Goei, Hakafu's mom, has always tried to deny her daughter's fated end of dying a young death, but in this volume she begins to doubt that course and wonders if instead of keeping her safe, she has undercut her abilities and left her even more vulnerable. With this in mind, she takes Hakafu, Kokin, and Ryofu on what is at first a relaxing trip to a hot springs, but turns into a training session with an old martial arts master named Chokou. While at the springs they run into Ryofu, Totaku's ex-bodyguard and lover who has turned against him in order to exercise her freewill. We also get our first glimpse at the girl who killed Hakafu in a previous life and plans to repeat the feat again!
Ikki Tousen is a series that does not work well in 3 episode installments because the effect of its plot is cumulative and does very little in bits and pieces. Probably, the best way to look at it would be to watch all 13 episodes in a row, if humans could stand such eyestrain. The point that has begun to change in this volume and that will become even more clear in Volume 4 is the will of some characters to not be bound by the fates of a storybook and the deeds of long dead warriors. We also begin to see how much Hakafu's mom loves her, even though the two are usually involved in insult matches and oneupmanship. This show is becoming more interesting. |
Ikki Tousen - Water Wars (Vol. 3) dvd movie.