After a particularly moving fourth volume , Bukimi Miki returns with his endearing and atypical superheroes to face the growing threat of Amalarilk. But the project of the mysterious Stigma seems to involve many other people… starting with Teru's new friend: Ai Tennôji!
Mixing genres
Shy continues to chart his way in Kana's shônen catalogue. But this work obviously transcends any editorial categorization to go beyond the boundaries of genre, as well as that of cultures. The fifth volume is the perfect illustration. Indeed, it allows readers to get to know Ai Tennôji, frail (in appearance!) A runaway girl, who says she is being pursued by a mysterious individual. Ai hides many secrets, starting with its origin. She actually belongs to a family of shinobis! This is an opportunity for Bukimi Miki to skillfully mix the imagery of a more traditional Japan with the preponderant comic atmosphere until then. The reciprocal influence of these two cultures is materialized from the dust jacket of this volume, with an orange-red circle, reminiscent of the Japanese flag, in front of which stand Teru and Ai, each wearing the uniform of his secret identity. Then, the mangaka has a blast with the character of Ai, his relationship to his weapon, "Pure Heart", and the attacks of the young shinobi, highlighted by swirls of cherry blossom petals and rounder onomatopoeia. "Pure Heart" also appears as a powerful weapon with a power close to that of Shy, whose extreme sensitivity allows him to enter into total empathy with others, despite, or thanks to, his shyness. It is a sword that seems to have a personality of its own, like the terrible Enma wielded by Roronoa Zoro in One Piece. And it is through "Pure Heart" that our heroes will approach one of the most formidable antagonists encountered so far.
Intense mode activated
The scripted tension, which had eased after the fight in Russian territory of the previous volume, resumes more beautifully. Thus, an attack of unprecedented magnitude hits the Japanese capital. Downtown Tokyo is suddenly locked under a huge black dome! The heroes are mobilized internationally to face this event. This is an opportunity for Shy to surpass herself and face her fears, as Unilord names her leader of one of the superheroic task forces. Bukimi Miki takes the opportunity to subtly question the notion of leadership and the qualities required to demonstrate it. What is a leader? Thanks to what or to whom does it exist? Can he hold this place without relying on his companions? Like Deku's journey in My Hero Academia, being a hero or leader is not defined by an absence of flaws or weaknesses. On the contrary, it is through the latter that the figure of the leader of men is built. Shy seems to have understood this. She surrounds herself with heroes and heroines who, if they are not as powerful or charismatic as Stardust or Century, complement each other perfectly, and thus become formidable. During this new mission that will require all their composure, each of the heroes will find his antagonist, in a confrontation that will be as much physical as moral. Nevertheless, and paradoxically, the fight does not necessarily symbolize the culmination of these encounters. Proof of this is the reunion between Pepesha and Mademoiselle Foufou, whom the heroines had already met in Russia. Bukimi Miki brilliantly transforms this abortive conflict into a reflection on grief. The mangaka proves that he does not hesitate to destabilize his readers by breaking the classic shônen dynamic to offer a new dimension to his story. The fight ends before it even reaches its climax, and the opponent is not yet down when a discussion opens with him. Thus, the bursting of Manichaeism, already represented by the character of Shy, intensifies and cracks the boundary between heroes and villains.
Separation and reunion
This vision of grief and loss is intertwined with the past of the members of Amalarilk. Indeed, the warriors surrounding Stigma all seem to have gone through terrible ordeals. This led them to develop a perverted perception of the world… But for whom is it not? Through the confrontation between heroes and their opponents driven by dark feelings, Bukimi Miki comes to question the scale of values that we put in place to evaluate our actions and those of others. What is good? The evil? Justice? The author seems to hold out distorting mirrors to his characters, and through them it is our own ideas and perceptions that he questions. The story then takes on a new dimension and matures. Beyond the philosophical questions, this is also felt in the change of tone and scenery. The boxes become darker, the lines thicker. A touch of horror also slips among the pages, with the transformation of the inhabitants of Tokyo, which has nothing to envy to those of the zombies of The Walking Dead. Like the group led by Shy, the reader finds himself locked under the black dome, with no turning back, and no direct perspective on the end of the fight. The sixth book ends with a moving flashback to Ai's childhood. This allows us to obtain some keys to reading, with a shattering revelation on the real identity of Abyss, character at the origin of the dome under which the city center of Tokyo disappeared. Far from lowering the pressure, these few pages of memories make us take the full measure of the fight that awaits our heroes. As the members of Shy's team find themselves separated one after the other, how will their leader find the strength to spark her flames in the darkness that is closing around them… And who are about to sweep the world? With these two new volumes, Shy continues to assert itself as a flagship and atypical work. Behind the finery of shônen nekketsu, this manga questions deep values, and confronts two visions of the world. While Amalarilk expands in a dazzling way and reveals his project, the heroes find themselves confronted with the limit of their powers. Everything seems to show that they will, in order to succeed in this mission, have to give up their place to someone else… Would the salvation of the world reside in the hands of Ai, the young shinobi? It's up to you to find out, in the next volume!
