Gabriel Dropout Volume 3 returns some of the fantasy aspects the previous volume was sorely missing. Remember Gabriel’s attempt to take a shortcut to school in the first volume? If you’ve been wanting to see her try again, I have good news. I didn’t want magic to be used all over the place in the series, but I’m glad Gabriel Dropout actually plays up its Angels vs Devils setup.
A big reason for this is the debut of Taplis, another angel. She has come to Earth to follow in the footsteps of her idol. Of course, the hard-working, dedicated Tenma-senpai is now Gabriel the wannabe shut-in slacker, and Taplis wants to break whatever curse she believes is corrupting Gabriel. Raphael, always wanting a good time, tells Taplis Satanya is to blame. Well, she certainly gets quite a show, culminating in a battle for Gabriel’s fate. The terms of the duel? A game of Old Maid. If there’s ever a Heaven vs Hell card game tournament for control of the Earth, I don’t think these two will be chosen as representatives…
But even before Taplis’ arrival (who, I might add, arrives in a spacesuit), the manga would meet Raphael’s approval. She and Vignette want to celebrate Christmas, but they have to keep Satanya from remembering she’s participating in a holiday that celebrates Jesus’ birthday. A drunk Gabriel, a well-meaning class president, and final exams also provide for some mixed-up days. The last chapter was a rather disappointing one about Vignette getting advice on being bad from Gabriel’s friendly boss, but the rest of the volume was fun.
Unfortunately, the “rest of the volume” part is also a problem. It faces a serious issue: the page count. I was having such a good time, and it ends too quickly. Gabriel Dropout has been on the shorter size for manga, but Volume 3 is even shorter at 129 pages. Taplis’ debut comes toward the end, and so the final chapter feels more like a side story starring Vignette. Volumes featuring the debut of new main characters are usually must-have. But between Taplis’ late arrival, the Vignette-centered ending, and the short page count, this volume falls short of being an insta-buy for fans. At least one more chapter with the whole group probably would have gone a long way.
I mentioned Taplis descending to Japan in a space suit. That was my favorite, but there were plenty of good visual gags. The poor class president is subject to Satanya’s whims during an art class assignment, but even Satanya falls victim to the tricky difference between kimono and yukata. Otherwise, with the solid art and the lack of heavy cultural notes, this is a solid read for all levels of manga readers.
And now, with the addition of Taplis, hopefully Gabriel Dropout will continue playing around with its ironic, quirky cast. This volume was a delight, but its length keeps it from being as awesome as Satanya thinks she is.