Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle 22

CLAMP – Del Rey – 2009 – 28 volumes

Yeah, I knew they’d explain things right away.  So… yeah, now I know all about the business with Kurogane’s arm.  But again, why couldn’t they just explain this while the action was happening?  Why did we have to sit through another explanation two or three chapters later?  Because it makes for better cliffhangers in the magazine?  And while I’m at it, what about all this weird business with Yuko’s fees, and how we have to hear what everyone paid for every little thing?  Bah.

This volume was much better than the past couple, and the action and story more-or-less resumed (as much as I assume they can at this point) when Fuuma and Seishirou show up and stir up trouble.  Seishirou is still in possession of a feather, so Syaoran has to fight him for it.  It’s a pretty awesome fight, and there’s even a little bit of fanservice when the boyish and young Seishirou pulls out his glasses for the fight.  He’s not using his Sakurazukamori powers, unfortunately, but I can’t have everything, I suppose.  I also like the chipper and happy Fuuma used in Tsubasa, while I’m at it, and I love that they’re brothers.  Seishirou has business with Fai since he’s… you know, a vampire now, but he goes all-out in his fight with Syaoran first.

I did like that we got a little bit of a breath after all that business in the past couple towns.  The team winds up in Japan, and it seems that they rested and relaxed quite a bit before the story resumed with Kurogane waking back up.  There was even some silliness among the characters, something I miss quite a bit.  I’d love to see Fai regain his sense of humor eventually.

The end of the volume is a little bizarre, and I’m not sure how the story will resolve the… split.  I’m sure it’ll take at least a volume to resolve the confrontation we see here, but I don’t mind since at least the two are fighting and not talking to each other.