Manga Review: “Pokemon Adventures” Volume 15

Article first published as Manga Review: Pokemon Adventures Volume 15 by Hidenori Kusaka on Blogcritics.

Pokemon Adventures Volume 15 is a manga written by Hidenori Kusaka and illustrated by Satoshi Yamamoto. This manga volume was published in North America by Viz Media’s VizKids imprint in 2013. Pokemon Adventures is rated “A,” which means that it is for all ages; personally, I would agree with this rating.

This portion of Pokemon Adventures is set in the Hoenn region and features two new characters: Ruby and Sapphire. Ruby is the son of Norman, the new Gym Leader at the Petalburg City gym. Ruby has a dream of being a Pokemon Coordinator and winning all of the Pokemon Contests in the region; however, his father is against the idea, and wants Ruby to be part of the world of Pokemon battles and training.

Ruby runs away from home, and runs into Professor Birch and his daughter, Sapphire. Sapphire helps her father out with his Pokemon research, but she’s a wild country girl who acts like she’s lived in the jungle or the forest. Unlike Ruby, she is all about Pokemon battles and wants to battle all of the Gym Leaders. Sapphire makes a challenge to Ruby: prove which one can achieve their dream in 80 days first. After some reluctance, Ruby agrees to the challenge.

If you’ve seen the Pokemon anime before reading this volume of Pokemon Adventures, then you might have a hard time reconciling the fact that Sapphire is basically May from the anime series, except for the fact that she’s Professor’s Birch’s daughter here instead of being Norman’s daughter and that the personalities of the two characters are nothing alike. Because I was so familiar with May from the anime series, I found Sapphire to be a little jarring as I read this volume. Hopefully this will subside as I read future volumes of this story arc and become more accustomed to Sapphire.

When it comes to Ruby, I found him to be a little on the annoying side. I thought he came across a little on the “prissy” side, because he doesn’t have his Pokemon help out when it’s needed in order to keep them from getting dirty. However, Ruby does redeem himself a little bit by the end of Volume 15, when he tries to help a boy who wants to be a Pokemon trainer try to catch his first Pokemon.

When it comes to the art style for this arc of Pokemon Adventures, it’s basically what I’ve come to expect from the series since Satoshi Yamamoto stepped in to provide the illustrations. However, I don’t quite see the same level of detail that Yamamoto gave to the artwork in the Pokemon Adventures Diamond and Pearl Platinum series. Some of the artwork in this volume is a little on the rough side, but I’m hoping that it might improve as this story arc continues.

As of right now, I don’t feel like I’m entirely sold on this arc for the Pokemon Adventures series. However, I thought the same thing when I first started in Pokemon Adventures Diamond and Pearl Platinum, but my opinion improved on that series as the story progressed. Hopefully as this arc of Pokemon Adventures continues in future volumes, I might end up being sold on this story as well.

Die-hard fans of Pokemon will probably enjoy this story that takes place in the Hoenn region right off the bat. However, if you’re more of a fan of the anime than you are of the videogames, then you might end up being like me and having a hard time separating the characters of Sapphire and May. However, if you’ve followed the previous 14 volumes of Pokemon Adventures and liked what you read, then you might enjoy Volume 15 as well.

I wrote this review after reading a copy of Pokemon Adventures Volume 15 that I checked out through the King County Library System.

Manga Review: “Pokemon Adventures Diamond and Pearl Platinum” Volume Seven

Article first published as Manga Review: Pokemon Adventures Diamond and Pearl Platinum Volume Seven by Hidenori Kusaka on Blogcritics.

Pokemon Adventures Diamond and Pearl Platinum Volume Seven is a manga based on the Pokemon Diamond and Pokemon Pearl video games. The manga was written by Hidenori Kusaka, and the art was done by Satoshi Yamamoto. Viz Media released this manga in North America through its VizKids imprint in 2013. Pokemon Adventures Diamond and Pearl Platinum is rated “A,” which means it is suitable for readers of all ages.

