▪	RELEASED BY:		TOKYOPOP
		▪	AUTHOR / ART:		KEI SANBE
		▪	FORMAT:		JAPANESE / BW
		▪	PAGES:		216
		▪	RATING:		M
		▪	RELEASE DATE:		12/04/2007
		▪	REVIEW DATE:		01/23/2008
		▪	REVIEWED BY:		SCOTT CAMPBELL

This is one history lesson that should most certainly not be missed. With the release of volume four, the veil on Jillald’s mysterious past is lifted with a flashback to the events that led him to become a Right Arm. How he met Alisa is also revealed, as well as a shocking truth about the elusive and mysterious Alisa herself. But even more unexpected is how the Kamiyadori changed Jillald’s life forever. Volume four is sure to be filled with shocks and surprises that none of us will have seen coming.

Kamiyadori is thankfully still going strong, bringing us to volume four of this cross between the sci-fi and horror genres. Readers may also be thankful for the few, but noticeable hints of cyber-punk influence that are so hard to come by, but so good when they happen. The art and story continue to be just as entertaining as in the first few books, if not more so. The revelations about the characters are the high points this time around, with the action just barely managing to take a back seat for a moment while the plot thickens and bursts. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: This manga, without a doubt, should be made into an animated series. People would just eat it up – especially fans of gory sci-fi and a mature story. It has so much potential for movement because everything seems to move on the pages. It gives you a really clear idea of how great it would be to see this story made into an anime so you could see it really move. Cross your fingers and it might happen, but the manga is entertaining enough to keep readers busy while they wait.

A trend that most readers appreciate is the “extra(s)” now being made available in the back of most manga coming out nowadays. Volume four has a short cartoon drawn by the author/artist that relates to a trip to Nepal he once took – it’s a continuation from the last volume. It’s fun to see the artist break out from the expectations of the manga they are drawing and just draw in a less serious way. The cartoon is done in a sketchy style with little chibi characters – it’s actually pretty cute. Extras like this won’t always make or break a book, but they are better than no extras at all! The more extras, the better – as long as they don’t start charging more for them. But at $9.99 US, Kamiyadori is still a great choice to get your mature reading needs filled. It’s got great action and characters, but still manages to pack a good story to back it all up. And it’s only getting better with each book – so how can we ask for more than that? This is one I will be reading until the end.

IN SUMMARY:
Kamiyadori is an interesting story of future desolation and disease that skillfully manages to be unique in a sea of similar stories. It has so much potential to cross over to television as an anime series, and would likely even work as a live action film. Read the books and watch out for this one in the future!