Shadows House Volume 3 gets much more interesting as the Shadows family and their respective living doll faces gather for their debut. The faces’ personalities stand out more than their Shadows counterparts. It’s understandable as Kate’s face, Emilico is the main character. Watching her is becoming fascinating. The debut marks a turning point for the five pairs, and Shadows House Volume 3 forges relationships between them through a hilarious and fraught maze journey with stakes.
Created by Somato with translation by Taylor Engel and lettering by Lys Blakeslee, the third volume has the debut take a turn. Published by Yen Press, this volume starts with Edward, the examiner, halting the dancing pairs of Shadows and living dolls. The Shadows then accompany him outside, and the living dolls learn he’s scattered the Shadows throughout a maze. The living dolls must find their respective partners. Two rules that equal losing are if the living dolls receive a cut to their faces or if their noble Shadows’ attire gets dirty.
Shadows House Volume 3 Allows Emilico and The Other Faces to Shine
With the previous volumes, the focus on Emilico and Kate made it challenging to invest in the story. Their natures felt less engaging when it was just the pair of them. However, this volume does an outstanding job of forwarding the mystery and shaping the connections between Emilico and the other living dolls. Emilico reminds me of Tohru from Fruits Basket. Her big-hearted temperament inspires others to be their best selves. The familiar message doesn’t detract from the entertainment. Emilico’s colorful, carefree nature shines through this volume, bringing laughter and smiles. Plus, she is surprisingly resourceful.
Emilico and Rum are a fabulous pair because everyone underestimates them. They may think differently, but thanks to that, they have keen senses and skills which shine in this volume. Through the challenge, an unlikely pairing forms between living dolls Lou and Ricky as they search for their respective Shadows. Ricky’s personality shines brighter than his shadow, Patrick. Lou’s a perfect complement to him. She meets his talkative, sometimes combative nature with silence.
The Higher Nobles Seem Dangerous and Chilling
Edward is a vibrant mix of nervousness, resentment, and determination. He is adamant that at least one pair must fail this test. From his debut, only two other teams remain. His preoccupation with entertaining the noble Shadows with this debut and the illusive August Grandfather raises questions. Regardless of his attempts to dazzle them, he harbors anger. The nobles’ temperaments vary. Some appear more sadistic than others. So it’ll be interesting to see how this develops.
Shadows House Volume 3 is my favorite because the test allows us to see each character’s personality. What exactly occurs to Shadows and living dolls who do not pass their debut is unclear. Since they do not consider living dolls as people, do they even believe it’s murder? Or do the dolls and their shadows cease to exist? But the fact that one must fail, according to Edward, is worrisome as these appear to be kids in peril. They built an attachment to each doll, so you don’t want to see any of them lose. Shadows House Volume 3 cements the reader’s interest in this immersive world thanks to the pacing and fascinating information about soot and nobles.
