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Title:  O-Parts Hunter

Author:  Seishi Kishimoto

Publisher:  Viz

ISBN:  9781421508566

May Contain Spoilers

The government of Stea is after the Avilance Brothers, a devious pair with a Rank A O-Part.  As the brothers wipe out everything that the government throws at them, a new weapon is unleashed on them.  Cross, the young Commander in Chief of the flying fortress, has one goal; to bring Divine Justice against those that abuse the powers of their O-Parts and the next offender on his list is Satan!

Cross seems like he might develop into an interesting character, but I found the circumstances behind his appearance a little hard to swallow. I could not stand the obnoxious Avilance Brothers, and cheered happily at their demise.  Maybe it was their unkempt, stringy hair, their choice of lipstick, or maybe even the fact that they each were missing an eye.  Whatever the annoyance, they didn’t get to stick around long enough to truly irritate me.  Had I been the younger brother, I would have ripped both feet off of the older brother’s legs and shoved them up his a$$. 

Jio shares with Ruby the details behind his ridiculous cheek decorations.  These bold fashion statements represent sharp fangs, and help Jio become stronger.  Er, ok, apparently I’m not the only one that thinks they look silly, as Ruby continues to question them.  As he defends his inked on fangs, he reminisces about his master, Zero, an outcast wolf that is a living O-Part.  Even tough old Zero sports fashion accessories; he wears jaunty feathers looped over his ear, and has a black streak across one eye.  I briefly considered making an ear dangle for Buu, but thoughts of the neighbor dogs mocking his new adornment made me change my mind.

After saving Jio from a very large and very hungry worm, Zero orders him to go back where he came from before he gets killed.  Wanting to get stronger, Jio coerces the wolf into letting him stay with him, and under goes rigorous shounen manga training.  You know the type; climbing cliffs, chasing after rabbits, and using rocks for weightlifting were just a few of the methods for power enhancement.  Overall, I enjoyed the brief flashback into Jio’s past.  It’s during this time that Jio finds his O-Part, and also gains confidence in his abilities. 

Later in this volume, after Ruby is captured by the bad guys, I was little perturbed that she was trussed up like a chicken, and stripped down to her bra and panties.  I’m not sure how her lack of attire progresses the plot, and there are certainly more clever ways to insert a little fan service.  I’m sure I’m being overly critical on this point, but it annoyed me enough that I gave the book a half grade deduction.

Grade:  C

Rated for Older Teen