With its length of about 1.5 times a normal manga length, it is rather difficult for a volume of Soul Eater: The Perfect Edition to not have some key moments. Volume 7 has quite a few of these significant developments. And if that alone pushes it into the upper echelon, well even better news: the plot isn’t derailed by Excalibur or a lot of ecchi!
Maka and her friends continue with their battle against Mosquito, and while he normally would be a tough opponent, he’s even harder to beat with the group under a time limit thanks to the magnetic field.
As such, win or lose, they and everyone else from DWMA soon return to the school. Characters have some post-fight reflecting to do, and the staff members hope there isn’t a traitor in their midst. Still, the situation for all sides become more complicated, and with the stakes rising, some characters are forced to make difficult decisions.
For me, Soul Eater is an up-and-down manga. When it’s cool, it’s very cool, but when it’s not, it’s not. Generally, it’s been the comedy that has dragged the series down, from fighters rendered helpless by asymmetry, being distracted by women’s chests, or random side tales about an annoying sword. The chapters in volume 7 dial back the absurdity and raunchiness, and this allows the comedy to…basically, not ruin things at every turn.
Yes, Kid is too stubborn to investigate because he’s worried about the toilet paper situation at home, Ox refuses to change his bizarre hairstyle, and Marie wears a low-cut dress because she totally doesn’t care about her ex-boyfriend. But these are presented more like quirks and less like self-sabotage. Annoying quirks in many cases, to be sure, but Ohkubo sometimes had the thinnest in-universe explanations for battles to be lost or for women to show off their bodies. Readers even get hints as to what’s driving Black*Star to be so obsessed with proclaiming he’s the strongest.
Volume 7 has some somber scenes, which also helps dull reasons to throw in random laughs, but it also finds a nice balance between centering around Maka/Soul and being a group adventure. For the latter, it’s not like the story is split between the meister/weapon pairs at it has done at times; the teachers, villains, and classmates all have parts where they come into focus. But no matter who your favorite is, it doesn’t feel like any of them either overtake the story or are being pushed to the side for the long term.
Soul Eater also continues to visually impress with the manga’s theme of madness. Soul combines his real-world love of music with his internal debate about relying on black blood. Stein looks and acts much like a stereotypical drug junkie with how zoned out he is, loud laughter, and, at times, rambling speech. Enemies feature cartoon zaniness, steampunk aesthetics, and/or Picasso art to make an impression. Even Blair as a cat looks adorable in her hat here.
I know a lot of fans have been clamoring for a Soul Eater anime adaptation more faithful to the manga, and the chapters in The Perfect Edition volume 7 is about when the anime started splintering off. Judging from the content here, it certainly deserves a remake. But in case it doesn’t happen, just go ahead and dive into the manga. If nothing else, seeing Ohkubo’s art is worth your time.