Here we are: the final volume. Both the Empire and the Revolutionary Army know this is the make-it-or-break-it battle, as neither side has the resources for further war. However, the odds are increasingly in the Empire’s favor thanks to the Supreme Teigu and the fact Tatsumi is being slowly devoured by his own Incursio.
As you might expect, this is an action-heavy volume. Fans of Tashiro’s battle sequences will be pleased. Tatsumi and Akame are forced to go beyond their limits in (mostly) one-on-one battles with the Emperor and Esdeath respectively. I’ve complained about the narration before, but it’s minimized this time around. This is all about the slashes, the punches, and the blasts. The mixture of panel-heavy blows and intimidating full-page spreads did a good job of reflecting the stakes and the dangers, but Akame’s fight is by far the better of the two battles. It concentrates on the two female warriors without a clutch save from someone else, and Esdeath is confident rather than whiny like the Emperor.
Even though these two battles started in the previous volume, it still takes most of the 300(!!) pages here to show the ultimate conclusions. Most people won’t find the outcome a total surprise, but in true Akame ga KILL! fashion, this is not a simple happily-ever-after. Expect a bloody or tragic end for some, and even the ones who pulled through have some physical or emotional pain.
Speaking of the ending, I was a little disappointed with the final chapter. It’s more of an epilogue, checking in on the survivors and narrating how they spent the rest of their lives. Because of this, there’s a lot of time a potential follow-up could cover. I guess that’s why the volume tells us a lot but skips out on showing. I was hoping more for a fond farewell, showing just how much the world has changed since an innocent, bright-eyed Tatsumi left town with his friends. There’s only one real emotional farewell, and I’d rather focus on the characters rather than the overall future history of the Empire.
Still, though, this final volume Akame ga KILL! does what fans want it to do: provide a satisfying conclusion. The battles against Esdeath and the Emperor don’t end with anyone suddenly laying down their weapons. That might work in other series, but not this one. In fact, a particular villain gets one of the cruelest yet satisfying comeuppance I’ve ever seen. No matter if you’ve been a casual fan or a die-hard follower, you don’t want to miss what happens to the Empire.