Arata The Legend Volume 14 cover image is courtesy of barnesandnoble.com.

Rated “T” for “Teen”

There is a world where humans and gods coexist.  It is Amawakuni.  Arata Hinohara, a high school freshman who is the target of bullies, switches place with an Amawakuni boy who is also named Arata.  Hinohara is chosen to wield a Hayagami (a god in sword form) named Tsukuyo so that he can save Princess Kikuri.  Arata lives on Earth, while Arata Hinohara goes on a life-changing journey.

As Arata: The Legend, Vol. 14 (Chapters 128 to 137) opens, Hinohara tries to fight off an attack from the former Zokusho, Hiruha.  Why is this ally attacking our hero?  Hiruha wants Tsukuyo, Arata’s Hayagami.

Hiruha was born on Muroya, an island of prison exiles.  Long ago, Sho Sata went on a rampage and killed everyone on the island, except Hiruha, who is riddled with guilt over surviving.  Now, he believes that he can free the tortured souls of the people of Muroya by plunging Tsukuyo into Kantakara.  Will this keep history from repeating itself?  So says the “whistling man.”  Also, the story goes back 52 years in time and depicts how the incident on Muroya affected all of Amawakuni.

THE LOWDOWN:  When I review One Piece graphic novels, I often note in the review that my summary of a particular volume’s contents barely scratches the surface of the epic story that plays out between the two covers.  The Arata: The Legend manga is an epic, but it is not often that I can barely grapple with everything that is happening in a particular volume.  Now, I’ve found such a volume.

Arata: The Legend Volume 14 is full of revelations, twists, and turns.  There were times when I started to believe I wasn’t reading the same manga I have for the past few years.  The entrances and exits are shocking.  I will say that Vol. 14 is not a good jump-on point for new readers, but regular readers and even people familiar the series will really enjoy this volume, which can be called a “game changer.”

POSSIBLE AUDIENCE:  Fans of creator Yuu Watase will want the Shonen Sunday title, Arata: The Legend.