Review: Limit Vol. 3 by Keiko Suenobu
Limit Vol. 3
by Keiko Suenobu
I have previously reviewed Volume 1 and Volume 2 of the series.
This review may contain spoilers for events in earlier volumes.
Quiet Chikage Usui has run away, taking with her the scythe that allowed Arisa Morishige to dominate the other girls. Arisa's power base is further undermined when Mizuki Konno returns to camp with another survivor - Hinata, an optimistic boy who thought he was only one to make it out of the wreckage alive. After two days by himself, he is overjoyed to find the others, and his bubbly presence restores hope and unity to the group. That is, to everyone except Morishige, whose personal demons cannot allow her to see Hinata as anything but a threat. Everyone is looking for Chikage Usui - Konno and her friends want to make sure she's OK, while Morishige wants only to regain her weapon and her power at any cost.
While there is still plenty of drama and tension, this book seems a little quieter than the first two volumes. The characters are a little more established, so there aren't as many dramatic revelations about their past or their personalities. The infusion of fresh blood in the form of a cute boy promises that emotional teenage drama will no doubt be coming in future stories, but for now Hinata's presence serves to bolster everyone's spirits.
Not much as been revealed about Hinata save that he was a friend of Konno and Ichinose before the accident. He isn't a prince in shining armor riding in to save the day - he's not particularly adept at outdoor survival (we have Kamiya for that) and he isn't especially strong or clever. But he is the first to realize that in order to make it back to civilization, the survivors must work together as equals - an observation that quickly inspires his teammates but also earns the enmity of the still unhinged Morishige.
Ah, Morishige. She's so incredibly messed up. Suenobu reveals more of her tragic backstory, and it really is sad - but in a way, it flattens the character. She's cruel and mean because her parents treated her badly and she doesn't know another way to interact with the world. She hates Hinata because she hates boys because she had an abusive father. Her character now seems so predictable! But it doesn't make her actions any less disturbing or terrible.
Oh, but it looks like someone finally realized that an entire bus of high school kids went missing. About time!
4.5 out of 5 stars
To read more about Limit Vol. 3, buy it or add it to your wishlist click here.
Peeking into the archives...today in:
2012: Avatar: The Last Airbender - The Promise, Part III by Gene Luen Yang and others
2011: Twilight of Avalon by Anna Elliott
2010: Hunger by Jackie Morse Kessler
2009: 10 Comic Book Series You Need to Read (Even If You Don’t Like Comics)
2008: The Gone Away World by Nick Harkaway
by Keiko Suenobu
I have previously reviewed Volume 1 and Volume 2 of the series.
This review may contain spoilers for events in earlier volumes.
Quiet Chikage Usui has run away, taking with her the scythe that allowed Arisa Morishige to dominate the other girls. Arisa's power base is further undermined when Mizuki Konno returns to camp with another survivor - Hinata, an optimistic boy who thought he was only one to make it out of the wreckage alive. After two days by himself, he is overjoyed to find the others, and his bubbly presence restores hope and unity to the group. That is, to everyone except Morishige, whose personal demons cannot allow her to see Hinata as anything but a threat. Everyone is looking for Chikage Usui - Konno and her friends want to make sure she's OK, while Morishige wants only to regain her weapon and her power at any cost.
While there is still plenty of drama and tension, this book seems a little quieter than the first two volumes. The characters are a little more established, so there aren't as many dramatic revelations about their past or their personalities. The infusion of fresh blood in the form of a cute boy promises that emotional teenage drama will no doubt be coming in future stories, but for now Hinata's presence serves to bolster everyone's spirits.
Not much as been revealed about Hinata save that he was a friend of Konno and Ichinose before the accident. He isn't a prince in shining armor riding in to save the day - he's not particularly adept at outdoor survival (we have Kamiya for that) and he isn't especially strong or clever. But he is the first to realize that in order to make it back to civilization, the survivors must work together as equals - an observation that quickly inspires his teammates but also earns the enmity of the still unhinged Morishige.
Ah, Morishige. She's so incredibly messed up. Suenobu reveals more of her tragic backstory, and it really is sad - but in a way, it flattens the character. She's cruel and mean because her parents treated her badly and she doesn't know another way to interact with the world. She hates Hinata because she hates boys because she had an abusive father. Her character now seems so predictable! But it doesn't make her actions any less disturbing or terrible.
Oh, but it looks like someone finally realized that an entire bus of high school kids went missing. About time!
4.5 out of 5 stars
To read more about Limit Vol. 3, buy it or add it to your wishlist click here.
Peeking into the archives...today in:
2012: Avatar: The Last Airbender - The Promise, Part III by Gene Luen Yang and others
2011: Twilight of Avalon by Anna Elliott
2010: Hunger by Jackie Morse Kessler
2009: 10 Comic Book Series You Need to Read (Even If You Don’t Like Comics)
2008: The Gone Away World by Nick Harkaway