Title: Queen’s Quality Vol. 18
Author: Kyousuke Motomi
Publisher: Viz Media
Language: English
Format: Paperback
Pages: 168
Genre: Sci-Fi, Romance
Publication Date: November 7, 2023
The Story
Everyone has returned from Jigoku and summer vacation is about to come to an end. Kyutaro has become the new black snake and with it comes some pretty interesting knowledge. Before the black snake completely fades, he gives Kyutaro a crash course in being a snake. This also means all of the information that the black snake has had since the beginning of its existence has been passed down to him as well… including the true location of the casket! Once he learns its location, Kyutaro wastes no time in informing all of the members of the Genbu where it is.
Now that they have this information, they believe that the Suzuku Gate could make a move; however, there are problems brewing within their ranks. Tsubasa retrieved Inoue’s body as instructed; however, he was no longer waiting around. He wants to become the next vessel for the silver sea snake and while he goes on a tantrum, he’s surprised that he’s granted that opportunity. Before he fully assumes the snake, he decides to take matters into his own hands.
School begins and everyone returns. Kyutaro asks Fumi to join him in the room where everything began. There, it is revealed that all of the teachers and the staff are sweepers and have everyone under protection. They felt that it was better for them to return to school under their watchful eyes in case they were targeted. It was better than being in isolation, after all. This doesn’t work as Tsubasa arrives at the school anyway and confronts Kyutaro. There, he threatens to use the students’ minds as hostages but, in the end, he unveils his true intentions to the shock of many!
Characters
Aside from Kyutaro learning how to use his snake powers, there isn’t much in the way of development for him. The same goes for Fumi. There is a nice callback to the beginning of the series when Kyutaro scolds Fumu for improper cleaning, though.
The biggest development here comes with Tsubasa. He’s tired of being a lapdog and wants the silver sea snake for himself. He wants to become the next vessel; however, he doesn’t truly have any wishes… except for one but it’s more of a desire than anything else. With the way he handled things at the end, it’s a bit muddy if he’s friend or foe now but one thing is for certain, he is a bit unstable, and that in and of itself could be dangerous!
Overall Thoughts
This volume of Queen’s Quality was more filler/transitional; however, our next big arc has begun and it’s all centered around Tsubasa. Even with the location of the casket known, it appears that nobody else is keen on its location but Tsubasa certainly suspects that Kyutaro knows about it.
I will be honest, though. I thought that we were coming close to the end of the series with the way the story had been going; however, Kyousuke Motomi mentioned in their opening commentary that this is a new arc and the publication still has a long way to go. Although it’s stated, I can’t see how much more this series can continue. Most of the threats have been dealt with but, who knows? Maybe there is something bigger on the horizon that we just can’t see right now.
Returning to school and seeing those scenes from the prequel series, QQ Sweeper, was a nice callback and refreshing. It did its job in jogging some memories. It also felt a bit symbolic in the sense that it felt as if the story had come full circle but rather than wrapping up, a new beginning is starting to something bigger. Whether or not Tsubasa succeeds or fails will depend on how much bigger this next arc gets.
I guess we’ll have to wait and see.
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This item was provided for review by VIZ Media