The Young Master's Revenge - Volume 4 (Review)
By: EyeSpyeAlex
The final volume of The Young Master’s Revenge is here! Need to catch up? Check out my previous review here.
The Story
Volume 4 of The Young Master’s Revenge starts off with Tenma in a predicament. Living on her own, Tenma finds herself struggling to be honest about her feelings. She finds herself growing more distant from Leo and is unsure of how she really feels about him. A sudden training camp between Genbu and Suzaku pushes Tenma’s feelings to the forefront of her life.
Genbu President Barazono asks Tenma out on a date in front of the whole Suzaku school, including Leo. Once Tenma accepts, Leo begins planning his own actions to win Tenma’s affections. Suzaku President Tojo joins Leo in his scheming and offers to help Leo follow the two. Unbeknownst to Leo, Tojo is working with Barazono and plans on making the move on Leo on their stakeout.
The day of the date finally arrives! Tenma and Barazono head to the amusement park, with Leo and Tojo hot on their tails. While stalking the couple on a rollercoaster, Tojo admits her feelings to Leo. After the ride, Tojo trips and Leo catches her…all in front of Tenma. Crushed, Tenma runs away, only to bump into a group of aggressive men. She is quickly saved by G.G., who talks to her about coming to terms with love. After the talk, Leo finds Tenma and confesses his love.
Although Leo plans for Tenma’s inner turmoil, he doesn’t plan for his own problems. During the training camp a group of Genbu students caught a glimpse of the scars on Leo’s butt. Mistaking them for tattoos, the students quickly spread a rumor that Leo is covered in tattoos; an offence which could lead to Leo’s expulsion.
In order to set the rumors straight, Leo breaks into the broadcasting room and announces to the whole school that the marks are scars from when he was younger. Before Leo can bare his bottom for the whole school, Tenma stops him. As part of her promise to protect him, Tenma confesses her love for Leo.
Ten years later finds Tenma living her dream of being a veterinarian. Leo is right there by her side, selling the Taurus brand. They aren’t the only ones enjoying a happily ever after either. Having graduated, Tojo and Barazono spend the rest of their lives challenging each other to wrestling matches. Literally.
The Review
I am really happy with the way The Young Master’s Revenge ends. The issue between Tenma and Leo was addressed and everything was wrapped up nicely. The only real downside to the ending was how cookie-cutter it is. I shouldn’t be as surprised as I am. The story was set up from the beginning to follow the path of Tenma and Leo pursuing their dreams together. Still, it would have been nice to have an ending with a little more depth.
One awesome thing about this volume of The Young Master’s Revenge is the expressive illustrations. Meca Tanaka did an amazing job portraying the emotions of each character. I especially enjoy Tenma’s look of fury as she reconciles with Leo’s feelings for her.
Overall, I really enjoyed The Young Master’s Revenge. The story is short, sweet, and to the point. The ending, while unoriginal, follows a natural and organic progression. The illustrations are cute and expressive. It’s a really good teen manga series. I highly recommend this to all the hopeless romantics out there!
Fans looking to add The Young Master's Revenge to their collection can find out purchase information from Viz Media here.