I wouldn't worry about Ban and Melidoas' situation if I were you. Ban's immortality combined with his ability to steal the power of multiple enemies now is sure to saved him many times over. Even Meliodas' emotions have begun to step it up in the combat department despite yet another detriment to his full power. In place of his usual demonic powers, the Dragon's Sin of Wrath has settled back into his use of Full Counter to seal the deal as the duo fights their way through Purgatory. The duet of their capability only increases with each chapter as Nakaba Suzuki's take on Hell has time elapsing at a rate that boggles the mind. As can be expected centuries of training against unnatural monstrosities the likes of which are rarely if ever seen on Earth is sure to lead to some significant power ups.
All the more hilarious is it when both Ban and Meliodas' emotions find themselves bested by a pig. A talking pig capable of surviving the wilderness of Puragatory with, or perhaps through, connections to the Demon King, but a pig nevertheless. It certainly says something about the Seven Deadly Sins who have long been lauded as some of the most powerful beings alive. It naturally says something even more profound about the newly revealed Wild and even Hawk. This chapter continues to see Suzuki expanding the depth of his characters relationships through subtle, but profound interactions. The feeling of brotherhood between Ban and Meliodas feels organic with callbacks to some of NANATSU NO TAIZAI's earliest chapters. Duress, and circumstance having collaborated together to bring the current chain of events; Suzuki has mixed together feelings of nostalgia and friendship to soften the more dire nature of their situation. Their obvious strength allows for a margin of comfort that further detracts from the immediate danger in which they find themselves. It continues to remain unclear as to how the duo will find their way back to Britannia and their comrades, but I would like to think that Suzuki has left several hints through this chapter. Naturally, I'm talking about the surprising arrival of Wild yet again. As has often been showcased in the past, animals in NANATSU NO TAIZAI tend to be capable of more than they seem at first glance. That goes doubly for animals with ties to magical peoples and locals. Hawk's relationship with the Demon King has been widely speculated upon for many months following Merlin's revelation. King's Black Hound, Oslo, has also proven to be capable of teleportation individuals across great distances. It strikes me based on these examples that Wild should be capable of some similar feats. Barring magical hell pig teleportation magic, Wild's placement as a potential ally and local of Purgatory allow for a wide range of scenarios in which Ban and Meliodas' emotions escape from their present predicament. The world that Nakaba Suzuki has created continues to unfold and expand in unique and unexpected ways. While the baseline for his creation may still be Arthur's Britannia as in THE MATTER OF BRITAIN, he has since gone on to create entirely new dynamics to colour and populate his world. The freedom and range of characters that enrapture us from week to week are gloriously entertaining to experience! NANATSU NO TAIZAI breaks the mold with its vibrancy, and dissolution of the more cliched shonen tropes. Without the traditional characterizations of shonen manga, there is a wider pallet of character development from which to draw inspiration. In this way there, Ban and Meliodas' struggle to escape Purgatory feels much more personal and engrossing because of their shared history. Next weeks Suzuki has almost certainly planned for more hilarity, secrets, and exposition to hit his panels. In particular, we should keep our eyes peeled for more information about Hawk, the Demon King, Purgatory, and perhaps even a way out! Until next week, keep up or catch up with NANATSU NO TAZAI because Nakaba Suzuki is going to be bringing out the A Grade material soon enough! Written By: ALAN "VIENNA" SINGH
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It seems that even authors who regularly flip shonen tropes on their heads cannot seem to escape some of the more vital elements of shonen manga. Nakaba Suzuki is not exempt from this standard, and he proves it in this most recent chapter of NANATSU NO TAIZAI. Impressively, Suzuki has managed to cut down significantly on the levels of friendship in his story. Yes, the Seven Deadly Sins are impressive allies, and have equally impressive friends. That said, their friendships are not generally the focus of the narrative. Instead a greater emphasis is placed on the romances between characters as driving forces for plot development. From that standpoint, the use of friendship now as a driving factor heightens the interest for Ban's plight as he attempts to extract the captain's emotions from Purgatory.
Meliodas has worked hard to attain the few friends that he has, and it all stems from a generous personality. The mafnanimity of his personality is largely overshadowed by a fairly neutral emotional state. Only during times of real crisis, loss, or elation has he shown strong emotion, and even then only momentarily before attempting to deal with the situation. It was only fitting then that we finally see the bottom depths of his emotional range while in Purgatory. As a response to Ban's desperate attempt to free him from his prison at the risk of his own life, Meliodas breaks down and ugly cries in a way that has never happened before. Ban, for the most part, has had nearly two hundred years in Purgatory in order to prepare for this moment, and so his reaction is much more tame. With the two best friends reunited, one would think it a simple enough matter exiting Purgatory as it was getting into it. Unfortunately, that isn't the case, and the duo must now work together in order to find a way out before Meliodas can become the demon king. There quest, as one might expect, is nothing short of impossible and is likely to never come to fruition without outside help. Whether that means Merlin or the Demon King must somehow get involved, there doesn't seem to be any other way of escaping their current circumstances. Making matters still more complicated than they already are, Meliodas' emotions are largely unable to fend for themselves. This inability to fight has created an interesting, and previously implausible paradigm shift between Ban and Meliodas. From the very start of NANATSU NO TAIZAI the captain has proven himself to be a formidable combatant, and has even gone so far as to hide the greater facets of his strength. It is strange then see him so thoroughly weakened. The fact that Ban, who has largely made himself out to be a very laid back character, must now take care of him is something deeply heartwarming. Yet again, Nakaba Suzuki has left us with more questions than he has answers. What are we to make of the duos inability to escape Purgatory? There is a delicate tension that now exists in the Ban-Meliodas storyline at the close of this chapter, and I'm disinclined to believe that the upcoming chapter will again focus on them. Being trapped for two hundred years has certainly taken a toll on Ban, but for us it has only been a handful of chapters. How much more will have to take place before the Fox and Dragon Sin can return to Britannia still remains to be seen. NANATSU NO TAIZAI's next chapter will either see their quest continued or a return to more dire events back at home. Either way, Suzuki is sure to elevate some pressure as his story unfolds further in the chapter to come! Written By: ALAN "VIENNA" SINGH |
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