Pokemon Sun and Moon Volume 2 continues the spirit of the first with well-drawn panels and some legitimately funny parts that will make both Pokemon fans and kids happy.
The first volume (re)introduced readers to the vivid region of Alola with bright and cheerful comedic writing that brings you right back to your childhood. The second volume focuses on the other side of the Pokemon series: battling. Sun and Moon find themselves facing off against four other competitors in the Full Power Tournament to win the prized Island Challenge Amulet.
Story
The story follows the game’s narrative, but with a few twists here and there to make it interesting. Sun initially seems like a bad role model for kids. He’s very focused on getting as much money as he can and will sell the Island Challenge Amulet just for profit. However, his drive to reach his hundred million dollar goal becomes quite endearing by the end as it teaches kids and Pokemon fans that you need to have a drive to fulfill your goals. His willingness to make money also becomes ridiculous and humorous throughout the book.
The banter between the characters during their battles is charming as well. Hau, Sun, Moon, and Gladion all have conversations and comedic elements that add more depth and personality. They’ve taken the initial characters game’s characters, with the manga writers adding onto them.
Battles
Most of the battles are hard to follow as there aren’t enough panels to describe the action that is occurring. The writers try to fill in some information with explanations on certain attacks, but if you are simply looking at the drawings, you won’t know what’s going on. It’s like playing the game rather than the anime. You can see the attacks, but most of the time, you can’t see what is going on in-between each turn and how the Pokemon react.
However, how each battle plays out, elevates these scenes. Each pokemon’s attributes and special abilities are brought to the forefront and make a difference in battles. This is more akin to the anime. It’s interesting to see how the trainers strategize their battles and manage to win. It’s a battle of wits, as well as the pokemon’s ability and will to fight.
Once again, Pokemon’s art style shines through in this volume. It’s bright in tone, the action scenes are eye catching with an impressive flow of motion, and illustrations that show each pokemon’s moves. While they can be hard to follow, some do pop on the page.
Conclusion
Pokemon Sun and Moon Volume 2 continues the great comedic writing while adding battles that are fun to follow with the trainers’ tactics being considered. The battles may be hard to follow at times, but it’s still a solid and relatively modestly priced book that Pokemon fans and kids should pick up.
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