The Spring 2023 Manga Guide

Life 2: Giver/Taker

What's It About? 

When the charming young boy who moves next door turns out to be a psychopath who murders her little sister, Itsuki vows to fight the injustice that allowed him a second chance at life while her sister lies dead. Blaming herself for what happened, she becomes a stone-cold cop who fears nothing to prevent others from living through a similar tragedy. But six years later, on the very same day the killer is finally set free, she finds a chilling letter in her mailbox threatening to once again steal what's most important to her. And though she wants nothing more than to make him pay for her sister's life that he stole, she'll have to watch her back now that there's a killer on the loose.

Life 2: Giver/Taker has story and art by Keiko Suenobu, with English translation by Fabian Kraft. This volume was lettered by Salud Campos Blasco. Kodansha Comics released its first volume digitally on March 14.

Is It Worth Reading?

Rebecca Silverman

Rating:

Having not yet finished Life, I can't say if this is related because it follows one of the side characters from that series (which I kind of doubt) or if it's simply another story about how bad things happen in life. That's actually not even really an issue, because no matter what its tenuous relationship to Keiko Suenobu's similarly-titled other series, this is a good one. It's a mystery with a strong cat-and-mouse element, and the best thing about it is that both parties clearly think they're the cat.

As with all Suenobu series, this one comes with the usual hefty content warnings, in this case for the death of a child and a suicide attempt. Six years ago, Itsuki's life was shattered when an angelic-looking boy named Ruoto Kishi moved in next door and soon thereafter murdered her younger sister. Since he was only eleven at the time, he was put in a reform school, and now he's about to get out. Itsuki became a police detective, and although she doesn't say it in so many words, it was plainly so that she could keep an eye on Ruoto from inside the system that largely failed her family, and no sooner is he released than another murder happens and a frightening note is left in her mailbox. Just like when he was younger, Ruoto is good at fooling others into thinking he's harmless.

Alongside the tension of the hunt, Itsuki also has to deal with sexism in her workplace. The mostly-male enclave – a uniformed officer is the only other woman we see – resents Itsuki for her work ethic and drive. They sneer when she wins commendations, her boss screams in her face and kicks desks at the least excuse, and they make snide comments about how she's insufficiently feminine. In this volume, Itsuki just takes it all stone-faced, because she has bigger fish to fry, but there's real potential for her to snap at some point. It's not entirely clear if everyone knows her past (at least one higher-up does), but she seems like someone it would be dangerous to make an enemy of.

If you're already a fan of Suenobu's Life and Limit, this is going to make you a happy reader. It's also just a good story, and Suenobu's art is cleaner and more polished than in either of those earlier series, so that's a nice bonus. However you prefer your revenge served, this series looks like it's going to bring it, come hell or high water.