A prettier, darker Unico — but also a busier one
Anime News Network’s review of Unico: LOST Volume 3 paints the latest book as a strong visual ride, but one that may be stretching its story a little too far.
The big win here is still the artwork. According to the review, Volume 3 continues what made the earlier books stand out: a fairy-tale world that feels magical, strange, and slightly unsettling at the same time. The reviewer highlights how the book uses wide panels, strong atmosphere, and more deliberate colour choices to push that mood further. Dark greens, blacks, and heavier shadows help make certain scenes feel more serious, even though the overall presentation still keeps that bright storybook energy.
That matters because Unico is the kind of manga that can work across age groups. On paper, it is aimed mainly at children, but ANN notes that the visual storytelling is strong enough that younger readers could still follow much of the story even if some of the lore goes over their heads. For Malaysian and SEA manga fans, that is honestly a big plus. Not every comic you buy for a younger sibling, cousin, or kid is also interesting for older readers, but Unico seems to sit in that rare middle zone where the art does a lot of heavy lifting.
Bigger world, higher stakes
Volume 3 apparently pushes the scale up quite a bit. The story now involves characters moving between realms while different parties search for Unico. That gives the book more urgency and makes the world feel more active, with several characters getting their own space in the spotlight.
But this is also where the review’s concern kicks in. Unico himself, despite being the emotional centre of the series, reportedly gets less page time here. He is still trying to understand who he is and what his purpose might be, but the volume spends a lot of attention elsewhere: a Sphinx son struggling with feelings of inadequacy, a dangerous mercenary chasing Unico, and the returning cat companions from the previous volume.
The cats even get pulled into a time-travel plotline, which ANN found a little sudden. The problem is not that time travel automatically ruins the story — we’ve all seen anime and manga make wild concepts work before — but the review suggests Volume 3 starts adding new ideas without always giving them enough build-up.
Why SEA readers should care
For local fans who enjoy manga that looks premium on the shelf, Unico: LOST Volume 3 still sounds like a strong pick, especially if you already liked the first two volumes. Visual-first storytelling, haunting fantasy vibes, and an all-ages adventure angle are easy to recommend, particularly for readers who want something different from the usual shonen grind.
At the same time, this is not sounding like a clean jump-on point. If you are new to Unico, Volume 3 may feel a bit crowded because the story is juggling more characters, more locations, and more mythology. For SEA readers who usually import manga or wait for local bookstore stock, that matters — you probably want to start from Volume 1 rather than grabbing this randomly because the cover looks nice.
ANN’s final take is basically positive but cautious: the craft is still strong, the mood is effective, and the bigger scope gives the series real tension. But the amount of new plot material is starting to compete with Unico’s own journey. The next volume may be the one that proves whether this expanded direction fully pays off.
Source: Anime News Network