Asadora vol 2 by Naoki Urakawa

Asa and Kasuga continue to fly and deliver rice balls and water, but the strange thing they found at the end of volume one is right where Asa’s house should be. They find two of her younger siblings and the doctor holding the newborn baby, and something else monstrous and strange. Kinuyo, the lady who owns the restaurant, notices Kasuga’s bloody arm from being shot, and worries he might lose consciousness. Kasuga starts to lose feeling in his arm, so he tells Asa how to fly and land the plane. Asa falls in love with flying. With her endless fiery spirit, Asa goes to make a deal with the owner of the plane, who was using it to do illegal things, and tries to get him to give her his plane.

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Reading a straight summary of this story really reflects how off the wall it all sort of is, but it really makes sense as you’re reading it. Some of it reads like an action movie, some of it like a crime drama, and all of it is pretty outlandish. The reading experience is really immersive, and all these little threads of storylines are seamlessly woven together. Not every mystery is solved at the end of this volume, again, so there’s plenty to look forward to in volume 3. 

A big part of what makes this series so amazing is Urasawa's wonderful illustrations. The attention to detail in backgrounds and scenery is similar to the level of detail mangakas like Junji Ito have, and it really provides for a rich reading experience. 

VIZ rates this for Teen+, and with the bit of violence, the historical context of Post-WWII, and a some smoking/alcohol consumption, this seems appropriate.

Sara's Rating: 10/10
Suitability Level: Grades 10-12

Reviews of previous volumes in this series: vol 1

Publisher: VIZ Media
Publication Date: April 20, 2021
ISBN: 9781974720101 (Paperback)

​Tags: Rating: 10/10, Suitability: High School, Manga, Action Adventure, Historical Fiction, Family, VIZ Media