Figures it could only be VVV to make me bother to start writing again.

Well, the good thing about volume 5 is that it certainly proves to be more informative and exciting than its predecessor. Unfortunately, the bad part is that in general, this volume might not be considered as "fun" as volume 4 by most. What with how little time we spend seeing Lucia and Sumire anywhere near each other. ...But who knows, maybe I can have a little fun making fun of how unfun it was.
Or something.

Read the rest!



Once again, we start right where the last volume left off. Ruka has a most pressing question for Sonoka-sama: Exactly what's up with these fragments we're collecting? And why are we doing this in the first place? And why the heck aren't we allowed to just kill that eye-patch chick and her squeaky friend??
All very good questions. However, before Ruka can admit that she's beginning to lose faith in her mistress, Sonoka reminds her just why she's still around in the first place:


You're being glib, Ruka! I've done the research. You don't know psychiatry like I...wait.



So here's the deal -- one night little Ruka (whose name isn't actually Ruka, but we never learn it, so who cares..) was being chased by a mean ol' Virus. Just as the Virus tackles her and steals her fragment, a much younger Sonoka comes by and destroys the Virus with ease (all in a scene that slightly mirrors how Sumire and Lucia met. ...Except of course Sonoka's an ass and comes too late).
Before Ruka slips entirely into Virus-dom herself, she begs for Sonoka to save her life. Sonoka complies.. but only as long and Ruka will give herself over to her as her faithful pet. Upon her agreement, Sonoka inserts the fragment back inside of Ruka and gives her new name.

Zipping back to the present (I really wanted to see them in school uniforms more..) Sonoka and Ruka are holding hands as BFF's and Ruka restates her vow to remain faithful to Sonoka for as long as she lives. Which is all the more reason why she thinks she should know what Sonoka's motives are... so.. she could be even MORE faithful. ..Yeah.
Luckily, Sonoka agrees to tell Ruka, and we get a big long talk about their mission.
Here's the rundown:

- Sonoka (and her subordinates) are under the command of a gentleman named "Ion".
Ion-sama, as he's called, is after these fragments so he can create a new world (that sounds familiar..)

- These fragments are exactly what they sound like -- fragments of the new world he will create, and are what currently make up the current world, existing as the energy within each individual human being (something the Viruses long for).

- And lastly, Ion-sama has prophesized, "On the night the stars fall, the fragments will solidify and the gate to the new world will open". And he's chosen Sonoka and co. to be the ones to collect these solidified fragments.

(.. .... ...ooOOOOoooh.)

"Isn't it wonderful??" Sonoka asks Ruka, hugging herself so tightly that her fingernails pierce her arms.
Ruka's quick to agree, but on the inside, she speaks for all of us in that Sonoka just sounds like some crazy, religious fanatic. Poor Ruka.. Sonoka goes on to tell Ruka that going after Lucia and Sumire was never a part of their mission. However, now (that is, in the last volume) Ion has realized that those two also play a very important role. And he will need to use them once his current body is strong enough. Besides, it's not like a mere container like Ruka could actually take them down anyway.

Ruka takes some offense to this, claiming that she's the one using the power of the fragments, not the other way around. In fact if she just had more, she could easily take down both of them if she wanted to (granted, she seems unaware of how much she's beginning to madly crave them after she sees them all neatly sitting in a bowl next to her).
Sonoka decides to test her words by upgrading Ruka with one more wind fragment. Later, Gai walks in as well, and of course Sonoka doesn't want to play favorites, so..


But! Almost when we're beginning to forget exactly who this manga is about, we get to Venus Vangard finally to see what Lucia Sumire and Lola are up to. The answer being snack time.


O SHI- (;ﾟдﾟ)



Lucia waits no time at all in getting down to business with that little thing that's been bothering me since the last volume. And with one mention of Lyla's name, Lola makes the scariest face I've ever seen (which would be on the next page..). Always the mood breaker, before Lola could explain herself, she begins to choke on her food. But unlike Sumire, Lucia isn't at all fooled by the display. Lola admits that she knows Lyla and will explain more about them.... later. Now, however, she needs to get back to work.

Sumire also remembers that she needs to get going as well (to meet up with Yoshiki-san). When the two do meet up, however, they're stealthily tailed by Ruka, who's out to prove her theory correct (and maybe a little revenge). After the movie, the two are off to the Planetarium. ..Which little do they know, is unfortunately closed today.

Meanwhile Ruka, who's still been following them, laments over that fact that even though like Sumire, she too was once a normal girl that simply got caught up in this whole Virus mess. And yet why is it that Sumire's still able to live normally and have friends and smile so widely? ...Oh well. Time to kick the crap out of her.


Ruka Sanjou!



Ruka promptly begins to go after Sumire like all hell. Sumire uses her new bracelet (that Lola upgraded), but even after going Berserk still has some trouble taking this stronger Ruka on. Though in this state she is able to realize that something about Ruka's scent seems off today..
Either way, she retreats for some time to think up some sort of plan, and considers trying to press more than one of the vaccine buttons on her bracelet, but fears that the repurcussions might involve her losing control of herself again. But there's no time to dawdle, as Ruka's already caught up with her (that was fast) and prepares to attack.
Sumire quickly presses two of the buttons at the same time... but her bracelet falls apart. Ruka's attack hits Sumire in the leg, robbing her of her ability to walk, much less run away again. From the looks of it, Sumire's pretty fucked..
...That is, until Yoshiki steps in front of Ruka's attack, taking the full brunt and sending him to the floor. And because she's such a nice girl, Ruka decides to put Sumire's would-be-boyfriend out of his misery right in front of her.

