Matsuri Akino

I am a bit iffy about this specific volume. I sort of agree with other reviewers that the quality dropped a notch from the first 3. It isn't that this volume is bad per se, because the artwork is still stellar. More like the stories seem to be all over the place. It is only saved by one really good chapter in a sea of meh chapters.

Chapter 1: Digital: A socially awkward guy is found deceased in his apartment and Leon is forced to ask Count D to babysit his myriad of abandoned tropical fish while the LAPD discards foul play and locates his next of kin. A lead into the existence of a girlfriend who might prove a motive to his death awkwardly has the exact same name as a pet the fish have ushered Count D to rescue. It is up to Leon to forego his suspicions of D and for them to team up to solve both mysteries. This episode is kinda weird, and I am not fully convinced I understood the moral of the plot, but it was okay I guess.

Chapter 2: Flower and Detective (Part 1): Count D gives a weird plant to Leon as a gift. Suspicious of the plant, he soon discovers he has grown attached to it... literally? Another weird episode. Not terrible, but you are not missing anything if you skip it.

Chapter 3: Dark Horse: Leon and D befriend a stuntwoman/horse lover with money problems. She wishes to race her family's thoroughbred race horse for the money and excitement but the animal was born deaf. Will she accept Count D's offer? This chapter had a lot of promise. I really, really loved the artwork of the page where D's body takes on a ghostly shape when he barters a deal with the aspiring jockey. Sadly, we never know what the deal was, and if it affected the conclusion of the story in any way. Bummer.

Chapter 4: Flower and Detective (Part 2): Oh wow, wow, wow! This is the one and sole story that made this volume worth reading. I don't wish to spoil it, but it was thrilling to read!

I believe this volume deserved 3 stars, but the final chapter is great, and it compelled me to award it 3 1/2 stars.… (mehr)