D.Gray-man, Vol. 3

D.Gray-man #3

by Katsura Hoshino

The Rewinding City:

Allen and Lenalee are sent on a mission to a city where time has stood still, a place where the townsfolk forget that every day is the same day repeating itself. Strangely enough, a woman named Miranda is the only one unaffected by the time warp. Would it have anything to do with her being fired from her job for the hundredth time?

Genres: Manga, Fantasy, Graphic Novels, Comics, Horror, Shonen, Fiction

200 pages, Paperback

First published March 4, 2005

About the author

星野 桂

Katsura Hoshino ((星野 桂 Hoshino Katsura) was born on April 21, 1980, in Shiga Prefecture, Japan, as the younger of fraternal twin girls and the second of three children. She drew her first manga at twenty-one. In 1998, Hoshino moved to Tokyo. She dreamed of bringing her mother to the city and was able to in 2006.

She made her debut with her comics in July 2003 with the publication of her first manga series Continue and is known for her work, D.Gray-man, which began serialization in Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump in May 2004.

Reviews

[Micaylah · Rating 5 out of 5]

More like a 4.5.
I love Allen, but I don't really like Lenalee, Miranda or Road, and those three are in the majority of this volume.
I like the whole rewinding time thing, so that's cool, but other than that, this wasn't as good as the other two volumes.
Though this one was still pretty dark, I feel like this one was filled with more humor than action. Volume 1 and 2 were action-packed with some humor, and this one honestly felt like it was humor-packed with some action. If you get what I mean?

[Dxdnelion · Rating 5 out of 5]

OH MY GOD, what an intense volumes. This is the second mission of Allen Walker, now accompanied by Lenalee (she so pretty). They investigate a town which they keep repeating the same day which is 9 October. This is where they try to find the cause, and meet one of the villains called 'Noah Clan' that claimed they are the true Apostles chosen by God.

The fight scenes were so satisfying, its intense, and brutal. Like the villain didn't hold back to hurt Allen and others.

We get to meet new character or a new exorcirst, Miranda!! i love her so much, she is so funny without effort hahaha. Although her backstory is really sad and depressing, but I love how she didn't choose to be a evil person. So precious.

Overall, I enjoy this volumes so much. It get better trust me!!

[Mehsi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A new exorcist makes her debut, and of course LAVVVVVVVVIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII *fangirls and squeeeessss* *cough* Um, I mean this was an epic volume of this manga. :D

[Natalia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one was lovely. I'm so happy for Miranda!!!

[Momo · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5 Still my favourite volume of the series even after like five years! <3

[Greg · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5 This volume introduces Miranda as well as The Children of Noah particularly Road Kamelot. Also the first real mission with Allen partnering with Lenalee. Another fun volume good action, drama, and comedy. Still love that dramatized goth art style.

[Phee]

This is one of my favourites, the Rewinding City is such an interesting premise.

[lobelyys · Rating 4 out of 5]

as i get older i feel more and more like miranda, i hope i find my path like she did

[Josi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Covers Chapters 17-26

This volume you get to learn what innocence Lenalee possesses and both her and Allen meet Miranda in the Rewinding City. They also run into Road, who’s a descendent of Noah. Oh and Lavi shows up at the end for Allen’s next mission! I’ll say this every volume, I love the art style and the story is actually really awesome. I love it ❤️

[Spudpuppy]

Once again jumpscared by how unsexy everyone is during their intros bc it's been years since I saw how they looked in the beginning... Hoshino's art evolution is craaaaazy

Sidenote, I remember staring at this book cover at Borders for ages bc I thought it was so gorgeous and Lenalee was sooooo pretty... she's so mother

[Thelma · Rating 4 out of 5]

This manga as no business making every character this touching. Wha t we learned of Miranda and Lenalee made my heart squeeze.

[thi · Rating 4 out of 5]

oh no .. the antagonists are fun

[Azbaqiyah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Plot - 5 💫
Character - 5 💫
Writing Style - 5 💫
World Building - 5 💫
Art - 5 💫
Cover - 5 💫

Overall - 5 💫 / 5💫

[MajesticalLion · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lenalee jumped up to being one of my favorite characters. This series has such a good cast already. And this volume ends in such a way that it looks like the next volume will introduce another big exorcist. Can't wait to get my hands on the next bindup.

[Nocturnalux]

Volume 3 introduces Miranda, one of those characters that allows Hoshino-sensei to play with comic designs and extremely exaggerated expressions, in what is a more violent and violent entry than up to this point. There a few panels that are nothing short of gruesome.

