Anne Freaks: Volume 3

Yuri and Mitsuba have been accepted into the Kakusei group and are being treated like royalty but it seems as if the group is a little suspicious of their quick conversion. And they should be. They're acting as spies for Inspector Nishikama who wants to completely wipe out the terrorists, and is willing to sacrifice the lives of the two boys to do it. The only person on the police force that is on their side, Sgt. Shono, has been pulled from the case and suspended for showing conflicting interests. Even as Yuri and Mitsuba begin to have second thoughts on their mission, Anna, Kunita, and Moe begin to make their own plans to go in and rescue them before their true motives are revealed to the Kakusei. Anne Freaks is turning out to be a real good series. The cool thing I like about Kotegawa's writing is that she packs this volume with moral ambiguity. When Yuri and Mitsuba meet the brother of one of the men that Anna tortured and killed and see his young son, they begin to question the meaning of what they're doing. They begin to sympathize a bit with the terrorists after seeing that they aren't just psychos, but a group of people that are trying to address a wrong the only way they can. Of course, this kind of thinking can lead down dangerous roads, and you could become morally unhinged and maybe become a terrorist yourself. The characterization here is rich and complex, with multiple conflicts in each of the cast, which makes you feel as each one can surprise you in response to any given situation. The art and action is portrayed very well, which serves to compliment the great story. Awesome book.