In Volume Seven, Team Galactic finally launches its plan to bomb the three lakes in the Sinnoh region where three Legendary Pokemon reside. Dia goes to Lake Verity, Platinum (aka Lady) goes to Lake Acuity with Candice and Maylene, and Pearl goes to Lake Valor with Rad Rickshaw.

As one would expect, all three of our main protagonists have run-ins with members of Team Galactic when they reach the lakes. Unfortunately, Team Galactic end up succeeding in what they were trying to accomplish. This causes Dia to end up aboard a Team Galactic ship without being detected, Pearl training with the gym leader Crusher Wake, and the introduction of the Sunyshore gym leader.

The gym leader at Sunyshore Gym bears a bit of a physical resemblance to Minato Namikaze, the Fourth Hokage in Naruto. For this character’s appearance during the last chapter of this volume, I had to remind myself that I was reading a Pokemon manga so I wouldn’t think of him as Minato.

When I finished Volume Six, I knew that Team Galactic’s plan would have to be launched during Volume Seven, but I also thought there was a chance that this manga series could have also potentially ended. However, there is still at least one more volume to go. With the way the story was developed, it ended up needing at least one more volume to get through the story. After doing some quick research, I discovered there’s actually still two more volumes left in Pokemon Adventures Diamond and Pearl Platinum. Hopefully, the story will actually need both volumes and not be stretched out unnecessarily, because by the end of Volume Seven, it’s obvious that the story is starting to wind down.

When it comes to the art, one thing that really stands out are the three Team Galactic members that Dia, Pearl, and Platinum encounter at the three lakes. These Team Galactic members really seem to have a bit of a distinctive feel to them when compared to the other characters in the series. I’m not entirely sure how to describe it, but they seem to have a bit more definition in their faces.

When it comes to Volume Seven, I think one of its strongest points is the character development that Pearl receives near the end of the volume. He’s really come a long way from the kid in the early volumes who spent time spouting lame jokes, and is starting to become a strong Pokemon trainer in his own right.

Overall, I thought that Volume Seven was a good read. I’m hoping that Volume Eight will be just as enjoyable as Volume Seven was.

If you enjoy the Pokemon franchise, then you might find enjoyment in Pokemon Adventures Diamond and Pearl Platinum.

I wrote this review after reading a copy of Pokemon Adventures Diamond and Pearl Platinum Volume Seven that I checked out through the King County Library System.

Manga Review: “Pokemon Black and White” Volume Eight

Article first published as Manga Review: Pokemon Black and White Volume Eight by Hidenori Kusaka on Blogcritics.

Pokemon Black and White Volume Eight is a manga based on the Pokemon Black and Pokemon White video games. The manga was written by Hidenori Kusaka, and the art was done by Satoshi Yamamoto. Viz Media released this manga in North America through its VizKids imprint in 2012. Pokemon Black and White is rated “A,” which means it is suitable for readers of all ages.

Volume Eight begins with White having an encounter with N from Team Plasma. N wants to talk with her about why she makes Pokemon perform for people. During the conversation, N tells White that her Tepig Gigi wants to fight, but that she doesn’t pay attention to that. N has his Servine attack Gigi, and Gigi fights back. Gigi decides to stay with N, which devastates White.

After White and Black are reunited, they are taken to the Battle Subway, which was another initiative being worked on for Nimbasa City in addition to the Pokemon musical. Here, they meet Marshal of the Elite Four and Alder (the Pokemon League Champion of the Unova Region). By the end of the volume, White makes a very unexpected decision. This decision ultimately causes Black and White to go their separate ways.

It should be noted that at the bottom of the last page, it reads, “To be continued in the Pokemon Adventures Black and White graphic novel series-coming soon!” Seeing this, it means that there will be no further volumes of these Pokemon Black and White volumes. However, I don’t know when VizKids starts releasing Pokemon Adventures Black and White if they will collect these eight volumes into bigger volumes first, or if they will simply continue the story from where it left off at the end of Pokemon Black and White Volume Eight.

