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Toby Culverwell's Blog

Nisekoi Volume 18 - Attack.

Nisekoi Volume 18 - Attack

This is my review of Volume 18 of Nisekoi. There are 2 arcs in this volume with no room for filler, so hopefully there will be a lot more to talk about.

The reason why Seishiro is doing a swordplay demo show is because the lead actor is sick and she displayed feats of acrobatics to kill an off-season mosquito that was trying to bite Chitoge, which convinced the producer of demo show to hire her for the time being. Seishiro tells Raku that Chitoge was here but left after a few of the shows and she didn't seem to be as enthusiastic about the trip as she was yesterday, so chastises him for not being a better boyfriend. Raku asks when the next show is and Seishiro allows him to watch after he threatened to bring others to watch as well. However the producer for the demo show comes over to congratulate Seishiro along with another problem: they are down a female performer, so Seishiro get Raku to play the part. The next show is going on without any issue, until part of one the prop swords breaks off and Raku catches it, thus requiring some improvisation that ends with Raku and Seishiro being revealed as husband and wife sword-master team. The producer compliments Seishiro for her performance (but not Raku), while Seishiro thanks Raku for catching the errant piece of sword. Raku remarks how less and less people are mistaking her for a guy and he believes that is because Seishiro is looking more feminine. Seishiro is called to do another performance, so Raku goes try find others, only for his phone's battery to die on him.
Chitoge is moping on a bridge as she was so absent-minded that she lost the group, with her source of absent-mindedness being the events of the last chapter. She stars wandering around and spots Raku and begins to call out to him, only to spot Marika tackling him and swiftly hides.

Marika is alone, as when she noticed that Raku wasn't with the group, she went off to look for him. Raku gets done to business and asks Marika to phone the others to find out where they are. Marika gets through to Kosaki who informs her that they outside a haunted house so, Marika takes Raku to teahouse to spend more time with him and torment Chitoge who is hiding from them. Raku isn't in a mood to be wasting time drinking tea so, asks Marika to call Kosaki again but her phone has just died. Marika's phone immediately rings. The 2 slowly meander along until Marika feels 'tired' and leans on Raku for support, which allows Raku to get good enough look at her to notices that she looks pale and shouldn't over-exert herself (what is it with Raku knowing people that constantly at the threat of collapse from exhaustion). Marika spots Chitoge and asks if the 2 are having an argument, which Raku sort of denies so her line of questioning moves to how Raku currently feels about Chitoge. Raku admits that there times when he doesn't like Chitoge's abrasive and blunt personality, but he appreciates it at the same time as both can be honest with each other. He comes to the conclusion that he actually enjoys Chitoge's company, which surprises him, then Kosaki, Ruri and Shu appear so Raku and Marika join them explore more of the movie village. Meanwhile Chitoge is overjoyed at what Raku has said about her as well as annoyed at herself for being affected so much by such words. The chapter ends with Marika receiving a text from the Dark Knights stating the have what she wanted the plan is going ahead as agreed.

It is day 3 of the class trip and the class is now exploring Kyoto in their groups and Raku's want to make alteration to the plans and go to a temple called Awayadaisan-Ji instead of Kiyomizudera. Raku is unsure (Awayadaisan-Ji is a Japanese pun for 'a close call'), but everyone wants to go so he agrees. Also everyone in his group have seemingly bought some items that you wouldn't expect from the Samurai Movie village but I am sure that is not payment for something.
Whilst out exploring Kyoto, Marika suggests they all go off and do their own thing, which everyone disagrees with as you are not supposed to, so Marika wanders off and no one stops her- what does she want to see in Kyoto that they haven't plan to do so anyway? Raku, maybe? Raku and his group arrive at the temple and a bit later Marika arrives as well. She invites Raku to participate in a tradition at the temple which brings health benefits and he agrees but lets Shu know where she is. Shu informs the rest of his group Marika's whereabouts and everyone dashes off to Awayadaisan-Ji. They arrive to witness Marika shooting love-heart-shaped tipped arrows at Raku as the High Priestess (the twin sister of the High Priestess in Bonyari) informs them that the arrows are powerful love charms that activate when a girl shoots a guy with them. Chitoge is the first to enter the fray, but Honda is swift to immobilise. Fortunately, Seishiro is on hand to free Chitoge and she and Honda engage battle to prevent the other interfering with their mistress's efforts. Raku hides behind a bush and meets Kosaki who is also brandishing a bow and arrow with love-heart-shaped tipped arrows as ammunition. Marika and Chitoge both find Raku and fire their arrows at him at the same time.

Shu jumps in front of Raku to 'save' him from being hit, only for Ruri to catch the arrows and save Shu. She thinks about attacking Shu with the arrows, but in an effort not to trigger the love charm's effects, goes for a nearby black rock instead. This black rock incidentally, is the only black rock on the entire temple grounds and its love charm effect is 10 times more powerful than arrows and activates in a similar way. Ruri destroys this rock to prevent it falling into the wrong hands or out of sheer anger at the prospect of being in love with Shu: you decide. during her fight with Seishiro, Honda asks how Seishiro feels about Raku and Seishiro denies that her feelings towards him are nothing than platonic and she is only using the bow and love-heart-shaped tipped arrows as a way of not causing serious injury to anyone, per Chitoge's instructions, but accidentally fires an arrow at Raku. Chitoge tries to fire one as well only for her string on her bow to break and upon seeing this, Marika and Kosaki both fire one arrow each as well. Not wanting to lose out, Chitoge throws her arrow overarm and strikes Raku and sends the other 3 arrows spinning. Now that Raku has been struck and is unconscious, the High Priestess asks for all the arrows to picked up (and Chitoge to pay for a new bow) during which, Marika fires an arrow at Raku at close range, while Seishiro and Kosaki stab and prod Raku respectively instead.
Raku later wakes up in Chitoge's lap, who apologises for firing the arrows at him as well as giving an update on where everyone is (visiting temples or if you're Marika: resting). They talk about how long they have been 'together' and Chitoge doesn't mind the whole fake couple routine - for real, honest to God, swear on your mother's grave, etc. Chitoge's father interrupts the mood to call and tell Chitoge that she no longer has to 'date' Raku.

