Seven Billion Needles vol. 3

It’s a testament to skill and focus of mangaka Nobuaki Tadano that the intimacy of this series isn’t lost when things start happening on a much larger scale than we’ve seen before.  With the entities Maelstrom and Horizon now both residing in Hikaru’s body, you’d expect a volume full of “Odd Couple” shenanigans.  Wouldn’t you?  While there are a few such hijinks, things instead just get weirder when mutants bearing the characteristics of Horizon and Maelstrom start springing up all over town and then throughout the world.  This attracts the attention of an interstellar “moderator” who sees this chaos and comes to the conclusion that life on Earth desires a “macro-evolution.”

If this was your average science fiction manga, then you’d expect to see Hikaru and co. start fighting this “moderator” immediately before he hands them their ass and they realize that a more diplomatic approach is necessary — before the obligatory rematch.  Thankfully, that doesn’t happen here.  Tadano takes a more subtle approach as the parties involved go straight to the talking to find out what this thing’s wants and goals are.  

Though all this chaos, the series’ underlying focus on Hikaru’s growth as a person is maintained as she takes a personal interest in Chika, a girl who has become a key factor in the “macro-evolution” and one whose personality is much like our protagonist’s was earlier on.  Where the old Hikaru wouldn’t have cared what happened, here we see her trying to save a girl she doesn’t even know because she understands and empathizes with Chika’s suffering.  It’s a nice way of showing how she has changed as a character without being too obvious about it.

Hikaru’s growth is tested further still when her aunt and uncle succumb to the mutations toward the end of the volume as her fears are turned back on her.  I can’t quite predict how things are going to turn out in the upcoming fourth and final volume, but I consider that a good thing.  Though I prefer my science fiction with lots of hard facts, cool ideas and big explosions (I’m generalizing here, really!) this series has been a refreshing change of pace thanks to the intimacy of its characterization.  This series may not be the most original thing in the world, but its solid execution and memorable characters have made it an enjoyable read so far.