Zatch Bell, Volume 19 by Mokoto Raiku

Ponygon's partner, the Engineer Kafk Sunbeam, has gone on a training mission to Hokkaido. But even though he left Ponygon in the care of Zatch, Ponygon went in search of Kafk and finally found him. It was good he did so, because soon after, they are attacked by another Mamudo and his partner, Karudio and Sauza. Karudio is another horse or pony-shaped Mamudo, and he has ice-based abilities.

They attack Kafk and Ponygon, but Kafk and his Mamudo discover a new spell that lets Ponygon control fire. More, though it took Sauza months to master control of the spell so that it didn't hurt her when Karudio controlled ice, Kafk and Ponygon master the fire-based spell in mere minutes. Taken aback by the strength and skill shown by Kafk and Ponygon, Sauza and Karudio allow them to escape. But they promise themselves to get them the next time.

Meanwhile, the Mamudo Ted and his partner Jido continue their voyage, and Ted's search for the Mamudo girl Cherish. Zatch and Kiyo agree to look for her as well, and pass on the message from Ted that he loves her, and he is not her enemy. When Kafk and Ponygon return, they find Zatch, Kiyo, Dr. Riddles, Folgore, Kanchome, Suzy and Dr. Riddles' assistant Miss Susan trying to decipher a structure they caught on tape. The Mamudo who inhabited it said he was building "The Menace of the Mamudo World", and they all have come together to pick their brains as to what it might actually be, since the Mamudo, Arth, implied it was more than just a structure.

Kanchome recognizes it, but cannot bring himself to reveal what he knows. Kiyo, knowing Kanchome's timid nature, doesn't press him, but tells him he can tell them any time he feels up to it. The others leave, and later Zatch gets a letter from "his best friend", asking him to come to his assistance and burn his book for him. Not knowing he had such a friend, Zatch and Kiyo travel to where the letter was sent from to discover a massive, beastly bear-like Mamudo named Rein. Zatch befriended Rein in the Mamudo world when Rein was not much liked.

Rein was something of a bully, so when he fell off a cliff and hurt himself, nobody would come to help him... except Zatch. Rein tried to drive him away, feeling sorry for himself, but Zatch wouldn't be moved and helped him, which made Rein change his ways. Now, though, Rein has found his partner, a little boy who is so timid and frightened of everything that his guardians have forced him to live in a shack rather than the huge house he has inherited. Rein tried teaching him to be strong, but Kyle is still too timid and frightened. Rein is afraid that the strain of fighting a battle would kill Kyle from fright. Another Mamudo came by and demanded that Kyle and Rein join their group, so Rein wants his book burned so that Kyle will not be hurt.

While they are there, the Mamudo Purio and his partner Lupa return to threaten Rein and Kyle again. Zatch doesn't like that much and he and Kyio end up fighting them. Then another Mamudo, Lord Rodieaux shows up with his partner, Chita. He is the leader of the Mamudo group, and he will not stop until Rein and Kyle join them. He wants Rein because of his immense power, and threatens Rein with killing Kyle if he burns his book.

This devolves into a huge battle, between the four Mamudo and their three partners. Rein merely uses his great strength, even without spells, to protect Kyle, while Zatch, Purio and Lord Rodieaux use the spells from their books. But as Kyle witnesses the battle and the way Rein protects him, he gains the courage to pick up the book and fight back with his and Rein's spells. The battle ends with Purio and Lupa fleeing the carnage, and Rein thanking Zatch and Kyle for the help. But then they see that Chita and Rodieaux aren't done yet... but with all of them exhausted and hurt, how can they continue on?

I liked this latest installment in the Zatch Bell series, although the constant battling is starting to get more than a little annoying. Seeing the backstory of Zatch and Rein, wondering about the Zatch-lookalike Mamudo named Zeon and wondering about the structure that is the "Menace of the Mamudo World" go a long way towards calming my irritation, however.

The artwork is good, although some of the characters are more cartoony than others. Lupa, for instance, is a racial caricature right out of a minstrel show, but it's not limited to her. One of Kiyo's classmates is shown having lips the size of Steven Tyler! Maybe bigger, even! But the contrast between the cartoony characters and the more realistically drawn ones is so jarring that it can shock me right out of the story when I see them. Kyle, while appearing to be a little boy, is also drawn in a cartoonish fashion, but it is much less cartoonish than Lupa.

This dragging me out of the story is one reason why I won't buy this series. I reserve my money for ones I can get into wholeheartedly, without being interrupted by strangely drawn characters or inconsistent art. For that reason, I will continue reading this series, but I won't be buying it any time soon.