Review: Limit Vol. 6 by Keiko Suenobu
Limit Vol. 6
by Keiko Suenobu
I have reviewed the earlier books in the series:
Volume 1
Volume 2
Volume 3
Volume 4
Volume 5
This review contains spoilers for events in earlier volumes.
The last book ended on a killer cliffhanger, but luckily Konno and the remaining survivors manage to pull themselves together into a cohesive group once more. A helicopter spotted overhead promises that the long-awaited rescue has finally arrived. It lands on the other side of a chasm, spanned only by a crumbling wooden bridge. Hinata and Morishige, both of whom were once quite reluctant to return to civilization, cross to the other side in order to locate the search party and lead them to Konno and the injured Kamiya. In the dramatic conclusion to Limit, the high school students, joined by an unbreakable bond after their traumatic experiences, are brought home and reunited with their families.
It may be the final volume, but Keiko Suenobu still has the energy to throw in a few more plot twists and emotional, wrenching scenes. Morishige's horrible home life as been briefly mentioned in previous volumes in flashbacks and angry rants, but for the first time she calmly explains that she can't go home to her abusive father and battered mother. Konno encourages her to speak up for herself instead of bottling up her rage and fear, and promises not to abandon Morishige when they return to the city. Her sympathy shows just how much Konno has matured in the five days the students have been wandering the wilderness. I wonder how permanent her changed attitude is - the final scenes of the story are two months after the accident, and it seems that Konno's new-found compassion is here to stay.
Initially, I described the Limit series as “Lord of the Flies with Japanese school girls” but the cruel hierarchy system that so reminded me of Golding's novel actually doesn't stick around for long. This psychological story does focus on evolving group dynamics in a crisis, but there's a distinctly Japanese aspect to it. What I mean is that the students tend to remain focused on the survival of the group and not just on individuals. In the previous volume, Hinata confessed to causing the deaths of two members of the group, and tries to murder a third - but he's brought back into the fold instead of cast off because everyone survives together. I just don't think this devotion to a common welfare would be so prevalent in a group about American teens since individualism is such a strong component of our national character.
One of the nice things about Limit is that it is a compact series. Six volumes isn't very long for comic books! There are enough pages that the characters are well-developed and they draw you in, but the story doesn't slacken or get dragged out unbearably with filler pages. Even if you're normally not much of a manga fan, this is a great series that's worth checking out.
4.5 out of 5 stars
To read more about Limit Vol. 6, buy it or add it to your wishlist click here.
Peeking into the archives...today in:
2012: Dream Homes Built for Books
2011: Another little break for school...
2010: Op-Ed: Leaves of Grass by Amy Stewart
2009: Giveaway: Sorrow Wood by Raymond Atkins WINNERS
2008: Writer's Block: Wild Rumpus
by Keiko Suenobu
I have reviewed the earlier books in the series:
Volume 1
Volume 2
Volume 3
Volume 4
Volume 5
This review contains spoilers for events in earlier volumes.
The last book ended on a killer cliffhanger, but luckily Konno and the remaining survivors manage to pull themselves together into a cohesive group once more. A helicopter spotted overhead promises that the long-awaited rescue has finally arrived. It lands on the other side of a chasm, spanned only by a crumbling wooden bridge. Hinata and Morishige, both of whom were once quite reluctant to return to civilization, cross to the other side in order to locate the search party and lead them to Konno and the injured Kamiya. In the dramatic conclusion to Limit, the high school students, joined by an unbreakable bond after their traumatic experiences, are brought home and reunited with their families.
It may be the final volume, but Keiko Suenobu still has the energy to throw in a few more plot twists and emotional, wrenching scenes. Morishige's horrible home life as been briefly mentioned in previous volumes in flashbacks and angry rants, but for the first time she calmly explains that she can't go home to her abusive father and battered mother. Konno encourages her to speak up for herself instead of bottling up her rage and fear, and promises not to abandon Morishige when they return to the city. Her sympathy shows just how much Konno has matured in the five days the students have been wandering the wilderness. I wonder how permanent her changed attitude is - the final scenes of the story are two months after the accident, and it seems that Konno's new-found compassion is here to stay.
Initially, I described the Limit series as “Lord of the Flies with Japanese school girls” but the cruel hierarchy system that so reminded me of Golding's novel actually doesn't stick around for long. This psychological story does focus on evolving group dynamics in a crisis, but there's a distinctly Japanese aspect to it. What I mean is that the students tend to remain focused on the survival of the group and not just on individuals. In the previous volume, Hinata confessed to causing the deaths of two members of the group, and tries to murder a third - but he's brought back into the fold instead of cast off because everyone survives together. I just don't think this devotion to a common welfare would be so prevalent in a group about American teens since individualism is such a strong component of our national character.
One of the nice things about Limit is that it is a compact series. Six volumes isn't very long for comic books! There are enough pages that the characters are well-developed and they draw you in, but the story doesn't slacken or get dragged out unbearably with filler pages. Even if you're normally not much of a manga fan, this is a great series that's worth checking out.
4.5 out of 5 stars
To read more about Limit Vol. 6, buy it or add it to your wishlist click here.
Peeking into the archives...today in:
2012: Dream Homes Built for Books
2011: Another little break for school...
2010: Op-Ed: Leaves of Grass by Amy Stewart
2009: Giveaway: Sorrow Wood by Raymond Atkins WINNERS
2008: Writer's Block: Wild Rumpus