040 - DNA² ~ File 3

040 - DNA² ~ File 3

Author: We Appreciate Manga™ March 7, 2020 Duration: 53:48

Ryuji transforms exactly like a Devil Man cum Dragonball Z villain, this certainly didn't make it into the anime! Did Ryuji ever really love Tomoko or was he so jacked on DNA changing testosterone that no one could tell the difference? Skip summary @ 10:30

DNA² ~ File 3

 

By Masakazu Katsura

 

Topics:

  • The contrivances:

 

  • The psychic Jacket transformation and Karin's exposition dump (not in the anime)
  • Having witnesses for the fight so that Ryuji has people around he can graft DNA from. (also not in the anime)
  • The lightning strike that causes a fire to burn the place down. Really their psychic power blasts could have served the same purpose, a la "pyrokinesis" perhaps.

 

  • How the fight could have been less surreal:

 

  • Ryuji didn't need to look like a superhero, or at the very least wear a mask, because this was counter intuitive towards the witnesses around him.
  • There didn't need to be witnesses to see the Ryuji vs Junta battle, just having Ryuji claim to Tomoko that he was defending her honour would suffice.
  • By having Ryuji transform it defeats the purpose of having witnesses at all. As the spectacle of the fight isn't Ryuji fighting Junta at that point, instead the spectacle becomes the transformation itself. It's the least surreal factor because the story already establishes that Karin's DMC bullets unlock psychic powers. But in terms of having an audience and all those witnesses to the fight, it would be the most surreal thing they've seen.

 

  • The blossoming romance between Ami and Junta

 

  • Did Ryuji Actually love Tomoko? A thesis on love.

 

Plot Summary

 

Junta hones his psychic powers so that he can battle Ryuji and yet Ryuji waits in his library and spends the time reading books on gargoyles. He keeps Aoi Karin trapped in his basement since she was too eager to fight Ryuji before Junta gets to him. As Karin fights off Ryuji's goons, Junta is given an invitation to fight, by Ryuji himself, clothed in superhero attire. Ami overhears this conversation and uses her bike to give him a ride to Ryuji's estate.

 

As Ryuji returns to Karin, he finds that she has defeated all his goons and is ready to fight Ryuji.

 

Karin loses the fight against Ryuji and in turn Ryuji grafts her DNA on to himself, becoming more powerful. Afterwards, he sets things up so that he can have the kidnapped Tomoko be placed inside a private cottage/hall where he will fight Junta amongst witnesses, all under the guise that he is defending Tomoko's honour from Junta. Most of the witnesses are previous dates that Ryuji cheated on in spite of Tomoko, basically fan girls.

 

During the fight Ryuji is angered when Tomoko is in support of Junta winning, the weakened Ryuji decides to attack his entourage of witnesses and graft their DNA on to his. This causes his blood pressure to rise and his veins explode. It looks as though he will be defeated under the weight of the transformation and yet he transforms into a gargoyle like demon. Rejuvenated into a monstrous form. Cue exposition dump when Karin deduces that his transformation is an exoskeletal psychic jacket.

 

Ryuji knocks Junta unconscious* but when Ami releases Tomoko she reasons with Ryuji, knowing that Tomoko loves Junta Ryuji attacks Tomoko and thus awakens the mega-playboy in Junta. Junta is able to cripple Ryuji and when Junta attempts to use his teleportation power to get the girls to safety, Ryuji holds Tomoko hostage. If Junta doesn't save Ryuji then Tomoko may die however Junta calls Ryuji's bluff and goes to attack Ryuji and Tomoko. This frees Tomoko thanks to Ryuji's mercy but Ryuji is maimed in the attack.

 

Ryuji is the last person Junta teleports to safety. Ryu is defeated, weakened and rapidly aged from the battle. And its Junta that demands that Tomoko go with Ryuji to the hospital. Ryuji sees the error of his ways but has nothing but hate for Junta. The Mega-playboy person doesn't stay for long either, seeing the ravaged Karin, he gets sick from looking at her exposed breast.

 

*By the way, after Ryuji's transformation a thunderbolt causes a fire!

 

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There's a particular kind of magic that happens when a friend hands you a book they love, especially when that book is a manga. We Appreciate Manga captures that exact feeling, beginning each conversation with a personal recommendation before letting the discussion wander into deeper territory. Hosted by the team at We Appreciate Manga™, this series is less a formal review and more like eavesdropping on a thoughtful, sometimes rambling, chat between enthusiasts. You’ll hear them explore how specific stories resonate, why certain artistic choices matter, and the very real comfort these illustrated narratives can provide during difficult periods. It’s a celebration of the medium that goes beyond plot summaries to appreciate manga as a unique and powerful form of visual storytelling. Think of it as your audio companion to a vibrant, anime-adjacent book club where the panels come to life through conversation. New episodes of this podcast have been available since August 2022, offering a consistent space to connect with the art and heart of these stories.
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