So while browsing at my local WHSmith shop today, I got lucky enough to encounter the first volume of the Black2/White2 chapter! I've been really wanting to read this, so I instantly bought it.
The volume is pretty great! It sets the bar for where the plot is gonna go, and the fact that Yancy literally showed up in the first page makes me really happy since that means Curtis is almost definitely gonna be appearing at some point, and the poor little blonde snugglemuffin needs so much more love.
Let's move on to the volume specifics!
Colress is already being a badass, and I really like his personality - it's really interesting to see how he can be almost sadistically enjoyed by his own machine at some times and extremely cute when discovering that someone shares something in common with him at other times. His character actually felt like an improvement from the games somewhat - while he was a badass there too with a great theme and really interesting character motivations, his actual personality felt somewhat bland and unexciting. So seeing this new take on his character is really awesome! And the fact that a single machine literally used twice for the sake of
moving Crustle can be so pivotal to this plot makes me laugh for some reason.
I also wasn't expecting Blake to catch a mythical so early - but then again, Brendan had a Deus Ex Celebi so I probably shouldn't have been as surprised as I actually was. Speaking of Blake, I know he'll likely get some later development, but for now I can't help but find him slightly annoying. The manga isn't wrong in calling him "Mr Perfect" - I probably won't like him too much until we get more on his character.
As for Whitley (which by the way I have mistaken for Whitney on multiple occasions), she's pretty likeable. I enjoy the concept of her being a runaway Team Plasma member with the key to solving Blake's mystery, and her complete adoration of N is scarily relatable for me. I feel quite a connection to her - especially since she reacts in the exact same way as me whenever someone tries to flirt with me. I feel like Blake and Whitley might end up getting together under a "Heroine and Ikki" situation - where the male falls in genuine love with the female because she's the only one not falling for it.
Hugh is also shaping up to be a great character. They did the backstory really well, and I'm looking forward to seeing how he deals with the Plasma info. His personality is just how I remember it from the games, which is great.
As for the plot, since it's the first volume it hasn't picked up too much yet, but it looks quite fun. I certainly wasn't expecting Sabrina to be there, and I'm hyped for when Roxie gets her debut. I feel like there'll be a more slice-of-life vibe to this than other chapters, which looks cool. Cheren and Bianca returning also made me smile. And LOOKER MY MAN!
Overall, the hype for the next volume is killing me
