Raw Hero vol. 5

OH NO!  Chiaki has wound up having dinner with both his fiancee Mariko and his sex-obsessed stalker Mihono!  As this is happening at his apartment in front of his younger brothers, you have to wonder how things could get worse.  At least, until the end of the chapter when Mihono puts him in a sleeper hold and takes him back to her apartment so she can have her way with him.  Which she does in what can only be described as a truly “shocking” experience. *rimshot*  Oh, and because God clearly hates him, Chiaki also has a close encounter with Hoshi that shakes him to his core, while also causing the man to realize that Guitar Wolf’s classic proclamation from “Wild Zero” was right all along.  With all this going on it makes the Special Ability Liberation Front’s plan to raid a publisher which published a scandalous article about them seem, and the Justice Management Team’s plan to intercept it, seem quaint in comparison.

It all seems like things are building to a climax, aren’t they?  It’s appropriate since this is the penultimate volume of the series.  Whether it’s because “Raw Hero” didn’t catch on in the way mangaka Akira Hiramoto hoped, or because he decided to call it quits before things got old, the series is still firing on all cylinders.  Vol. 5 is as raunchy as the series has ever been, and as creative in that regard as well.  This is best exemplified by the misunderstandings that Chiaki has with Mariko in regards to Mihono (and one of her co-workers) in ways that would’ve been cliche in your average pervy rom-com, but are pushed to hilariously ridiculous extremes here.  It’s also impressive that Hiramoto manages to finally make Hoshi shine as a character as his newfound obsession with bananas represents a level of acceptance and tolerance that we should all strive for.  (Well, not really, but you have to admire his guts nonetheless.)

All of this indicates that “Raw Hero” will be going out on a high note.  I’d like to say that I’d hope it’ll be better than “Prison School’s” finale, but that’s a low bar to clear.  Hiramoto should be shooting for “actually good” this time out.