Dinosaur Sanctuary

by Itaru Kinoshita

Genres: Manga, Science Fiction
Pages: 200
Series: Dinosaur Sanctuary #5
Rating:

Synopsis:

RELATIONSHIPS ARE COMPLICATED--BOTH HUMAN AND DINO!

Suzume is getting to know ankylosaur section head Katase Shogo. They're the same age, so they should get along, right? Wrong... Can Suzume keep from butting heads with him until it's time for her to move on to ceratopsians? The humans aren't the only ones with drama on their hands at Enoshima Dinoland, either! Centrosaurus sweethearts Umeko and Shoukichi are going through ordeals of their own...

Volume five of Dinosaur Sanctuary gives us some more of the uneasy working relationship between Suma and Katase, which continues to be a bit rocky, and some background into the vet, Shiranui, along with a glimpse of Karin handling a group of schoolkids as well.

Dinosaur-wise, we get some more time with the centrosauruses, which is really the main plotline of this volume and extends into volume six. As a warning, this volume includes a dinosaur (the Centrosaurus Umeko) with an osteosarcoma, and the story doesn’t conclude in this volume.

About that: I remember learning from David Hone’s books The Future of Dinosaurs that dinosaurs and birds can isolate infection in a certain part of the body rather than seeing the kind of systemic spread that humans do. Maybe that gives Umeko a better chance with cancer, too, since there’s less chance of metastasis? The manga doesn’t mention it, but I’m going to let that give me hope!

Slightly less light-hearted overall than some of the volumes, but still fun, and the variety does help to add depth.

Rating: 4/5 (“really liked it”)