VizKids’ decision to release these eight volumes relatively quickly after the chapters were released in Japan was a little on the baffling side to me. On the one hand, they could get the material out here a little faster, but on the other, it meant that the volumes were relatively small and skimpy in nature. And now seeing that the story won’t continue until VizKids starts releasing Pokemon Adventures Black and White, it makes this decision even more puzzling. As a reader, this is a little frustrating, because this volume ends at a critical plot point, and there’s no telling when VizKids will release more of the story in North America.

At this point, about the only way I could recommend anyone to pick these up is if it turns out that when VizKids releases Pokemon Adventures Black and White, that it jumps right back into the story where Volume Eight left off.

I wrote this review after reading a copy of Pokemon Black and White Volume Eight that I checked out through the King County Library System.

Manga Review: “Pokemon Adventures Diamond and Pearl Platinum” Volume Six

Article first published as Manga Review: Pokemon Adventures Diamond and Pearl Platinum Volume Six by Hidenori Kusaka on Blogcritics.

Pokemon Adventures Diamond and Pearl Platinum Volume Six is a manga based on the Pokemon Diamond and Pokemon Pearl video games. The manga was written by Hidenori Kusaka, and the art was done by Satoshi Yamamoto. Viz Media released this manga in North America through its VizKids imprint in 2012. Pokemon Adventures Diamond and Pearl Platinum is rated “A,” which means it is suitable for readers of all ages.

In Volume Six, Dia, Pearl, and Platinum continue on their separate journeys to reach the three lakes which serve as the home for the Sinnoh region’s three Legendary Pokemon. They hope to be able to reach the lakes and figure out what’s going to happen before Team Galactic can launch their evil plan.

All three of the protagonists have their own adventures on their journey. Pearl has to outwit a Houndoom at the Fuego Ironworks while trying to save the owner. Pearl is also able to gather some information that could potentially help him figure out what Team Galactic’s plan is.

Platinum has a chance encounter with Candice, the Snowpoint City Gym Leader, when Candice rescues Platinum after she’s collapsed in the snow. After Platinum learns that she was saved by Candice, she has runs into Maylene; Maylene is headed to Snowpoint City to train with Candice. Platinum decides to go along, so she can thank Candice for saving her. When Platinum arrives at the Snowpoint Gym, she ends up in a Pokemon battle against Candice.

Dia arrives in Jubilife City, where he runs into the creator of the Poketch. Dia ends being recruited to help promote the Poketches. During the promotion, a Lickitung disrupts the event. Later in the volume, Dia finds himself at the estate that belongs to someone he knows.

The ending of Volume Six makes it clear that Team Galactic’s evil plan should be launched during Volume Seven. It will be interesting to see how this part of the storyline is paced, because the series could either end in Volume Seven, or it could stretched out to push the story into an eighth volume. Personally, I hope the story will be resolved in Volume Seven. It’s not the story in Pokemon Adventures Diamond and Pearl is bad, but it just feels like it should be wrapping up rather quickly.

When it comes to the art, Yamamoto’s strength seems to be in extreme closeups of facial reactions. It’s in these panels where he takes the time to try to include a little more detail in the characters’ looks. Another thing that really stood out to me was the character design for Rad Rickshaw, because I kept thinking his face might have been inspired by Might Guy from Naruto; I think the look of his eyes and eyebrows that make me think that. Unfortunately, I can’t tell if he shares Guy’s bowl cut, because Rad Rickshaw is always seen wearing a bicycle helmet.

I’m glad to see that Pokemon Adventures Diamond and Pearl Platinum has continued the better storytelling that has emerged in the more recent volumes. After having a slow start, it seems Kusaka found his stride a little later in the series. I’m interested in seeing how the story continues in Volume Seven.

If you enjoy the Pokemon franchise, then you might find enjoyment in Pokemon Adventures Diamond and Pearl Platinum.

I wrote this review after reading a copy of Pokemon Adventures Diamond and Pearl Platinum Volume Six that I checked out through the King County Library System.

Manga Review: “Pokemon Black and White” Volume Seven

Article first published as Manga Review: Pokemon Black and White Volume Seven by Hidenori Kusaka on Blogcritics.

