I’m continuing with the fantasy manga Rave Master this week with the manga’s second volume.

Title: Rave Master Volume 2
Story and Art by Hiro Mashima
Translation by Amy Forsyth
Adaptation by James Lucas Jones

Available from Amazon.com and RightStuf.com

The Premise

Haru Glory has arrived in Hip-Hop Town in the Song Continent and is about to go searching for the blacksmith Musica, so the Ten Powers Sword can be reforged. Unfortunately, Musica is further inland, in the city of Punk Street, and before he can leave Hip-Hop Town, he has to contend with the town’s rulers, members of Dark Card. However, Haru does get some new allies – the amnesiac gambler Elie, and a gang leader who is also named Musica.

High Points

This is a fairly action packed volume, and the action is very nicely done.

Low Points

Aside from the plot not being particularly deep, the music genre jokes aren’t particularly clever, especially compared to other music-reference heavy anime and manga like JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure and Bastard! Also, the song parodies that book end this volume are iffy, particularly since they don’t actually credit the songs they’re parodying (“Ice, Ice Baby” by Vanilla Ice and “Under Pressure” by David Bowie and Queen).

Scores

Originality: This volume’s isn’t as much of a by-the-numbers take on Campbellian Monomyth as the last volume was, but it’s still somewhat cliché in a few other ways (like the legendary sword-smith who gave up sword-making after his work was used for evil). 3/6

Artwork: Still very good, with some interesting character designs. 4/6

Story: This volume basically has two, for lack of a better term, episodes, each not particularly deep, but decently written. 4/6

Emotional Response: The action is exciting, but that’s all I can really say for it. 3/6

Flow: 6/6

Characterization: Haru’s two new companions get some basic development, with some groundwork also set up to have them fleshed out further as the manga goes on. 3/6

Overall: Nice continuation, with something of a cliffhanger. 4/6

In total, Rave Master Volume 2 gets 27 out of 42.