It seems something of a contradiction and it upset a lot of the fandom back in the day, that D.Gray-Man should veer into hijinks and filler just when it increasingly ups the ante in terms of the borderline graphic content. But I found that the manga needed this kind of balance to stay true to how it interacts with shounen at large. Also, it is worth mentioning that this filler, while dragged along in the anime, remains rather self-contained in the source material. Nor is it entirely just silliness for the sake of it: The volume starts with a robot created by Komui going berserk and attacking everyone in sight so that it can make Leenalee 'macho', which is less than serious, but it allows us to see for the first time Leenalee's powerful 'dark boots'.

By the time Allen and Leenalee are sent on their mission to investigate a town that is suffering a serious case of groundhog day syndrome, she has already been established as a highly skilled fighter whose acrobatic style will eventually become a staple.

Unlike the previous volume, in which Allen is hampered by his constant conflict with Kanda, in this one he has a partner who cooperates with him so that things work much more smoothly. With that said, it is worth mentioning that Allen's particular type of heroic persona- the savior who must save everyone, even at the expense of his own life- gets harshly condemned by none other than Leenalee. When Road gets an Akuma to self-destruct so that the soul attached to it will not be saved, Allen rushes to blast him before it comes to that and it is Leenalee who saves him and then firmly slaps him across the face when he is upset at her. It is an interesting moment, especially since it will be given continuity in future volumes and establish that Allen's code does not sit well with genuinely nice characters: You don't have to be Kanda to dislike it, anyone who views Allen as a friend is bound to disapprove.

Miranda is a triumph of comedy genius and genuine pathos. She is reminiscent of Munch's The Scream more often than not, a kind of over the top bundle of angsty dismay who simply cannot seem to catch a break. When she gets stuck in the same day repeating on a loop for over a month, her nerves are stretched to the very limit. It is easy to start off chuckling at Miranda, Allen and Leenalee themselves cannot help it, but at the end one is more likely to be entirely on her side. Hoshino-sensei explains that originally Miranda was not supposed to have an important role but she eventually came to sympathize with Miranda's plight. As per Hoshino-sensei's admission, she finds that Miranda reminds her of herself which humanizes her as a mangaka; I could not help but be reminded of Hoshino-sensei's traumatizing health problems. Fiction and reality should never intersect like this but it goes without saying that sensei's tenacity is nothing short of admirable and few people in the industry are more worthy of praise.

From this volume onwards, Hoshino-sensei interacts with the readers through the already present bits of trivia interspaced across chapters and in a brand new section of fanart. It amused me that apparently the Japanese fandom was also confused regarding Kanda's gender as sensei directly addresses a question to that effect: Kanda is most definitely a man. These Q&A bits show us a mangaka that pokes fun at herself- she mentions how people have been asking whether she wears a wig since she was a kid, since her given name, 'Katsura', happens to be read in the exact the same way as the Japanese word for 'wig'- and who is deeply appreciative of her coworkers and assistances who get several shout-outs.

The fanart corner is really cool. I am unsure whether Hoshino-sensei picked the pictures but they are a fun mix of really amazing, borderline professional productions and stuff drawn probably by younger fans. Whether she chose them or not, she added a comment to every single one, praising the artistry of the better accomplished ones while encouraging the authors of the less good.
I found it absolutely charming and was very happy that this be a recurring section.

It is difficult to see what sensei had in mind when she first started this arc, if Miranda was not originally meant to be an Exorcist, then I wonder how this entire affair was supposed to pan out. Either way, it was most definitely the right decision. I find it a bit difficult to believe that Allen and Leenalee took so long to realize what to me seemed obvious but even upon learning that Miranda is not affected by the time loop, that Akuma are targeting her, and that she has a grandfather clock of whom she is very fond, they still do not even suspect that Innocence might be involved. It takes their seeing the clock in action, sucking up the previous day to replay it all over again, for them to actually see what is going on. It may be that this disconnect results from sensei not having planned ahead Miranda's future importance as an Exorcist.

Be it as it may, her activation is beautifully rendered. As is the bittersweet element to her power, Miranda cannot entirely turn back time but only suspend its effects for a while. Once she deactivates her Innocence, everything turns back to the way it was. She already struggles with this in this first instance as Allen and Leenalee's wounds are back the moment she has to deactivate and this will only take a greater toll on her as the story progresses.

But Miranda has finally found her purpose in life and the way the volume closes, with her now drawn normally and not as a paranoid skit, hair loose and hat on, heading out to the Black Order to become an Exorcist, is a wonderful example of character development beautifully married to the visual medium. Miranda no longer looks gloomy and despondent despite being about to dive into constant.

