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| Title | Rebuild World Volume 1 Part Two – Crazy, Reckless, and Rash |
| Author | Nahuse |
| Publisher | JP: ASCII Media Works EN: J-Novel Club |
| Original Release Dates | JP: July 17, 2019 EN: November 18, 2022 |
| Genre | Sci-fi, Post-apocalyptic, Cyberpunk |
Author’s Note: I discuss plot points and details of storylines and character arcs which could be considered minor spoilers. No major spoilers will be revealed.
Rebuild World Volume 1 Part Two – Crazy, Reckless, and Rash continues Akira’s story as he desperately struggles to succeed as a rookie relic hunter. Whether it’s his ambition, his enigmatic moral code, or sheer bad luck, Akira finds himself in one disastrously dangerous situation after another. Unrelenting in his pursuit of a better life and unwilling to allow misfortune to dictate his fate any longer, Akira claws through each predicament with raw grit. Guided by Alpha, his AR AI companion, Akira steadily progresses. And in turn, he is led into even more dangerous situations that push him to his physical and mental limits, all the while testing his unrelenting resolve.
Crazy, Reckless, and Rash picks up right where The Alluring Specter left off, with Akira having just survived another stretch of bad luck in the form of a rushing monster horde. Initially chasing the arms and relic merchant, Katsuragi, on his way back to Kugamayama City, the monster horde overtook Akira’s position while he was minding his own business and exploring. Caught in the situation, he and Katsuragi survive long enough for some good luck to strike, in the form of a rescue by Elena and Sara.
After his latest brush with death, Akira spends time with the hunting duo, who now strongly suspect that Akira is not at all what he seems. The contrast between skill and accomplishments versus his fledgling rookie status hasn’t gone unnoticed by the two, nor by their friend, Shizuka. Yet, they know not to pry, and leave suspicions aside for now.
As for Akira, Alpha suggests he take a break from hunting, focus on education and keep a low profile until he can acquire a powered suit; the next major piece of equipment that would allow Akira to face even greater threats. During his downtime, Akira also has to provide promised support to Sheryl. Last volume had Akira pitted against a slum gang of which Sheryl was a member. A clever girl who watched as Akira decimated her former gang, she implores him for help. The two come to an agreement and Sheryl now runs a new gang, comprised mostly of kids and teens, with Akira acting as an investor and affiliate. Trouble is quick to approach, as Sheryl and Akira are still teens, and don’t naturally garner respect. Just another drop of bad luck.
And when Akira gains his new gear, Alpha suggests Akira train with it by taking short extermination jobs provided by the city. As Akira’s bad luck would have, a new threat approaches Kugamayama City while he is out on a patrol. Serving as this volume’s major incident, an anomalous throng of weaponized automatons supported by spider-like tanks encroach upon the relative peace Kugamayama had been recently enjoying. Initially planning to ignore this horde and the city’s emergency requests for help once his current job was over, Akira catches wind that Elena and Sara may already be engaged against the rushing machines. His unsettled guilt regarding the two gets the better of him, and he decides to ride off himself, against impossible odds, knowing that there’s only a slim chance he’ll meet up with and potentially help the duo.
Rebuild World Volume 1 Part Two – Crazy, Reckless, and Rash continues to lay a foundation for what is turning out to be a story of pure adrenaline. The action scenes are once again the highlights of the story, with combat and chaos overflowing in every conflict. With Alpha’s support, Akira pulls off impressive feats at breakneck speeds, adding a thick layer of fantasy to the sci-fi, which amp up the excitement of these scenes. Not to be overshadowed, the feeling and emotions expressed by characters are just as praiseworthy as the action. I similarly praised this aspect of The Alluring Specter, so I was happy to see that the same notable level of expression and intensity in emotions is maintained here. Whether it’s during these violent, ferocious action scenes, or outside of them, the tangible emotions kept me immersed. Also, I again appreciate the contrast in emotion, tone, and mood between scenes. Feelings of fear and stress during conflicts are already palpable. Yet, they are made more pronounced by the heartfelt moments of genuine care and concern, as well as the humor and banter between Akira and the side characters. As I said in my previous review, the slice-of-life scenes and the budding friendships between Akira, Sara, Elena, and Shizuka add real depth and authenticity, and so to have their inclusion here merits equal praise. Whether it’s intensity versus joviality, action versus slice-of-life, the energy grips and the emotions immerse, making for a vivid, engaging read throughout.
Sticking with the story, other aspects I appreciate are the background and world building. Like the previous volume, Crazy, Reckless, and Rash offers details that better color the world around Akira and his companions. Modern society’s heavy dependency on anything and everything to do with the Old World is emphasized again, though specifically, this volume takes a deeper look into the digital remnants of the Old World. We learn of The Old Domain, the Old World’s information network. Terribly inaccessible to most, those who can access it can glean unimaginable knowledge and advantages. Those who can naturally interact with it, like Akira, are rare, valuable, and are at mortal risk of being abducted and turned into a tool or experiment for corporate gain. These details truly emphasize the many facets of Akira’s predicament, and also offer threads for future story development.
We also learn more about Elena and Sara’s history through an extra side story. This story takes place right at the time when the two decide to become relic hunters, depicting the events and decisions that lead to it. We learn more of their backgrounds, the depth of how much they care for each other, our first tidbits regarding other New World cities, and we also gain insight into some of the different viewpoints regarding the pursuit and usage of Old World technologies. Despite being a side story, it provides a wealth of new information and solid character building in such a concise chapter. It’s certainly another highlight of the volume and leaves me wanting more. Overall, this volume continues to build an intriguing world around these characters, a trend which I hope is followed in later volumes.
The one issue I would criticize, which affects both story and Akira’s character, is the fantasy element I mentioned earlier. Although the fantasy ramps up the intensity of the combat in this volume’s major event, I found it to be extreme. We see Akira, via Alpha, perform one impossible feat after another across the multiple chapters of this battle. Also, these actions become more exaggerated as the battle progresses. Yes, the exaggeration helps to imply the power of the threats and to build intensity, but in doing so, the Akira and Alpha combo comes off as overpowered, especially for a teenaged rookie hunter. He has far too much success as a lone fighter and suffers too few setbacks throughout. I understand that it’s Alpha taking control of Akira via his new gear to produce these eccentric results. The problem this leaves is a sense that no threats could possibly challenge this combo. I can only guess that future plotlines will force them apart often enough to return a bit more plausibility to Akira’s capabilities.
More on this follow up to The Alluring Specter on page 2 ->