Pokemon Black and White Volume Seven is a manga based on the Pokemon Black and Pokemon White video games. The manga was written by Hidenori Kusaka, and the art was done by Satoshi Yamamoto. Viz Media released this manga in North America through its VizKids imprint in 2012. Pokemon Black and White is rated “A,” which means it is suitable for readers of all ages.

Volume Seven begins with Black and White trying to travel on Route 4, but they’re having trouble due to a sandstorm. Black encounters a man who is a casino dealer that also has a talent for Pokemon battles; after spending some time with him, Black realizes who he is. When the man asks to battle with him and make a wager, Black ends up becoming so stressed that he passes out. Unfortunately, the mystery man gets away before Black awakens.

After this, Black and White are in Nimbasa City, where White is finally working on the upcoming Pokemon musical. During rehearsals, Black meets Elesa, the Nimbasa City Gym Leader; she’s helping out with the show. The major story elements at this point in the story focus on White as she’s getting everything ready for the musical, and Black having a Gym Battle with Elesa.

After Team Plasma got a lot of focus on Volume Six, the group almost entirely vanishes in Volume Seven. Their main appearance is during the first story in this volume, when Black and White are traveling on Route 4. Compared to Team Rocket in the first Pokemon Adventures manga series, Team Plasma doesn’t seem to be quite as important since they show up in Pokemon Black and White so inconsistently.

When I read this volume, I was glad to finally see an emphasis put on the Pokemon musical, since it had been referenced for at least two volumes prior to this one. While I was glad to reach that point, I noticed that there were a couple of significant time skips in this volume in order to reach that point. While there may have been time skips in some of the previous volumes, there were at least two in this one; in some respects, this made Volume Seven feel a little rushed.

The first story in this volume felt a little forced. It seemed to me that it was there more to introduce a particular character than it was to truly progress the plot. This is the story where Team Plasma makes an appearance, but it was never made clear what Team Plasma was truly trying to accomplish during their appearance in this volume.

After the quality of this series had gone back up with Volume Six, I was a little disappointed with how Volume Seven turned out. However, with the ending of Volume Seven being what it is, there’s potential for Volume Eight to be better. Here’s hoping that Volume Eight lives up to that potential.

I wrote this review after reading a copy of Pokemon Black and White Volume Seven that I checked out through the King County Library System.

Manga Review: “Pokemon Black and White” Volume Six

Article first published as Manga Review: Pokemon Black and White Volume Six by Hidenori Kusaka on Blogcritics.

Pokemon Black and White Volume Six is a manga based on the Pokemon Black and Pokemon White video games. The manga was written by Hidenori Kusaka, and the art was done by Satoshi Yamamoto. Viz Media released this manga in North America through its VizKids imprint in 2012. Pokemon Black and White is rated “A,” which means it is suitable for readers of all ages.

Volume Six sees Black and White in Castelia City; Black is there for a gym battle against Burgh, while White is trying to get some business for her Pokemon talent agency. Before Burgh’s battle with Black, Iris is visiting Castelia City. Meanwhile, Black’s friend Bianca is in Castelia City, looking for him; she is ambushed by Team Plasma and her Pokemon is stolen. After the gym battle, Iris arrives with an unconscious Bianca. Everyone works together to locate Team Plasma and rescue Bianca’s Pokemon.

There is one other story in this volume, which sees Professor Juniper giving Black the job of visiting Liberty Garden Island to research a Pokemon named Victini. White accompanies Black, and they have a run-in with both Victini and Team Plasma.

One thing I was pleased to see in this volume is the concept of Team Plasma trying to liberate Pokemon. This concept was used rather heavily in the first volume of the series, and it showed a little bit in the second and third volumes of the series, and then that whole concept disappeared in the fourth and fifth volumes. I had honestly started to think that Kusaka had either forgotten about this concept or had quietly abandoned it. It’s one of the more interesting motivations for the bad guys that I have seen in the Pokemon franchise, so I’m glad to see it showing up again.

Another thing I appreciated was the fact that while Munna’s dream eating ability was still being used as a kind of “deus ex machina” in this volume, this wasn’t happening nearly as much as it did in Volume Four. My biggest disappointment was the fact that White’s upcoming musical in Nimbasa City wasn’t referenced anywhere in this volume; according to the “Coming Soon” section at the end of this volume, it appears the Pokemon musical will be a major focus in Volume Seven.

