Ajin: Demi-Human vol. 15

I really liked this volume.  The problem is that I’m not sure I liked it for the reasons that mangaka Gamon Sakurai intended me to.

In a move that I hope surprised absolutely no one (And if it did, welcome to the world of fictional genre stories.  Be sure to remember that whenever the author really, really wants to to believe that a plan has worked without giving you actual proof, it almost certainly hasn’t.)  the plan to immobilize Sato failed.  What made this more entertaining than frustrating was the fact that the reason as to why he survived was hilariously in-character for him.  This does give the man a chance to have a final heart-to-heart with Kei, where he tells the high-schooler what his next plan is.  Without giving anything away, I can only wish him well as he goes on to live his best life.

Then someone we haven’t seen much of in the series makes his surprise entrance.  It’s a move that should have had some real emotional significance to it.  Except that Sakurai has done a terrible job of building up any kind of friendship chemistry between these two characters.  When Sato showed up again to take them both on, I was rooting for him.

That kind of sums up my feelings towards the story as a whole.  Intentionally or not, Sakurai has made Sato the most interesting/entertaining character in the series.  He’s a soldier who fights for civil rights not because he believes in them, but because he likes fighting and it’s the one war that will never end — especially the way he’s running it.  Add in the fact that his twisted gamer mind gives him more personality than the rest of the cast combined, and you’ve got me happy to see him getting the upper hand at the end of what feels like the penultimate volume for the series.  I’m sure Kei and company will find a way to win in the end, because this series is nothing if not predictable.  So, after they do, I’ll look forward to the inevitable last page reveal that Sato is still alive, somewhere, doing his thing.