Asadora vol 4 by Naoki Urasawa

A fishing boat off the coast capsizes as a result of an encounter with the Monster, so it’s go time for Asa and Kasuga! That is, when Agent A-Kura can get back to his car after it was towed for illegal parking. Yone wants to bring Asa along for her talent agency audition for moral support, but Asa has to find Kasuga and get the plane up in the air as soon as possible. Kasuga's gone missing - he's off chasing a no-good reporter who has taken roles of photos of Asa, their plane, and their supply of munitions. Then, Asa’s little brother comes down with a sickness and A-Kura offers to take him to the doctor. Nakaido is frantically searching through the notes of Professor Yodogawa for anything that might be helpful, and when he thinks he might be close to the creature’s weakness, he goes up in the plane with Asa in Kasuga’s place. 

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This story doesn't make a ton of sense in a summary like this, and its appeal is lost until you open the book and get sucked into the story. This is true of many of Urasawa's narratives - they are very slow-burn and require a lot of build-up. Urasawa likes to introduce various narrative threads that weave together after several volumes, and that is true of Asadora as well. In this fourth volume, some of the pieces are starting to come together, and we get even more glimpses of the Monster than the last volume. Asa, now a young adult, is extremely level-headed and likable, and often has a better grasp of what's going on than the adults around her. Urasawa's beautifully detailed illustrations also add to the appeal of this story. His characters are so expressive and sometime cartoony, which contrasts with the heavy-lined backgrounds, but coupled together, it works so wonderfully.

Sara's Rating: 10/10
Suitability Level: Grades 9-12

Reviews of previous volumes in this series: vol 1, vol 2, vol 3

Publisher: VIZ Media
Publication Date: October 19, 2021
ISBN: 9781974722969 (Paperback)

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