As well accomplished as this evolution is, the manga, from what I recall, often falls into this pattern in which a character undergoes serious changes under pressure only to lose focus as the narrative moves on, leaving them stranded away from the main locus of the action (what I call 'Meanwhile Land') or shrink into a very secondary role despite officially being a recurring character. As the cast balloons, this problem is only compounded.

I have already mentioned that violence, while very much present from the very beginning, reaches a kind of apogee that is new. All of this courtesy of the first Noah family member that we get to see, Road Kamelot. She is something of a loose cannon, which accounts for her taunting Allen and Leenalee when they were entirely at her mercy. She could have easily killed them but instead she has Lenalee turned into a kind of unresponsive doll that is then dressed up in a trippy Gothic outfit while Allen has his arm nailed to a wall. What brings it a whole different level of nightmare fuel, though, is the way Road regenerates. Upon entering the town and breaching the barrier, her skin peeled off revealing the fleshy mess underneath. She immediately regenerates and then, later on, actually uses Allen's activated Claw to slash at her own face. The result is her raw, skinless face coming into very close contact to Allen's...so that she can jab a stake into his left eye. It is bloody and brutal.

Road presents a challenge to Allen in more ways than one. She claims to be human, part of special breed of human beings chosen by God, whose mission, under the aegis of the Millennium Earl, is to wipe out dirty, average humans from the face of the Earth. It is the anthesis of everything Allen and his fiercely egalitarian self stands for, but cannot ignite the usual burst of resolution driven power-up because Road is human. Allen, who can see Akuma souls- until Road jabs him in the eye, that is- knows that she is telling the truth.

Allen's Anti-Akuma weapon is precisely that, it exists for the sake of destroying Akuma. It was never meant to be wielded against humans. When Allen manages to bring his weapon in Cannon mode to Road's very head, he cannot bring himself to shoot her. She knows this full well. Whether she would not just regenerate is unclear but perhaps irrelevant, the moment Allen is ideologically brought to standstill, he becomes unable to fight. No matter how strong an opponent may be, Allen will fight, he will fight to the bitter end. He cannot, however, overcome such a contradiction as his killing human beings. His purity of motive works against him and is as likely to trip him as his rushing headlong into certain death.

All and all, this is a great entry. There is much going on for it, the action sequences are very fluid and there is a sense of movement imparted by the way clothing and hair flutters about in the heat of battle. Leenalee's aerial fighting is vividly dynamic, nor is the spinning and twirling purely aesthetic, in order to make the best of the fact that her weapon is her shoes, she has to dance around her opponent.

It offers glimpses into what is to come while harking back to Leenalee's past in a way that will gain coherence as the story develops. The waters are somewhat muddied, Allen is forced into rethinking what his role should be and there is enough a sense of impeding doom that one immediately wants to grab volume 4- which was I did.

Lenalee was pretty much abducted by the Order as a little girl and tortured for three years on end in order to get her to synchronize with Innocence. Were it not Komui, who worked very hard so as to become a bigshot in the Science department, one cannot help with Lenalee would not end up very much like Alma. The Black Order's less than savory ways are already floating about.

[Daichi Ishii · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was not bad but not good. I don’t know why I think so. I felt like all scenes are Half-baked. I guess this is a preparation for next battle. By the way, Rabi. Is soooooooo cool!!! I can’t wait to see his battle. Might be cool.

[Selena Pigoni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Volume 3 contains The Rewinding City, a fairly short arc that serves as our first introduction to what becomes the main antagonists of the series.

It starts with a silly story introducing us to Lenalee's power due to Komui's invention going haywire, then the two go on their first mission together to hunt for innocence in a city where a certain day is playing over and over again. There, they find a frazzled woman who has relived the same day 30+ times.

Artwise, this volume is still on the lower quality end compared to the rest of the series. Road's art especially looks wonky in spots, but in her creepier moments, she is spot on creepy. Also, I love how thick everyone's eyelashes are (especially Lenalee) and how much detail is put into Lenalee's hair for some reason. Hoshino-sensei's art in these early volumes can be hit or miss, but when it counts, she's usually pretty good.

[Stewart Tame · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay, well, in general, I liked this volume just a teensy bit better than the previous two. The art is either improving or I'm getting used to it. The initial storyline with the robot running amok was a little too goofy. I appreciate humor as a leavening ingredient, but this seemed a bit forced. The subsequent story arc with Miranda was lovely. There were some parts of the story that didn't make much sense, but the tone was lovely and it was very emotionally satisfying. Not every manga is going to be as closely plotted as Death Note, and that's fine. I don't mind style over substance a long as it's done competently, as it is here. Still not my favorite shonen manga, but it has its charms and I can see why people like it. Definitely something to share with that black-clad, poetry-writing, pale-skinned type you know ...

