Manga Hero Tales volume 2 By Chris Zimmerman May 12, 2010 - 07:43 Yen Press Writer(s): Hiromu Arakawa Penciller(s): Hiromu Arakawa ISBN: 978-0-7595-3117-8 $10.99 US Taitou, Laila, Ryuukou, and their new found ally Housei continue on their journey to the capital to retrieve the legendary sword, the Kenkaranbu. On the way they stop to visit Housei’s master Kouei, an intelligent woman who wishes to teach Taitou to control his unstable power. Unfortunately tragedy strikes forcing the group forward once again, more determined than ever. One of the main problems Hero Tales suffered from in its first volume was its lack of world building and character development. Luckily Arakawa has made an effort to rectify this introducing a host of new faces while expanding on the histories of the others. When it comes to drama, Arakawa holds nothing back. While this may only be the second volume, one character bites the dust in an emotionally moving scene though one could argue that there was still a lack of build up and time to get to know the character. As expected from Arakawa, the art remains exceptional. There are times when the backgrounds are neglected for further detail on the characters but this is rare enough that it never threatens to hamper the appreciation of the author’s skill. Hero Tales is still in its early stages of development but at the very least it has begun to find its legs. It has all the right ingredients for a popular shonen series with strong action and powerful drama and though it is not without its flaws, it will hopefully continue to grow into a worthwhile title. © Copyright 2002-2019 by Toon Doctor Inc. - All rights Reserved. All other texts, images, characters and trademarks are copyright their respective owners. Use of material in this document (including reproduction, modification, distribution, electronic transmission or republication) without prior written permission is strictly prohibited.