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Sunday, January 26, 2014

Triage X Volume 5 Review



So I just got my copy of Triage X Volume 5 from Amazon, and I figured I'd give anyone still keeping up with this site a review. By the way, if you want to read new chapters of Triage X you should buy this volume; I don't think there will ever be a scanlation now.

First off, I'd like to talk about the Yen Press edition itself. This is the first Yen Press item I've purchased since HOTD Volume 3, and I have to say I'm impressed by the amount of improvement here. One thing I really like is that the color page is a pullout just like the Japanese version.


The quality is still cheaper than Japanese manga (most noticeable in the rough paper and lack of a dust jacket), but it's vastly better than the first HOTD volume. I also think the black and white levels can improve a little. As you can see below, the greys are pretty well intact, but I think a little bit of detail is still being lost (again, though, not nearly as bad as early HOTD volumes).


Overall I'm very happy with the work Yen press is doing. The translations were great, and I love the way they do SFX. This was a pleasurable reading experience.

Now onto Volume 5 itself.

I (like many of my readers) spoiled the story for myself a bit by looking at the raws when they originally came out in Japan. Maybe that was why I didn't feel like a lot happened in this volume. Then again I do remember the NEO TV crisis dragging out for quite a while.

These chapters are largely centered around setting up the new arc and introducing a new adversary for the Black Label group. The Hunting Party is an organization bent on exposing humans for the animals they are--namely those in the Black Label--and are led by Wild Hunt.


Even if it is all exposition, this chapter has everything you love in this series: action, comedy, and plenty of fanservice. And of course it has that certain grittiness Shouji Sato is so keen to weave into his series. Innocent people die and gloom hangs over each panel. One characteristic of Sato-sensei's work that is notably absent is nudity. There's only one nipple in the entire book.


Unfortunately, this lonely milk missile leads into a painfully absurd and somewhat contrived scene where all of the captive females fight over who gets to become the personal love toy of the bad guy. It's ridiculous in terms of the story, but I guess it's great if you're a big H fan.

Other than that little hitch in the story's flow, this was a decent volume. It's definitely far from my favorite, but I do look forward to what it sets up.



I noticed this otaku who looks suspiciously like Kohta from HOTD from behind. If you look closely, you'll notice that the figure on the left of his desk seems to be Saya.






13 comments:

  1. Welcome Back!

    Thanks for sharing this.

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  2. That is perfect, I can hear Saya in my minds eye calling Kohta a Stupid Otaku.

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  3. At least we have an update, damn I wish there was some HOTD news but a guest appearance is better than nothing.

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  4. Hmm kohato look alike with something looking saya... Yet more potential support for my little pet theory that Triage is a stealth prequel to HSOTD...

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  5. Cool! It's been awhile since your last update so it is good to hear from you. Triage X may not be the best manga out there however it's an ok read to past the time. Really looking forward for some High School of the Dead news sometime this year.

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  6. And now time to save up to buy this, and Sword Art Online when it gets released in April. Been meaning to read that.

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  7. So when FujimiShobo pins an HOTD banner to the top of the latest image on their Triage X page, does it mean anything other than from the maker of HOTD?

    佐藤ショウジ最新作!! Shouji SATO's latest work!

    http://www.fujimishobo.co.jp/sp/201009triage/

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    Replies
    1. That's been there since the series began, back when they still needed to use the success of HOTD to promote it.

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  8. What happened with Maken-ki ?????

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  9. Hey, turambar its madman freak from Madman Scans remember. i was thinking if you still wanna continue Necro;chronicle with us. i'm ready and we have translators and cleaners . so what do you think.

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  10. So is Shouji actually apologizing in his recent diary post for getting the Flu? He must be feeling the pressure to get more work out.

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  11. hy,from where i can buy chapter 65 of maken ki ! i will do a scan!!!!

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