This particular volume of the Pokemon Black and White manga series is probably one of the better volumes that I’ve read in a while. Unfortunately, the series as a whole is the weakest of the Pokemon manga series that I have had the ability to read.

I wrote this review after reading a copy of Pokemon Black and White Volume Six that I checked out through the King County Library System.

Manga Review: “Pokemon Adventures Diamond and Pearl Platinum” Volume Five

Article first published as Manga Review: Pokemon Adventures Diamond and Pearl Platinum Volume Five by Hidenori Kusaka on Blogcritics.

Pokemon Adventures Diamond and Pearl Platinum Volume Five is a manga based on the Pokemon Diamond and Pokemon Pearl video games. The manga was written by Hidenori Kusaka, and the art was done by Satoshi Yamamoto. Viz Media released this manga in North America through its VizKids imprint in 2012. Pokemon Adventures Diamond and Pearl Platinum is rated “A,” which means it is suitable for readers of all ages.

At the beginning of Volume Five, the truth about Dia and Pearl is revealed. Lady is shocked, and then becomes angry with Dia and Pearl with not telling her the truth. After some thought and contemplation, Platinum realizes that she hadn’t been entirely honest with Dia and Pearl during their travels together, and is willing to forgive them. During her apology, Lady’s real name is finally revealed: Platinum. I nearly groaned when I saw that, and the thought running through my heads was, “I really should have seen that coming.”

After the three main characters patch things up, they learn of Team Galactic’s plan to use the Galactic Bomb to capture the three Legendary Pokemon of the Sinnoh region: Mesprit, Uxie and Azelf. Since there are three Pokemon, they decide to go their separate ways to help the Pokemon, since they know that they don’t have a lot of time until the bomb is detonated.

However, before Dia goes to help his designated Pokemon, he is sent to get some training in order to improve his team of Pokemon. Near the end of the volume, Pearl has his own adventure while he’s on his way to his designated Pokemon. By the end of this volume, none of the three have reached their assigned locations; this guarantees that there’s at least one more volume of this series, if not more, to go.

Unlike the previous four volumes of this series, Volume Five doesn’t utilize Dia and Pearl’s lame comedy routines at all. Considering the tone the series is much more serious in this volume, and the fact that the three main characters go their own separate ways, this really isn’t terribly surprising. But it was a nice change of pace not having to read those attempts at stand up comedy. Hopefully this trend will continue in future volumes of the series.

When it comes to the art, there were three panels in this volume that really stood out to me. After Dia, Pearl, and Platinum have gone their separate ways, they each have an emotional panel when they realize that they’ve become so accustomed to being together and that they miss being with the others. For all of these panels, there is a close-up of each character’s face, and it shows their emotional response to this realization.

Overall, I’ve been impressed with how Pokemon Adventures Diamond and Pearl Platinum has evolved, especially in Volumes Four and Five. I’m glad that I didn’t write this series off after reading Volume One and that I gave subsequent volumes a chance.

If you enjoy the Pokemon franchise, then you might find enjoyment in Pokemon Adventures Diamond and Pearl Platinum.

I wrote this review after reading a copy of Pokemon Adventures Diamond and Pearl Platinum Volume Five that I checked out through the King County Library System.

Manga Review: “Pokemon Black and White” Volume Five

Article first published as Manga Review: Pokemon Black and White Volume Five by Hidenori Kusaka on Blogcritics.

Pokemon Black and White Volume Five is a manga based on the Pokemon Black and Pokemon White video games. The manga was written by Hidenori Kusaka, and the art was done by Satoshi Yamamoto. Viz Media released this manga in North America through its VizKids imprint in 2012. Pokemon Black and White is rated “A,” which means it is suitable for readers of all ages.

Volume Five picks right back up with Black’s battle against Lenora; during the battle, Black learns an important lesson from her. After the battle, Lenora receives a phone call from another gym leader about an object he found and wants Lenora to look at. While Lenora is out, a fossil and some artifacts on display at the Nacrene City Museum is stolen. Black and White aid in the search for the missing museum items, and are joined by an artist named Burgh.

