REVIEW: ‘Love of Kill,’ Volume 4

Love of Kill Volume 4 is where things start to heat up for our main characters both in terms of stakes and their connection. Love of Kill Volume is created, written, and illustrated by mangaka Fe. This volume is localized and published in English by Yen Press, features translation by Eleanor Ruth Summers, and lettering by Chiho Christie. Now set to be adapted into an anime by studio Platinum Vision, you should jump in.

The end of Love of Kill Volume 3 was a cliffhanger, to say the least. With Chateau and Ryang-Ha getting closer, the ending makes it seem as if he is responsible for the death of one of Chateau’s colleagues. Now in Love of Kill Volume 4, the setup is clear, and everyone’s favorite assassin is innocent. After her boss is nearly assassinated, Chateau is confronted by the assailant who is going after Ryang-Ha, and he means to enlist her help. This volume pushes Chateau to make a choice and puts her growing feelings for Ryang-Ha on full display for the reader like we haven’t seen before. Having to choose between Ryang-Ha and her loved ones, Chateau starts to collapse under the pressure and searches for an easy way out. 

I’m not a fan of having a badass female assassin suddenly catch feelings and have to abandon everything she has done up until that point in the story. It happens all too often, and when I read the synopsis for Love of Kill Volume 4, I was worried that this would be where we were headed. Instead, though, this volume takes the time to define who Chateau is regarding her past and relationship with others. What is stunning about it all is that Chateau has been a tsundere-lite character whose stoicism has remained constant until this point. So when she chooses to confront Ryong-Ha and choose her loved ones, she finds herself still shaking about the decision.

As she maps out, Chateau is missing parts of who she is. She’s missing memories and partially her identity. However, Ryong-Ha is a constant. A man who was a complete stranger is somehow engraved in Chateau’s mind. He’s like an old memory, and through flashbacks, we see that that feeling may have grounds in reality.

While there have been hiccups in pacing in the first few volumes, Love of Kill Volume 4 has really taken the series a step further. The intrigue is deeper, the mystery of the past is hanging over the story now with importance, and Ryong-Ha and Chateau are even more connected. Again, like the last volumes, Fe’s art is dynamic and amazing. Fe can illustrate violence extremely well without making it feel like anything too gruesome—even when it’s bloody.

Overall, Love of Kill Volume 4 is my favorite volume of the series so far. It has character growth and depth that makes me fall in love even more with Ryong-Ha and Chateau. I can’t wait to see this volume animated next year, and even more so, I’m excited for the next volume of the series.

Love of Kill Volume 4 is available wherever books are sold now.