[Michelle Kobus · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this volume, and the manic-depressive Miranda; but I'm not sure how much I'll like Miranda when she's happy in future volumes (assuming, since she was happy upon exiting this volume). The downside for this fangirl was the lack of Kanda, but I love the storyline of this series, so it would be trivial to detract any stars for that (at this point).

[Veronica Morfi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved Miranda's story. The Rewinding Town was one of my favorite stories in the D.Gray-Man. It was an awesome idea :)

[kate vnry · Rating 4 out of 5]

.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Questa serie merita davvero :)

[Carolyn Sam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall Thoughts:

This was a very fun read. More of the world was established and the stakes ramped up. We got to see Lenalee, who is always a gem to have around, and Miranda. And Road! One of the most interesting Noahs in the lineup. There was a lot of setup, but I think the execution fell flat for this one. But for the most part, it was a fun read and it amped up the intrigue.

More Specific Thoughts:
The pluses overcome the minuses of this volume. Miranda has potential to be an interesting character by virtue of being the most frazzled and equally as eccentric as the other characters. Allen's mysterious abilities are further explored and more questions are raised about what exactly is happening with this small boy. I like that each character is unique and brings something to the table in terms of the themes that are starting to be fleshed out more.

However, I can't say this was the best we've seen from Hoshino. After the Lala and Guzole arc, we can really see Hoshino's melancholic style shine and the emotions she can bring forth without sacrificing building upon our main cast. And that was not the case in this chapter. Most of the time, Miranda seemed like such a caricature, almost too eccentric to exist in the same realm as the rest of the cast without being some kind of comedic device. While you do come around to her, I don't think the paneling and storytelling of the panels did her justice. We can also talk about Lenalee being the unfortunate product of "woman in a shonen series" syndrome where she is strong but mostly used as a device rather than an exploration. Unfortunate damsel-ing and being the brunt of the manga's "pretty girl' isms. I think their accomplishments and impact were really overshadowed by Allen, which is really unfortunate because when you look at the events objectively, Miranda was the crux of their success but the framing makes Allen seem like the hero. Especially when she was able to turn back the time and take control of her innocence (which is a very cool innocence).

There was something off about the impact of her impact panels that didn't quite work out.

[K.S. Trenten · Rating 4 out of 5]

A town rewinds the same day, repeating it over and over. The only one who notices this is frustrated and lonely Miranda Lotto, laughed at by the locals for her bad luck. Why is this happening? Could it be the result of Innocence? Exorcists Allen Walker and Lenalee Lee are there to find out. Only they’re not the only ones. Akuma have come for the mysterious Innocence and they’re not alone. These minions of the Millenium Earl are led by a mysterious girl named Road Kamelot with reality warping powers and a wicked sense of humour, who sees both akuma and exorcists as toys for her to play with…

Two extremly well rounded and interesting characters were introduced in this. First there was Miranda Lotto in all her morose Gothic misery, facing obstacle after obstacle designed to keep her miserable, yet finding courage and friends in Allen, Lenalee, and the Innocence. On the opposite extreme was Road with her spiky hair, short skirts, striped stockings, and the umbrella she stole from the Earl. Playful and afraid of nothing, Road appears and disappearing as if she were one of the fae, trapping her victims in a dream world of presents and toys. Only she’s not fae. Road is a Noah, one of the elite, special humans the Millenium Earl has gathered around him. While teaming up with a pair of akuma, she’s more than a match for a couple of exorcists. Plus, she appeared to have taken a special interest in Allen and Lenalee. If the two latter give Miranda someone worth fighting for, Road gives Miranda someone worth fighting.

For all of these qualities drawn in a strikingly attractive, yet dark steampunk fashion, bringing life to the characters, the plot, and the world in exquisite detail, this gets four stars.

[Leigh Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this one, but I didn't.

The animated series and the book series, are similar but they aren't. The names in particular are very different, but similar sounding. It's so weird lol!. In the anime i'm used to "Renali" being "Lenalee" and "Rabi" being Lavi. And, the way they are drawn differ slightly. I have no idea why these names were changed when everyone elses seem to be the same - as far as I know. Maybe the creators thought that the name change would suit the characters more...who knows!