Meanwhile at Venus Vangard, Lucia seems to sense something is amiss.. right when Lola bursts through the door screaming Sumire's in trouble. At the same time, Sonoka and Lyla watch the goings on themselves, with Sonoka exclaiming, "You've finally done it Ruka".

...Yoshiki has gotten up and deflected Ruka's attack... which takes her quite a bit by surprise (to put it lightly). He grabs Sumire, and..


(Ah. That's right. I think I should mention now that if you're not exactly the biggest fan of Yoshiki, the next page isn't going to be pretty.)


Sword in one hand, bitch in the other. Savin' the day.




..says that.
Then on, no matter what onslaught Ruka brings, Yoshiki deflects it with relative ease. All the while, Sumire can't believe what she's seeing.
At that moment, Gai makes his own flashy entrance and berates Ruka for trying to have all the fun by herself (note that Gai's showing up was not what Sonoka had planned). Meanwhile, Lucia is being driven to the scene by Lola (why... is Lola driving..?) and tells Sumire to stay safe until she gets there.

Yoshiki manages to keep the two at bay somewhat, but is beginning to have trouble guarding both his flanks. Thankfully, in dodging one of Ruka's attacks, Sumire realizes that she's regained the ability to walk. Not only that, but her leg no longer feels any pain.
In blocking an attack by Gai, Yoshiki impales him with a steel rod. He says a few magic words ("kaijou" = "open"), and every fragment is evacuated from Gai's body. Ruka tries to retreat, lest Yoshiki do the same to her, but instead, he just puts her to sleep for a while.

In the end, Yoshiki refuses to leave with Sumire, saying he has more to do. However, Sumire doesn't want to leave without him. He kisses her, and gives her a few final reassuring words, and it's either one or the other of those things that sends Sumire herself into a deep trance.

Outside the building, Lucia and Lola have finally arrived (just in time!) and is greeted by a very sedated Sumire who collapses into Lucia's arms. Lucia leaves Sumire with Lola (who's now rather pissed for being stuck with all the work) and heads deeper inside the facility. She doesn't get too far, though, thanks to an especially powerful forcefield, and is left with only a vision of a strange form and another one of those pesky searing pains in her left eye.

Back in the planetarium, Ruka wakes up to find a very hungry Virus-Gai on top of her. Her attacks have no affect on him, but thankfully Sonoka shows up just in time to kill him. Yoshiki is on the other side of the room with his own problems, however, grabbing his head, mumbling "what am I?", "what is it I have to do?" et cetera, et cetera.
Sonoka seems to be most pleased with his presence however, and while laughing madly, we're lead to believe that she gives him the same service she did for Gai.


Meanwhile, 15 years ago..



The last third of the volume is dedicated almost entirely to Nahashi's memory of his time as a student at the research facility where he's currently staying, up to the time of Lucia's birth. As you can see, "Nahashi" is not really his last name, but is instead a nickname Lilith decided to give him since his real one was too complicated. (Nahashi = Nahash = Hebrew for snake)
Also, Nahashi has no real ability to see Viruses himself, and the reason why he's decided to be a student of this facility is due to the fact that his older brother was able to see them (before he mysteriously disappeared..). So in order to be able to see Viruses, along with the markings that are on both Lucia and her parents, he uses those lenses he always wears.

Lucif, Lucia's father, makes a bit of a late appearance in this flashback. Apparently, he too worked on exterminating Viruses (Lucia would be just thrilled to hear that, I'm sure) and returns to the campus after he had a very damaging run in with a man who called himself a "Magician". It's important to note that his entire upper body were covered with elemental markings.

Back in the present, Lola finally decides to explain her connection to Lyla after Lucia asks to know just how she knew where Sumire was.
Apparently, when the two of them were about 5 Lola and Lyla (FYI, Lyla's the oneechan between the two..) were adopted by the professor at the research facility where Nahashi previously studied. The two share the power of telepathy and trusted no one but each other, and their adopted father. However, one day, Lyla was kidnapped by a mysterious cloaked person. Lucia at first assumes it's Sonoka's doings, but she's wrong. It was Lucif.

dun dun DUUUUUUUN.



Impressions:
Wow! So many questions!
Like what the heck's up with Yoshiki-san? Is he all right?

Will the manga be a yuri cop-out like how people feel about the anime? (let's hope not..)

And if Lola and Lyla aren't dolls like in the anime, just what are they?
..and why was Lola driving a car..??

But perhaps he most important question of all is:
Lucia: How do I became useless?

I don't know, Lucia. I just don't know.
But what I think we do know is the answer to the first question -- I think it may be obvious that Lucif is probably acting through Yoshiki somehow. Meaning what with Sumire's connection to Lilith, their relationship would be rather fated.
..Or maybe I'm completely wrong. Who knows.

Anyway, all in all, volume 5 reminds us that VVV is after all an action comic (Ruka even uses the classic shounen line "You're 100 years to early to yadda yadda yadda"). This time around, there isn't much of a clear picture of where things will go from here. However, in this volume Lucia appears to have a seemingly growing concern for Sumire's wellbeing, and what with her now currently in a comatose state, that combination could go to some pretty good places.


The first scene of End of Evangelion comes to mind...


...well okay, it's obvious that will never happen, but let's just hope that Lucia does SOMETHING next volume.
Christ.

Labels: Venus Versus Virus

....................................