Chapter 55 translation is out for some time now. Guess it's safe to talk about it.
Damn! Konami, Reiji and Torimaru really are amazing fighters! Especially Konami who kills off two rabbits in less than a minute while smiling - what a battle maiden! Hope we gonna see more of this side of hers. <3
Reiji is the leader apprently, somehow I thought Torimaru would be that, and looks like he got lots and lots of experience for such situations. Him ordering Osamu to protect Chika even at the cost of his life is veeeery forshadowing though. Also woot for Minigun!!!
Torimaru still looks like a hottie. :P
What I really enjoyed are their different looks compared to the sameish looks the other squads got. It makes sense though with the explanation that Tamakoma not only has a different philosophie than the main branch but also a different way of fighting. That all their triggers are made indivual for their users is very interesting indeed and a good explanation why Tamakoma agents are so different from the main branch ones. I really liked how Konami was able with "Connector" to transform her two small axes into a giant one! :D
That they use Neighbor technology which are unapproved by Border shows that Tamakoma is in a grey area, from the Border's persepctive, and that some of those technologies might be dangerous to their users as well. But still given what we saw of their triggers so far they are just awesome! Sure the HQ triggers makes lots of sense as they are produced in mass for long battles, but Tamakoma's are just more "shiny". XD
I really really really can't wait to meet the HQ/Tamakoma engineers though, bet they have a rivality or something like that, after this first day invasion arc! Ashihara had said in an interview that they will show up soon and given how important those engineers are for research, developing new trigger tech and ofc the expedition stuff we will surely get some new characters that gonna find their way into the next popularity poll of WT. If Wt gonna exist so long to get a second one ofc.
Though this chapter kind of explains why many regards Tamakoma with distrust as they not only are for a friendly relationship with Neighbors but fight like them and use their technology. That would be like Amis wanting to be friends with germans in the WWII and using their weapons and blitzkreig tactics than the ones given and ordered by their HQ. And that would be considered being a traitor or at least not trustyworthy. "Heresy", yeah that describes Tamakoma the best.
Also this means that Osamu and Chika will most likely get their very own style triggers once they become A class (as I doubt Tamakoma would give such special weapons to them yet when they are B-class). Can't wait to see what kind of triggers they will get and how they gonan fit their style of fighting and power. <3 <3 <3
Hughes was also quite impressive with his thousands of little shield thingies floating around, forming a huge shield and returning enemy fire easily. Alone to concentrate to be able to predict the bullets trajection and such must be quite a feat already.
And then Enedora versus Kazama team. Albeit short it shows that A teams have chances against Black Triggers or at least won't get killed instantly. Though here the case for that seems to be Kukichihara's side effect of his ears. Side effects are still kind of a mystery, though a big trion amount is neccessary it seems you still need more than just that to develop a side effect. Also getting a black trigger often seems to result in gaining a side effect as well given how Yuuma couldn't tell lies from truth answers before having a black trigger. Or at least it felt to me that way when reading that flashback part.
A tiny effect I quite liked in this chapter was how it showed how important an Operator to a team is as Kazama and other dude are not able to connect their "ears" to Kukichihara without Mikami entering some codes in the pc to make their trion bodies share the info. I guess Operators might play a huge part in B team fights 'cause the better an Operator is the more helpful he can be for his team.
I hope the next translation comes faster, would prefer weekly translations, but I guess till WT's anime airs we gonna keep our one-two translations per month pace for now.^^