I thought reading the manga would help me focus on the plot more but there is just something about this series that makes my eyes unfocus when I try to pay attention to what's going on even though I do adore the main characters [honestly that's the only reason I'm even making the effort]. This volume is pretty much just more of the same, although there's a nice extended fight scene and they've also introduced a hermaphrodite character [is that even acceptable terminology anymore? or is it just intersex?] which, in what I can only assume from my experience with other late 90s / early 2000s shounen anime/manga series, is almost certainly going to be a super unfortunate attempt to be ~edgy~. I'm pretty they just made them a girl in the show although it's been ages since I watched it so maybe I'm not remembering right, but anyway I'm sure that'll be a whole thing although I'm trying to reserve judgement for now.