Review by Ian Keogh

Haro Aso curtailed the ‘King of Clubs’ events in Volume 5 to present two shorter stories set in the past, but picks up again here with the final four chapters of what seems an impossible task. While frustrating for some, it’s been a good decision to split the story as it’s heavy on strategy and constantly requires updating points totals over a number of characters. Very geeky, in fact.

Having the penultimate ‘King of Clubs’ chapter present Tatta Koudai’s earlier life is a further good decision. It doesn’t need the constant updating of points affecting the remainder, and presents a school rebel who thought the same personality would see him through life, and has discovered through bitter experience that more is needed. Despite his being an idiot to begin with, by the chapter’s end it’s likely you’ll have some sympathy for him, and he comes up with a pivotal decision.

Aso expands on the wooly imagined connection between Arisu and the leader of the opposition team, and it’s a character arc that’s never especially convincing. Why does Arisu so identify with him? It seems almost a form of hero worship, and for all the emotional wailing on display it never greatly moves beyond that. Attempting to generate depth of feeling from nothing when a real tragedy is given relatively short shrift, at least in the main chapters, is flawed. In the interlude chapters separating two larger events, though, as per the sample art, the strain on Arisu is seen.

The interlude chapters between games are something of a rebirth, offering joy and a couple of miraculous moments visually nailed by Aso, and the path toward a life changing revelation for Arisu. What’s unspoken is how having someone to care for makes the games even more dangerous.

When the next game manifests it’s a clever idea. A card symbol appears on the back of collars worn by twenty players in a confined environment. One player among them is a plant. To survive every player must correctly state the symbol on the back of their collar at a given time. A wrong answer means death, so how far can anyone trust any other player?

There’s a fair amount of conversation as many newly introduced characters check each other out with Aro presenting a few panels of their background, sometimes contradicting their claims of being able to trust them. It’s such a simple idea, yet in two chapters here rapidly turns into a bearpit of mistrust and accusations, while Aro has assured we know some who definitely can’t be trusted. It’s a lot of talking, but compelling in the same way the Traitors TV show is compelling as people try to figure things out, and by the end only eight players survive into Volume 7.