School, threats, and brief comedic romantic antics ensure Jungle Juice 4 is a fantastic entry into the series.
Jungle Juice 4 finds its rhythm, bridging the gap between action and characters to craft a gripping tale with high stakes and jaw-dropping conflicts. It starts with the conclusion of the Pet Shop reconnaissance mission with the core four students battling monster insects. But it doesn’t end there as increased dangers brew while students train to improve their weaknesses. School, threats, and brief comedic romantic antics ensure Jungle Juice 4 is a fantastic entry into the series.
With a story crafted by Hyeong Eun, art by Juder, translation by Ah Cho, and lettering by Adam Jankowski, the volume starts with teaching assistant Mr. Ju and Huijin finding themselves in a life-or-death situation, surrounded by feed-trained monsters. Suchan fights a single opponent at the start of the Yen Press comic, while Hyeseong encourages the insect-humans caged with him to fight to break out. Thanks to this battle, readers learn more about Suchan and how his current situation ties in with Gayeon Sin’s and Professor Ji’s history.
Jungle Juice 4 Steps Up The Action
The main battles in this volume are not students competing for the top position to acquire Cinderella—the antidote that transforms them back into humans. Pet Shop is not playing and does not like Nest. It’s unclear what their motivation is, but the same goes for Nest. While it seems like an excellent school for students to fit in with fellow insect-powered people, there is always an underlying unease that something is amiss.
But for now, the threat is the Pet Shop. Jungle Juice 4 throws readers and students into danger and turmoil at every turn, with shocking action that stems from the full-color illustrations and in part thanks to the complex and unique abilities of the people with insect powers.
Typical Berserk Potential
Although many series do this with their heroes, the lore surrounding it and dynamic characters add weight to the moment. Suchan is not as dynamic as some, but for him to enter a berserker state where he cannot discern friend from foe is peak Naruto, nine-tails chaos. Or Eren losing control in titan form. Learning this occurs when insect and human compatibility is higher in a person raises questions and possibilities. Jungle Juice 4 crafts a fascinating concept with lore that feels, or might be, tied to actual science at times. That is the best kind of story!
Shipping Hyeseong and Dohwa
While Suchan and Huijin are one pair, another is Hyeseong and Dohwa. Suchan indeed has innate talent with his dragonfly complex. However, Hyeseong is an underdog that readers can cheer on. His emotions reach readers as he struggles to improve and feels like his team’s weak link. Hyeseong is inspirational because, though he gets down, he gets right back up. Plus, how Dohwa cares about him but heckles him is so adorable. Jungle Juice 4 demonstrates how much she cares in her little moments and comments, such as when she snatches up Changhun and demands he apologizes to Hyeseong.
Jungle Juice 4 has insect-humans, a variety of characters and skills, and high stakes. Plus, the women are just as physically strong as the men. They are not waiting on the sidelines for rescue. Still, the series suffers from the fact that the supporting characters are still more interesting than Suchan. But this volume does its best to make Suchan stand out more. Jungle Juice 4 adds action, comedy, and plenty of character development and heartfelt moments to the series.
