main cast from these events – they show up in a goofily enjoyable side story here – but what’s here is better than what I was expecting.