Chitoge and Seishiro are returning to USA at the end of the week as he has finished all business he needed to take of and while large clashes no longer occur with Shuei-Gumi, the younger members of the 2 groups are still clashing so there is no need for unnecessary bloodshed. Also, Chitoge can be closer to her mother, as she is based in the USA. Everyone in the class is upset and doesn't wish to see the 2 go (except Marika for obvious reason). Chitoge moans about the entire situation to Raku on the school rooftop and Raku admits he doesn't wish for her to leave, but doesn't know what to do to stop it.
Chitoge pleads with her father to stay, but is told no as they would pretty much need the entire gang to stay behind to protect her and it has already been stated that Adelt, Chitoge's father, has no justification to do so any more.

Paula is also leaving and is totally okay with it until Haru hugs her and starts crying. Raku and Seishiro meet at a vending machine at school and discuss the prospect of she and Chitoge moving back to the USA, with Seishiro also admitting that she too has enjoyed her time in Japan and as well, doesn't know what to do to fulfil Chitoge's wishes. She asks Raku to keep in touch and the she was glad that Raku was Chitoge's boyfriend. Chitoge meanwhile, has gathered 10 signatures of Beehive gang members who are wiling to stay behind t o protect her, but Claude informs her that is not even 10% of what would be needed to protect her. Adelt asks if Chitoge is happy she we able to spend more time with her mother Hana (a relative term as she hardly spends anytime right now), with answer being yes, but there are important people in Japan that she can't be parted from. Adelt suggests that one of those people is Raku nad gets tsundere response from his daughter.
Chitoge, Seishiro and Paula's final day arrives and whilst putting science equipment back, Shu asks who does Raku like more: Chitoge or Kosaki.

Raku is at first bewildered at what Shu asked and after some prompting from Shu, he explains how he feels about Chitoge. Shu tells him that the change in opinion means he is starting to like Chitoge, which Raku refuses to believe. Shu leaves Raku with the instruction to be more observant of those around him. Raku exits the science lab and meets Kosaki who is the midst of decorating a cake for the party this evening. She disappointed that she can't help Chitoge stay in Japan and Raku agrees with her sentiment, but she disagrees as she believes that he can work something out as he has experience with how families like Chitoge's operate.
This inspires Raku to seek out Chitoge to help her and when he does, she provides him with an excellent plan: she moves in with Raku. This is because the Shuei-Gumi already protect Raku in a similar way to how Beehive protect Chitoge, so they can easily handle another person and Claude respects their authority in Bonyari, so there is no fear of her being in incapable hands. Raku is naturally apprehensive towards the idea as he thinks the Shuei-Gumi household is no place for a young girl (Yui is a young woman and a boss, so she's different) and there is no way Claude and Adelt agree to it as well. This disheartens Chitoge, which inspires Raku to back the plan otherwise, he would be losing a very dear friend of his and he can't sit back and let that happen. As for Claude and Adelt, Chitoge won't mention anything to them, also they believe that Seishiro will want to stay so they go and ask her.

Seishiro is initially hesitant, but agrees as her loyalty to Chitoge outranks her loyalty to Beehive. Chitoge then invites Seishiro to join in staying at Raku's which agrees to whilst flustered.
Happy that she will be staying in Japan, Chitoge dashes off home, with Seishiro in tow, to begin packing. During which Claude visits her room to take to see her father and escorts her to a room, which he lock her in. Claude reveals that he knows about her plan to live with Raku in order to stay in Japan as he had placed a bug on her (he turned it off when she was in the toilet) in case she had done something rash and needed stopping, such running away and staying at a rival organisation's house. Chitoge tries to kick down the door, but it does more damage to her than she did to the door as it is reinforced with at least 40mm of steel. Also the windows are bullet- and shockproof. Having heard what Claude has done, Seishiro confronts him only to be reminded that she has betrayed the Beehive and it is best for Chitoge if she obeys Claude from now on. Seishiro heads to the room where Chitoge is being held and hears her crying as Chitoge won't be able to see her friends and tell Raku something important - confession of love? This convinces Seishiro to ignore Claude's instructions and her first move is to tell Raku.

Seishiro explains the situation to Raku, who immediately agrees to help. The plan to rescue Chitoge is simple: Seishiro will sneak Raku in and will distract Claude while Raku recover the key to unlock the room Chitoge is in. The way to Chitoge's 'cell' is booby-trapped, but Seishiro has provided instructions to disarm them as well as deactivating the alarms that sound when the traps are triggered. Which is good as Raku bumbles from trap to trap, miraculously avoiding any serious harm because all the traps are designed with the intent to kill. The sound of the traps alert Claude and disarms Seishiro before she can even stop him from leaving. Raku reaches Chitoge's 'cell' and tries to use the key,only for it not to work. This is because the key is a fake and Claude, who arrived on the scene, has the real one in his hands. Claude reminds Raku that Chitoge has promising future, one that does include him or Japan. Raku then chastises Claude for deciding Chitoge's future without her input as well as disregarding all the work and effort she put in to get where she is now.
The bonus comic this volume see a return to the world of Magical Confectioner Kosaki where we and the magical girls are introduced to the ruler of Magic Land, Magical Princess Yui Kanakura.
Cover of volume 18 of Nisekoi