Hey, look: Senku is actually a functional protagonist now. I don't think this extended prologue was particularly great, but I'm glad it's revealed to be a prologue. because you can already feel a more interesting story clicking into place. The three main characters haven't really been letting the sparks fly as a unit, so the series makes the smart decision to split them up. Senku's awakening is finally detailed, and though it might be a bit later than it should have been, I'm glad it finally showed up. Up until now, Senku has been arrogant and perfect, so it's good to finally see him struggle so we can get inside his headspace. He heads off alone into the jungle to find other survivors. Finally, it feels like he has enough character weight to bear that kind of story.

Meanwhile, Taiju and Yuzuriha are sent off to spy on Tsukasa. Yuzuhira still feels like she's grasping for place (check out the bios at the beginning of the Volume, where her description basically amounts to "she can cook") and Taiju is still not especially dynamic, but I'm hoping them splitting up will tighten the screws on their characters and spur them to become more interesting.

So, I think I can say this is an improvement, albeit not a stunning one. The overt catchphrase nature of everyone's character is still a little tricky to swallow, and a lot of the characterisation and interactions feel like something more out of the Dandy than a big adventure. But I'll check out what comes next if a decent opportunity arises, even if I probably won't go seeking it out just yet.