It's great, so great. It can do touching or scary or dramatic or anything in between. The opening with Charlotte and Byaku waking in Ange's appartment, and Charlotte crying because it's been so long since she's had a warm meal, made me break down too. And then it never slowed dow.
I can't get over the way the art looks simple but it's still incredibly expressive. And all the crowd scenes with only hinted-at background and sketched crowds that still don't feel in any way incomplete. The way the demon-filled forest looks genuinely creepy. The way the fights are so clear and easy to read. And always, the artist is so great at saying a lot with a little.
Story-wise, this was one of the more dramatic volumes. No time for Ange to look for mom and similar silliness. Both Ange and Bel, separately, can't keep themselves from adopting vulnerable people for new family members, inspiring others, and taking on all sorts of responsibilities. I love how both Ange and Bel are genuinely good, warm, caring people, but in no way weak, and how they make each other better too, at a distance - this time we even see Bel thinking "what would Ange do here".
I'm all for the focus the other characters are getting this time, too. In a series that already could get very cute, Charlotte is on another level, and Byaku always trying to keep his guard up and not show any weakness is adorable in a completely different way. But it's not just cuteness here - this is people whose past have left them very hurt, and who need a lot of healing.
And finally, hints about Ange's possible origin keep piling up...
