Mister V

In Mister V, the second to last Gunsmith Cats book, Kenichi Sonoda seems to have exhausted the last of the innovative action sequences that have been the series' trademark. With few exceptions, the action in this, the heftiest volume in the series, is brief, less creative, and less exciting than it has been before. However, Sonoda still has a couple of tricks up his sleeve which make Rally's last big mission worth reading.One ace is the return of lesbian dominatrix mob-woman Goldie, the toughest, most appropriate nemesis in the GSC rogues' gallery, for one more attempt at enslaving Rally. I hesitate to mention the other major element, because it's a slight spoiler, but suffice to say it ties in to Rally's backstory (revealed in Kidnapped), and represents one of the toughest *emotional* challenges Rally has faced yet. Gunsmith Cats may have peaked action-wise in Bean Bandit, but its dramatic arc peaks here, and any reader who has grown to love Rally as a character will want to see this story.By now, Gunsmith Cats has amassed a large, even unwieldy, supporting cast, including Ken, Misty, Becky, Bean Bandit, Roy, Roy's partner, and of course, Minnie-May, whose once co-starring role seems to have been downgraded to just another member of an ever-growing team. They all get their moments here, and the extensive scenes of strategizing and teamworking are one of the elements that tend to slow the story down. As such, long sequences seem to be made up of Rally conspiring with her team, and others consist of cutting to each person as they act out their role in the plan. Yet all of them serve a useful role in defeating the villain. Their presence contributes to the pleasant familial atmosphere that extends the themes from Kidnapped and creates a sense of growth in Rally's character. Without her extended family, she wouldn't be able to take on Goldie, and the strength she has gained in her friendships is what allows her to prevail. In an unexpected twist, it is character development, not action, which takes center stage as Gunsmith Cats approaches its coda. Even Goldie is given surprising depth in a flashback which fleshes out her character. This volume may not deliver as much of the hard-hitting action that makes readers fall in love with the series, but it retroactively gives the preceding stories an emotional core to go along with the gleeful T & A and fetishistic violence.