This volume's arc involves Tokito being kidnapped by the Izumo yakuza group to pump him for information on WA. The alternate pov comes this time from the Izumo youth group leader in charge of the kidnapping who is also struggling with his relationship to the yakuza as well as the death of one of the two childhood friends he joined the yakuza with. It's the most heavy on action and violence than any of the volumes of Wild Adapter yet, but still keeps the dramatic build and character development going well throughout, just as Minekura has shown she can do well before in previous volumes (even if the actual panel by panel actions were slightly hard for me to follow sometimes). We get to see the lengths Kubota will go to to reclaim Tokito as well as Tokito's reaction to his actions.

Outside things concerning this volume specifically and commenting on where the series seems headed as a whole, there are times when Tokito seems to understand how important he is to Kubota and times he (sometimes for no discernible reason I can see) does not seem sure. I suppose humans do vacillate in the confidence they hold in their relationships, but after a certain point the back and forth is going to start stretching my suspension of disbelief a little too hard. After the events of this volume, we may be getting to that point. There really should be some even slight change/better understanding in Tokito of how essential Kubota finds him at the very least. But I suppose that is something to see in the next volume rather than here.

Yet I am starting to suspect Minekura is very good at exploring different sides of a character or relationship as it stands at a certain point, but perhaps not so practiced at actually showing developments or change in a relationship, even when change really should be occurring. Frequently it seems like the two will forever be at this point--understanding to some degree they mean a lot to one another, yet at the same time unsure what exactly that "a lot" is, sometimes even doubting it. Every experience, even if were they real people they might change the way they view one another a bit, still seems to return Kubota and Tokito to this exact point. Holding off on changing things too fast is certainly necessary to make a series longer as Wild Adapter certainly seems to be shaping up to be, and can make slight changes when they do happen even more satisfying, but... I suspect more and more the slowness is Minekura's inability more than patience or pacing.

Still, these are again just thoughts on the future of the series more than complaints on the current events. This volume was action-filled and intense, summing up in an interesting and emotional (in that restrained way WA does so nicely sometimes) reunion, along with telling a compelling story on the pov character's side of things as well. Considering for a while during the second and third volumes I wondered if I was going to have to lower my expectations of this series, it is wonderful to be able to say that the volumes seem to have only been getting stronger since then, with this perhaps the strongest overall since the first. Whatever great things I feel like the series could be with some tweaks, it's still already great as it is. ( )