Yuto Suzuki

The entrance exam is finally over, but only one member of Team Sakamoto wins entry while another has to sneak in in disguise. The academic setting does not cause much slow-down in action.

This volume finally made clear for me some of the reason and appeal of X the Slur's bloody campaign against Japan's assassin society. He's still not a very good villain, but at least his henchmen have the flare he lacks.

The entrance exam for the assassination school is still underway, so there's still plenty of over-the-top action as the potential students play a deadly game of tail tag. And X has his henchmen intrude in the proceedings.

I have to say, X, the Slur -- in addition to having the worst name -- is perhaps the most underwhelming villain any manga series has tried to foist on me. It's a good thing I like Sakamoto so much, because his nemesis is a big zero and adds nothing to the story.

Ugh. Last volume's cliffhanger was a tease quickly put on hold and set aside as we instead are given a "back to school" story arc with Sakamoto and Shin taking the deadly entrance exam for an assassination classroom. It's really silly, but then, silly is when this series is at its best.

A mediocre outing of wall-to-wall fights. First against the last of the death row escapees, and then on to the next stage of X the Slur's master plan. At least next volume promises a final boss confrontation between Sakamoto and Slur. If only I were the slightest bit impressed with Slur and could find it within myself to care . . .