21st Century Boys Vol. 2: Naoki Urasawa's 21st Century Boys, Vol. 2
- ISBN
- 9781421543277
- Publisher
- VIZ Media
- English release
- Pages
- 200
The second standard paperback brings 21st Century Boys to its original-edition conclusion. Kenji's effort to protect people remains bound to the question of who the Friend was and how he became that person. Read the preceding paperback first; this is the end of an existing investigation. Buyers comparing endings should also distinguish this original edition from 21st Century Boys: The Perfect Edition, which VIZ explicitly advertises as including a new ending.
Spoilers — why this volume matters. Tap to reveal.
VIZ ties the answer about the Friend to a memory from Kenji's childhood. The premise makes the past part of the explanation of the antagonist, not merely a setting to revisit after the danger. That is the reason to read the final paperback in sequence: the rescue effort and the identity question are still joined at its advertised climax. There is also an edition boundary to keep clear. The publisher's editor identifies a new ending exclusive to the Perfect Edition. This original paperback preserves the earlier version; its position at the end of the standard run does not make it a substitute for every later version of that ending.
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