No Guns Life: Volume 3 manga review

No Guns Life Graphic Novel Volume 3 cover image

The “Great War” ended, and cyborg soldiers known as the “Extended” were discharged.  There bodies were transformed via “physical function extension,” also known as “Extended surgery.”  Juzo Inui is an Extended, his body transformed and his head replaced with a giant gun.  He has no memory of his previous life or knowledge of who specifically replaced his head or why.  Inui now scratches out a living on the dark streets of the city as a “Resolver,” one who resolves issues or takes on cases involving the Extended.

As No Guns Life, Vol. 3 (Chapters 12 to 18) opens, Juzo had joined Hayden Gondry to capture the notorious “Mega Armed Tokisada Sai,” the first full-bodied extended.  Sai, however, has a connection to Juzo's past, and everything is about to come out.  At the same time, Juzo's medication is wearing off, and he is about to undergo a terrible transformation, which provides Sai with just the opportunity he needs to act...

Now, Tetsuro Arahabaki and his “Harmony” power must save Juzo... and also Olivia the head of EMS, who started this entire mess.  Plus, a figure from Olivia's past may have returned...

THE LOWDOWN:  The No Guns Life manga  has the kind of striking cover art that will entice potential readers to at least flip through its pages.  Initially, however, creator Tasuku Karasuma was not producing the kind of graphical storytelling that lived up to his full-page illustrations.

No Guns Life Graphic Novel Volume 3, like Vol. 2, finds the narrative living up to the craziness that is Juzo Inui's physical appearance.  In Vol. 3, the narrative is growing more complex as Karausuma adds new characters and introduces more sub-plots, many connected to the series' back story.  The translation by Joe Yamazaki and the English adaptation by Stan! capture this narrative's alluring, dark techno-future, with its Ghost in the Shell vibe.  Evan Waldinger's lettering brings a sense of calmness to the explosive action that occurs in this volume.

I still believe the best of No Guns Life is yet to come, although it is quite good now.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of VIZ Signature science fiction-action titles will want to try No Guns Life.

A
8.5 out of 10