I was actually rather surprised to see Burgh introduced this way in the manga. His introduction is very different here in comparison with the anime. To be honest, I’m not sure if I liked his introduction better in the manga or in the anime.

After Black and White crack the case, they head on their way to Nimbasa City, where White will be putting on a Pokemon musical. As they about to cross a bridge, the two of them are suddenly attacked. While on the bridge, they encounter a janitor who challenges Black to a Pokemon battle.

Personally, I thought this story was a little on the odd side, especially with the identity of the janitor. I understand that the point of this story was to introduce a Legendary Pokemon, but I thought the execution was a little on the lacking side.

The final story in this volume is a short one. After reaching Nimbasa City, Black encounters a little boy who looks like he’s lost. Black tells his Tepig to watch the boy while he goes to get some help. It turns out the little boy is a Pokemon named Zorua in disguise. Tep and Zorua try to battle each other.

While I understand this story was included to introduce Zorua, the story really felt unnecessary and out of place in the volume. I wish the manga had found a better way to introduce Zorua in the series.

When it comes to Volume Five, I enjoyed the stories that took place in Nacrene City. However, after Black and White left Nacrene City, I thought that the volume went downhill. Hopefully Volume Six will begin showing us what White is doing to prepare for the Pokemon musical in Nimbasa City.

Personally, I’ve found the Pokemon Black and White manga series to be rather “hit and miss.” My 14-year-old daughter, who considers herself to be a Pokemon fan, doesn’t like this particular Pokemon manga series; in her opinion, Pokemon Black and White strays too far from the story in the Pokemon Black and Pokemon White video games. However, if you are a fan of the Pokemon Black and White manga series, then you will probably like Volume Five.

I wrote this review after reading a copy of Pokemon Black and White Volume Five that I checked out through the King County Library System.

Manga Review: “Pokemon Black and White” Volume Four

Article first published as Manga Review: Pokemon Black and White Volume Four by Hidenori Kusaka on Blogcritics.

Pokemon Black and White Volume Four is a manga based on the Pokemon Black and Pokemon White video games. The manga was written by Hidenori Kusaka, and the art was done by Satoshi Yamamoto. Viz Media released this manga in North America through its VizKids imprint in 2011. Pokemon Black and White is rated “A,” which means it is suitable for readers of all ages.

At the beginning of this volume, Black’s Munna suddenly runs off. Shortly after, a strange face appears in the sky and Black is attacked. Black and White are rescued by Professor Fennel and her assistant, Amanita. Professor Fennel studies Pokemon trainers and dreams. Professor Fennel helps Black find his Munna, and they have an unexpected run-in with Team Plasma.

I seem to remember that there was a similar story in the Pokemon Black and White anime dealing with Munna and a professor studying dreams. However, the execution of the story between the two medium was drastically different, in large part due to the different lead characters between them. Overall, I have to say that I believe that the anime version of this story was a little stronger.

The next story takes place in Nacrene City, and White is trying to attract new clients for the BW Agency; unfortunately, Black is hampering her efforts. After recruiting a new client, the client’s accordion is stolen while everyone is away from the set. Black is accused of stealing the accordion, and he must prove his innocence.

Unfortunately, just like with the previous story, the resolution is dependent on Munna’s ability to “eat” Black’s dreams and empty his head of all thoughts. Each time this happens, he is mysteriously able to see the truth behind what’s causing incidents to happen. To me, not only is this rather bizarre, but it’s overused and comes across as a “deus ex machina.”

In the final story of Volume Four, Black challenges Lenora, the leader of the Nacrene City Gym. This story has an anime counterpart, but some of the details have been changed between the two mediums. I haven’t played the video games, but I would suspect the manga telling of these events is a lot closer to the games than the anime telling is. In this case, I would have to say that I liked the manga’s depiction of this story better than the anime version. Unfortunately, the battle isn’t resolved in Volume Four, so you have to read Volume Five in order to find out how it turns out.

