Shonen Beam

[scanlation by Red Hawk Scanlations]

Great cover page. The colors are vibrant, and it’s nice to see these girls. They’re reminiscent of when the series was just plain enjoyable, without any angst-riddled qualifiers on such a statement.

Kazama’s surgery is already over? That seems incredibly abrupt.

The conversation between Haruto and Mishima seems far too cheerful. I expect a punch in the gut shortly.

Wow.

Seeing that sign made my blood run cold. He’s dead. The surgery was a success, but his body was too weak afterward. This is rather stunning. To be frank, I didn’t think Seo had the courage to kill off Kazama. I mean, I actually don’t prefer this outcome, because not only does “winning” Eba back now lose any meaning, but it also presents the opportunity for even more angst, as Haruto will inevitably second-guess pushing Kazama to have the surgery.

For once, it’s completely appropriate that Haruto and Eba have no interaction. As an unfortunate consequence, Kazama’s death sets unprecedented levels of awkwardness in this series.

Poor Kiyomi. Since her introduction, her honesty and attitude have been a breath of fresh air. It’s terrible to see her in this state.

The reserved space on Kazama’s helmet is no mere punch to the gut; it’s a full-fledged Heartbreak Shot. Through all the twists and developments in their rivalry, Kazama still intended to remain Haruto’s friend for life. While I’m still disappointed that Haruto will now never have the chance to decisively redeem himself and “win” back Eba, this is a powerful tribute to friendship and a genuinely moving scene.

Final Flash: Major credit to Seo for having the conviction to take such a huge step with the story. This is a proper milestone chapter.