Chained Soldier Volume 4 has the harem manga up the number of girls flocking around Yuuki. This mature content manga is not all nudity and compromising moments. Underneath, there is a story that is far more interesting. Thankfully, there are no moments with Yuuki and grade-school Nei, but this series has a significant issue around consent. So much happens against the characters’ wills, including Yuuki. The conflict in Chained Soldier Volume 4 builds as Yuuki reunites with his sister, Aoba, though this reunion has plenty of challenges and makes the future volumes promising.
With a story by Takahiro and art by Yohei Takemura, this volume starts with Tenka putting the moves on Yuuki, whom she calls Slave-kun. This Yen Press manga, translated by Christine Dashiell and lettered by Brandon Bovia, consists of eight chapters and a one-shot. Though it does not ignore consent issues, it chooses to downplay it. After a Shuuki attack interrupts Tenka, Kyouka flat-out calls her a predator. But Tenka laughs it off, faulting Yuuki for being adorable, and the story moves on to the Shuuki battle that lasts seconds.
Chained Soldier Volume 4 Highlights Community
Yuuki’s found a home with Commander Kyouka and the others in the 7th Demon Defense Force, but there is a clear us versus them mentality regarding others. Yuuki’s sister, Aoba, is part human and part Shuuki. She made a thriving community underneath Mato with others who are like her. They want to crush the Demon Defense Force that Yuuki is part of, so it will be interesting to see where he lands. Though at this moment, he’s trying to find a way to bring the opposing sides together.
Part of what angers Aoba is how Kyouka enslaved Yuuki. He has to obey her and fight for her when he transforms. Kyouk and her subordinates, Koko Zenibako and Naon Yuno, abhor the Demon Defense. Their cute, smiley exteriors drop on a dime when Yuuki suggests they don’t have to hide as they’re part human. However, Aoba is partially correct because Kyouka has no control either. After Yuuki fights, her body makes her reward him, and the rewards scale with the fight’s difficulty. Chained Soldier Volume 4 shines when it focuses on dynamics between the warring parties rather than predatory behavior.
Questionable and Disturbing Relationships
The way Chained Soldier ties some nudity and sexual content into the conflict feels unnecessary. As I read, separating it would work better. Still, there are a lot of issues surrounding consent. Yuuki does not give permission to Tenka to touch him in any way, let alone remove his clothing. Too much about this series raises questions about what problematic turn it might take. While the idea that girls and women fight battles and are so important to society that they get preferential treatment is interesting, it doesn’t negate the unsavory parts of this series. Besides, plenty of other series explores it without as many cringy moments.
Chained Soldier Volume 4 continues ignoring the importance of consent, and while this is a fictional manga, too much does not work. The story surrounding the war and the truth about Mato are not present enough to hold your attention. Without a compelling story and characters, Chained Soldier Volume 4 falters and does not reel you in.
