Barrage Chapter 12: Well, This Was A Lost Cause

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“Me No Likey This Chapter Kids. Read Why To Find Out.”

Well. I have to say. This is not exactly a chapter I want to remember.

Summary: On their journey to save the planet, Astro and Tiamat travel to Maseille, a city under alien and corrupt Military Forces control. Though the Orgue evolves into a sword and drives away the cruel alien Tad Pole, Astro and Tiamat are too late to save Tiko’s adoptive father. Now missing a chunk of his leg, Tad confronts his boss, Black, about Dark Energy’s limits. (SJAlpha)

Amanda’s Archive: http://www.amandareviews.com/category/manga/barrage/

Kate’s Archives: http://www.fandompost.com/tag/barrage/

This is problem #1. How in the world did Black know it was not the original Prince that has come to stop him and his organization, but Astro instead? Unless Tad showed him a picture offscreen, described Astro’s features really well, or Black managed to use his Dark Energy to project an image to see Astro, I’m not sure how Black managed to know it was not the real Prince Barrage, unless I missed a major plot point earlier in the arc. Last I checked, Astro, Tiamat, and the Kingdom of Industria were apparently keeping Barrage’s death a secret right? Astro is the Prince in disguise right? So yeah, I’m pretty much baffled as to how Black figured out it was Astro. I can only believe this will get explained in future chapters…preferably earlier rather than later. Which kind of leads to problem #2:

I like out of this world concepts, I really do. I also value being kind of smart too. Now, most shounen manga attempt to get away with something really dumb. Sometimes it works, especially if we get a bit of a hint somewhere along the way to that dumb point to make me accept the scene or situation. Barrage unfortunately tried to do something dumb, and it reeks of foolishness. You know that cool power Astro managed to obtain from the Orgue? Yeah, apparently, he now knows how to use it at will. Well ok, that idea will be tested as the chapters go on, and I’m almost certain he’s not going to be able to use his newly reanimated Orgue to defeat the Dark Energy. Why? Because he has little mastery over it. But I guess we’ll work with this idea. Yeah, you can see that this training while trying to save the planet is testing my patience. Mainly because there’s just no logic or real reason for me to wrap my head around it. Maybe I’m just not liking the pace of the chapters–hurried, fairly quick, and little to no breathers for Astro to master the Orgue.

I’m almost unsure of what’s going to happen in Chapter 13 of Barrage. Yeah it looks like Astro and Tiamat’s gonna duke it out with the aliens. But I’m going to believe that Tiko’s gonna try and help Astro and Tiamat out–either by her own beliefs or someone (human or alien) convinces her to help out. I’m also certain that Astro and Tiamat do not stand a chance against the aliens with Dark Energy. I’ll guess there will be some way they’ll figure out an efficient method of defeating the aliens, but until I see it, they’re pretty screwed. But I should expect something good to happen to the main characters to help them, so that’s not out of the question.