Another thing that's different, is the progression of the story. Again, the story of Miranda and her innocence and Komui creating a robot that attacks Allen were told, however, Miranda's storyline was drawn out accross several episodes in the anime, whereas it's only in one volume in the book series. And, Allens attack happened rather quickly. Although, the events seem to be the same overall.

Lol, poor Allen seems to only get the blunt end of the stick when it comes to his friends activities. And, I still had a good laugh when the robot was going after Lenalee/Renali and so Komui told the robot that Allen needed fixing just so his sister wouldn't be targeted. He didn't care what happened to Allen (but, he would if it didn't involve his sister), even though Allen is a valued member of the exorcist team lol.

Unfortunately, I don't think I am a Miranda fan. I liked her later on when she became an exorcist and she became stronger, but I didn't like this storyline as much. I can't say why I didn't like it, I really don't know.

Looking forward to reading the next book.

[Isaiah Wofford · Rating 4 out of 5]

The opening of this book was genuinely funny with the multi tasking robot drinking coffee and then proceeds to destroy the base of operations for the exorcists. I was not expecting that random event to happen but it was a good time. The story proceeds into a cool idea of being stuck in a time loop inside a village. This book also introduces the apostles of Noah who follow the earls plan to destroy humanity even the apostles are also human. We’re also introduced to a specific character of the apostles named road who I absolutely love the character design of. This story kind of felt like an episode of anime which isn’t a bad thing but has me curious about how the d gray man anime plays out. I’d assume based on the manga that the anime would have no issues adapting the manga beat for beat. My only issue so far that lingers from volume to volume is that it’s hard for me to see what’s going on during fight scenes. Sometimes, like in the robot destroying the home base, I can see the action clearly. Other times, I can’t tell what Allen is doing with his arm ability: it looks like the artist isn’t drawing the arm in detail to save time maybe but in return it’s hard to follow what’s going on.

[Dagmar Sola · Rating 4 out of 5]

Creo que le pondría un 3'5.
Es un tomo bastante interesante, se conoce nueva información, se sabe más de algún personaje... lo mejor ha sido Mirando Lotto. La he amado. La autora, con su dibujo, sí que sabe plasmar bien la desesperación y angustia de la pobre mujer. Por como ha acabado el tomo, lo más probable es que vuelva a aparecer, y es que ya ha habido un cambio en ella por lo poco que ha salido. Esperaré ilusionada su vuelta. Eso sí, y quizás solo me ha pasado a mí, que he notado como que Miranda eclipsaba a Allen y Lenalee, pero diría que solo es una sensación mía porque me ha encantado el personaje (es más, prefiero verla a ella que a los otros dos).
También me ha gustado la presentación de Road Kamelot a Allen y como se ha llevado la conversación y las pertinentes revelaciones. Creo que Road es un personaje con mucho carisma.
Lo que no me ha gustado de este tomo ha sido, principalmente, el principio. Da un toque de humor a la historia, sí, sin embargo, a mí no me ha hecho gracia y casi que sentía que era más relleno que otra cosa aunque se nos muestre una nueva información.
Y bueno, a ver qué me depara el próximo tomo.

[Kelsey Hanson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book introduced Miranda who I can't help but feel for. She tries so hard to do well and her recurring attempts after so much failure is admirable. This book also has Rhode who is an exceptionally creepy character. I have to admit, my unpopular opinion about this series is that I don't like Lenalee. To me, she's kind of the Daphne Blake of the group in constant need of rescuing. She's also a touch melodramatic. I'm also a bit confused about whether how the author is trying to reference Christianity. There's a ton of Christian icons in this series (mostly in the form of crosses and "Noah"), but the connection is never explained particularly well.

[TreeSpright · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really love Miranda in this story. She's a very relatable character who just has a very bad string of luck follow her her entire life, but she still finds a way to have a positive outlook. On one of these days where she had fallen in bad luck and lost her job, she ends up wishing to her clock that she didn't want that day to ever end. It turns out she's an accommodator for innocence and the clock reacts to her wish causing the day to repeat 39 times. Finally, the repeating day ends when she meets Allen and Lenalee. I always look forward to when we get to see her character again.

[Kirsten Simkiss · Rating 3 out of 5]

This volume feels a little more rushed than the last two, like there's too much stuffed into one volume. However, you get to meet Miranda, a future exorcist, and you get to see more of Lenalee (Rinalee in the translation for the comics) and meet Lavi (Rabi) and the Bookman in this volume. It's a good story, though, as I said, it does feel a bit rushed. However, it does introduce you to the Noah family, a main adversary for the main characters.