Peacemaker Vol. 2

The second volume of Peacemaker has a lot to live up to. The first volume set the scene quite nicely, had characters you could actually like, situations that were believable, an interesting story and blood by the bucketload. Now the stage is set, its time to set the pace for the rest of the series. At least, I hope it will.

Tetsu is in the Shinsengumi now, after an exhausting entrance test to get in. Though he has only started as a page and not the full fledged Samurai he wanted to be. He is doing the meaningless work that no-one else to do and hasn’t even been given a weapon yet. Unhappy with this turn of events, Tetsu is determined to change his lot…

In the second volume we see more of Saya, the little girl that Tetsu “saved” in the last volume from a bunch of ronin. Saya appears to be a mute girl who Tetsu relates to, as she tells him in her parents were killed just like his own by writing in the sand. What’s interesting (and unusual) is that Saya doesn’t exhibit the annoying traits of similar characters with stuttering and taking forever to get something out of their mouth. I’m looking at you Hinata from Naruto.

The friendship between the two acts as an enjoyable focus for the series, and typically there are other characters getting in the way of their relationship. But this is anime, and that’s a given ^_-

The blood and extreme violence are at odds with the delicate relationship between the two friends, and may be off-putting for some. That said, the serious nature of battle is realistically reflected (we all know swords do a lot of damage!) and is a necessity of the drama. The light hearted moments help to keep an even balance and the series works well overall.

In summary, volume 2 maintains the quality of the first volume, albeit at a slower pace. Having set the scene, this disc takes its time to introduce new characters and dynamics, promising great things for the future.