Ral-Grad Vol. 4

I think that it is safe to say that Ral-Grad has been something of a sinful pleasure for me to read. The series has finally come to a close (for Western readers) ending as solidly as it had started. Ral-Grad took no liberties and wasted no time telling its story, which interestingly enough is, if you didn't know by now, a prelude to the, modestly reviewed, video game Blue Dragon.

But where Blue Dragon failed Ral-Grad succeeds. The writer, Tsuneo Takano, and the artist, Takeshi Obato, work together in a unionized fashion to deliver a 4 part series that not only entertains but inspires, at least, artistically speaking.

The pacing of the final volume is fairly solid for the most part, but I find myself wishing it had been extended by at least 1 extra volume, simply because it tries to tie up the loose ends and play out 3 lengthy battles all in one book. I would have loved to see the fight with Lady Opsquria take place in an issue of its own, giving sufficient breathing room for the rest of the loose ends to tie themselves up.

Fortunately though this quibble doesn't take away very much of my enjoyment from the final issue. Takeshi Obata is outstanding once again, displaying the full beadth of his prowess as an artist. The dimensionality of the characters in the Ral-Grad series has been wonderful with each character lovingly crafted containing their own history, personality and uniqueness. No one goes to waste even the villains. I was also pleasantly surprised to find that even Ganette was given his own little back story explaining the reasons why he too was chasing after Lady Opsquria.

One aspect that I both liked and disliked throughout the 4 volumes is the boob jokes. On one hand they were funny when Ral was set free from his cage of darkness and he was seeing everything for the first time. But on the other hand they got a little tiresome when scenes that were supposed to be emotionally serious felt instead light hearted and sarcastic.

All in all however I would recommend this series to almost all readers of manga. If not for the story then for the amazing visuals that never cease to delight.

An interesting tidbit revealed in an interview with Tsuneo Takano at the end of the book (dated September 19 2007) states that the 'Omega' sign in Ral-Grad should never be written (as 'Omega') or spoken verbally (ie. Ral Omega Grad). It is simply there for show. This makes even more sense given the ending to the series.

Or perhaps I meant to say Ral Dragonhead Grad?

Rating: 8/10

From the back of the book:

FRIEND
The final battle for the fate of humanity rests with Ral and his Shadow, Grad. But he must first get past the immortal Red Phoenix, a Shadow with no known weakness, and the fearless Black Rhinoceros before he can take on the Queen of Darkness. With her Clear Human Shadow, Opsquria can kill with just one look! But will Ral have to make the ultimate sacrifice in order to defeat her?!