Seraph of the End - Volume 14 (Review)

By: EyeSpyeAlex

Spoilers ahead!

Things are really starting to get tough for Yuchiro and the gang.

Yuchiro and his group travel to Ferid Bathory’s fifth personal estate in Osaka. They don’t have much time to explore though as they are quickly attacked by a tenth progenitor, Fuola Honte. He and thirteenth progenitor Crowley face off in a seemingly uneven battle. Surprisingly though, Crowley quickly and easily defeats Fuola. Observing the group in a state of shock, Crowley reveals that he is actually a seventh or eighth progenitor. Even more surprising to Yuchiro is that Crowley was once human.Humanity is actually a pretty big focus in this latest volume of Seraph of the End. Mika especially struggles with his fading humanity, which doesn’t make the group feel at ease. He is unsure how long he’ll be able to retain his feelings of friendship for Yu, a feeling that grows fainter each day. This opens up the whole debate on humanity and vampirism. If a human is turned into a vampire, when exactly do they stop being human? This is a question Yuchiro wants to know the answer to.Also a major focus is how well thought out is Ferid’s plan. On top of leaving the group a fully stocked mansion, Ferid leaves notes for Crowley regarding Yu. Crowley is to lead Yu to the basement where he’ll see the bodies of his dead friends. He is then supposed to stop Yu from having a breakdown and losing himself in his grief. Crowley in his infinite wisdom decides to tell the group what’s in the basement before they head down there, resulting only in tears from Yu. Phew!Meanwhile, Guren and his group are also traveling to Osaka, for reasons that Shinya wants to know. Guren spend the car ride in a contemplative state, reflecting on his use of Seraph of the End. Eight years ago Guren used Seraph of the End to bring Shinya back to life. Those brought back this way only have ten years to live though. This means Guren and Shinya only have two years left together, something Shinya seems unaware of.Both Guren and Yu’s groups are unaware that their worlds will soon collide. As Yu’s group finds the crest of the Demon Army in the basement, Guren’s group pulls up to the mansion. How did Crowley know Guren’s group would be arriving? How much exactly did Ferid plan out? It looks like we’ll have to wait until the next volume to find that out.All in all, this volume of Seraph of the End feels pretty solid. The funny and filler-esque moments like the bra scene and the poop conversation are a good balance against the major plot points. The only downside to the plot and dialogue is how often they call Yu dumb, which stopped being funny after the second time. The art style leaves something to be desired though. The black shading would work well if the manga was in color, but in black and white it makes it a little bland. You can pick up the latest volume from Viz here!Note: VIZ Media provided us with a digital copy of this volume in exchange for our honest review.