Astro Royale Chapter 6 Highlights The Manga's Consistency Problem (2024)

Astro Royale hasn't felt consistent since its third chapter. Chapter 5, "A Throwdown by The Book" failed to live up to the promise of a climactic fight between Hibaru and Kou. Chapter 5 was not the worst chapter in Astro Royale, but when compared to the standard set by the previous chapters, it just does not hold up. The throwdown between the brothers doesn't offer anything in terms of emotional weight and ends up feeling very flat.

Luckily, Chapter 6, "The Older Brother," delivers unexpected character development and complexities. The chapter focuses on the relationship between Kou, Kuran, and Botan, and how Botan's death – which was revealed in the previous chapter – affected those he left behind. This is the standard Ken Wakui should be publishing every week. Rather than focus on clashes, the manga needs to focus on the emotions behind them. Chapter 6 still doesn't overthrow Astro Royale Chapter 3, but it is definitely a great step in the right direction.

How Does Botan Affect Kuran and Kou in Astro Royale?

Botan was Kou's Older Brother and Kuran's Best Friend

What makes this chapter work so well is the shift in focus from the weakly executed throwdown between Hibaru and Kou to the reasons behind both Kou and Kuran's decisions. Both brothers have their own triggers and Wakui's choice here to showcase each journey and dig deeper into his characters' psyche makes Chapter 6 all the more interesting. Fights without any emotional weight don't tend to be as compelling to readers as those that do.

Although the fight between Hibaru and Kou mostly occurred in the previous chapter and without any weight, the fight's denoument or final act is jam-packed with it. Botan positively influenced both Kou and Kuran's lives. For Kou, Botan was a protector, and someone that Kou could rely on whenever he got himself in trouble. Kuran, on the other hand, was moved by Botan's dreams and goals of working as security at a club. These dreams ultimately lead to Kuran opening Club Asura and founding the Sanmenroppi.

When Botan died protecting a young boy from a turf war, Kuran made Botan a promise to protect everything that was important to him. With that weight, Kuran lost the ability to smile like he used to when Botan was alive. This small detail, along with how close the three of them were and how they used to hang out with each other, dials in the core theme of family bonds that the manga established early on.

Why Does Hibaru Take Over Control at the End of the Chapter?

The Rules of the Throwdown Between Hibaru and Kou Are Clear

Wakui does a great job delivering information, like lore or backstory, that's crucial to the overall Astro Royale narrative. In the fifth chapter's opening pages, Wakui breaks down the rules of what a Yotsugiri Family Throwdown are. According to the Yotsugiri Family Code, when any of the adopted brothers disagree, they have to settle the issue with a one-on-one fist fight and absolutely no one can contest the declared winner.

In the case of this particular throwdown, the rules are simple: If Hibaru were to win, he would get the Sanmenroppi and Kuran, but if Kou were to win, he would get Terasu. The fight itself feels more like an actual draw as both brothers are pretty well matched in terms of strength. At first, Kou seems to have the upper hand. As the fight progresses, Hibaru starts to shift the tide. So, what is it that brings Hibaru to win the overall throwdown if the actual fighting didn't end?

Kuran's interference in the fight, despite the rules clearly stating it should be one-on-one. Although this feels like a copout as the battle doesn't come to a proper conclusion with a true winner, it does give the reader a chance to empathize with Kou and Kuran. By doing so, Wakui fleshes out his characters and prevents them from becoming two-dimensional characters with sterotypical characteristics.

What Astras are Revealed in Chapter 6 of Astro Royale?

Astras So Far: Bullet Astro; Shield Astro; Astro Asura

The chapter builds towards a great climax pushing the two central characters to their emotional breaking points and as a result humanizes them making them more accessible to the reader. What also occurs here is Kuran's Astro reveal. Kuran's Astro is one of transformation and is called the Cheshire Cat, which is rather unique. Kuran, it seems, is able to fully transform into whatever or whoever he chooses. In this case, he chooses to take on the shape of Botan and brings the throwdown to an end by stopping Hibaru from hitting Kou.

The thing with these astro abilities, however, is that Wakui doesn't necessarily lay down rules or limitations. The longer astros remain without actual rules or at least an understandable system, the more the narrative is at risk to not having a proper structure. So far, this feels like a soft magic system, which in terms of storytelling means that there are no hard rules on how or when an astro user can use their abilities. For all the readers now, astro's power is limitless and its user can access it however and whenever he or she pleases.

At this point, astro is very surface level and is in danger of ending up as a cookie cutter power system. With manga and anime like My Hero Academia, Demon Slayer, and even darker stories like Chainsaw Man and Hell's Paradise there are so many shonen that include complex and unique abilities to keep readers and viewers invested. Wakui has a lot of competition in that arena, and if he wants to even try to compete, he has to step up his game when it comes to Astro Royale.

Astro Royale Chapter 6

7/ 10

Chapter 6 "The Older Brother" picks up immediately after the events of Chapter 5, and concludes the Yotsugiri throwdown between Hibaru and Kou and confirms a winner. The chapter also explores Kou and Kuran's backstory and their relation to Kou's older brother Botan.

Author

Ken Wakui

Artist

Ken Wakui

Release Date

April 15, 2024

Genre

Supernatural , Action

Chapters

1

Publisher

Viz

Pros

• Kou's character development and backstory make him more accessible.
• Kuran's astro reveal and reasons behind it are intriguing.
• Exploration of characters and return to the core theme of the manga.

Cons

• The conclusion of the fight feels like a cop out.
• There are no rules regarding astro abilities which can be a risk.