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Title: Togari Vol 3

Author: Yoshinori Natsume

Publisher: Viz

ISBN: 9781421513577

May Contain Spoilers

Tobei is still collecting his 108 sins, so that he can win his freedom from Hell.  A ruthless killer, Tobei will do anything to survive, and no act is too heinous if it means that he’ll live to see another day.  Thoroughly unrepentant, his last chance for redemption is finding and defeating 108 sins with the wooden sword Togari.  When he and Itsuki wind up in the middle of a bank robbery, will Tobei finally understand the value of human life?

Er, no, it doesn’t seem that he will ever learn the value of anyone’s life but his own. Tobei is an interesting character, because he is so unlikeable.  He’s out for number one, and he doesn’t hesitate to broadcast that to others.  He doesn’t care about anybody but himself, and not even his horrible childhood can excuse his disregard for other people.  When a bank robber threatens to kill Itsuki if he doesn’t back down, Tobei pretty much tells the bad guy to do whatever he wants.  That’s so cold, especially when she is one of the handful of people who has been nice to him!  Tobei is so dysfunctional that he just doesn’t understand that he is probably the most cold and callous person on the face of the planet.  Not even an extended stay in Hell gave him a clue, and that right there makes you wonder if this guy is worth saving.

Togari is, at its heart, a monster of the week type of shounen brawler.  It’s uniqueness comes from its lead character, a pretty despicable guy by anyone’s definition.  Any good he does is purely by chance, the unintended consequence of efforts to promote his own well being.  There’s none of that self improvement stuff going on here, none of that desire to grow stronger to protect those weaker than him.  Nope, Tobei is out to improve the life of just one individual, and that is himself.  I am curious to see if he can convincingly turn over a new leaf.  I sort of have my doubts.

Grade: B