When it comes to the art in this volume, I really have to give Yamamoto credit for his depiction of Lenora. Whenever she appears in a panel, she really stands out to the reader in a good way. While Professor Fennel has the occasional panel that makes her stand out, Yamamoto was much more consistent with how Lenora was presented.

Since the Pokemon Black and White volumes are shorter than typical manga, they are a quick read. In this volume, the action is moving. This is an improvement over Volume Three, where the reader felt like they were basically stuck in one story that didn’t seem to progress very much.

If you’ve enjoyed reading the three previous volumes of the Pokemon Black and White manga, you should also enjoy reading Volume Four.

I wrote this review after reading a copy of Pokemon Black and White Volume Four that I checked out through the King County Library System.

Manga Review: “Pokemon Adventures Diamond and Pearl Platinum” Volume Four

Article first published as Manga Review: Pokemon Adventures: Diamond and Pearl Platinum Volume Four by Hidenori Kusaka on Blogcritics.

Pokemon Adventures Diamond and Pearl Platinum Volume Four is a manga based on the Pokemon Diamond and Pokemon Pearl video games. The manga was written by Hidenori Kusaka, and the art was done by Satoshi Yamamoto. Viz Media released this manga in North America through its VizKids imprint in 2012. Pokemon Adventures Diamond and Pearl Platinum is rated “A,” which means it is suitable for readers of all ages.

Volume Four opens with Lady, Dia and Pearl trying to capture wild Pokemon at the Great Marsh. After a small accident during this task, Lady decides to return to the Pastoria Gym to have another Pokemon battle against Crasher Wake.

After the battle, the trio ends up at Mr. Backlot’s mansion, where Lady is enjoying his garden, while Dia and Pearl aren’t being treated very well by Mr. Backlot’s help. Cynthia suddenly arrives, because she’s conducting an investigation for Mr. Backlot. Lady, Dia and Pearl join Cynthia in the investigation, which has to do with the group of Psyduck blocking Route 210.

Then, our three leads go with Cynthia’s grandmother to some ruins with hieroglyphs about the Legend of the Sinnoh Lakes. When they get there, they find Cyrus, Team Galactic’s boss, looking at the ruins. Dia and Pearl have a difference of opinion, which leads to a fight between them. At the same time, Dia is doing what he can to try to keep Cyrus from taking a camera with him that has pictures of the hieroglyphs; he’s afraid Cyrus might use them for an evil purpose.

Lady has a gym battle with Fantina. Afterward, Lady learns her father has disappeared, and she reveals her true identity to everyone. Dia, Pearl, and Lady go to Canalave City to try to find and rescue Lady’s father.

The action this manga volume really builds, especially when you read Dia and Pearl’s fight. This, combined with Lady’s true identity finally being revealed, you can tell that the series has to be heading to a conclusion within a few volumes. The sneak preview for Volume Five that’s included at the end of this volume also adds to this sense of the series heading closer to its end.

Another thing I noticed in this volume is that while Dia and Pearl’s lame comedy routines still appear, Kusaka doesn’t seem to be relying on them as much as he had in the previous volumes. I find this to be a refreshing change, because the early volumes of this series relied too heavily on the lame comedy routines.

I also liked seeing Dia finally asserting himself to Pearl and standing up for himself. Dia has finally progressed past the relatively dim-witted character that only seemed to care about eating. I have to admit that the three main characters have come quite a way from the one-dimensional depictions they were given in the first volume of this series.

Art-wise, Yamamoto has kept a rather consistent art style for this series. My only real complaint is the facial design for Cyrus, the leader of Team Galactic. With the black rings around his eyes, it makes him look a little too similar to Gaara in Naruto.

Overall, I thought this volume of Pokemon Adventures Diamond and Pearl Platinum is the best one in the series so far. If the preview of the Volume Five is any indication of how the next volume will be, then it could end up being just as good, if not better, than Volume Four.

If you enjoy the Pokemon franchise, then you might find enjoyment in Pokemon Adventures Diamond and Pearl Platinum.

I wrote this review after reading a copy of Pokemon Adventures Diamond and Pearl Platinum Volume Four that I checked out through the King County Library System.