Although I would say Touring After the Apocalypse has a slice-of-life undertone, this is still the apocalypse, and Touring After the Apocalypse Vol. 2 emphasizes this several times. Each chapter is a build-up to well constructed ending that leaves you reluctantly hopeful for what awaits Youko and Airi.
Touring After the Apocalypse Vol. 2 begins with a trip to Akihabara. The two follow a radio signal in an attempt to meet the human voice playing over the waves. However, the two are easily distracted and end up exploring a zoo and a few shops before remembering what they were there for.
It’s a bittersweet intro as we are reminded of the emptiness of the world. Youko and Airi both share an optimistic outlook and a sense of discovery, but sometimes that’s difficult when it seems the world is working against them. They face many hardships throughout this volume, which makes you question if they’re actually suited to survive in this new world. Further, a much more significant issue occurs at the end, which may be too much for them to handle.
I loved the playful attitudes of Youko and Airi. As Airi shares information about everything, it’s as if she’s teaching the reader and Youko about the world. We also get to see both characters in servant costumes, which is probably the cutest thing ever. I was surprised to see just how knowledgeable Youko is about fixing things and coming up with clever ways to pass the time or make the most out of terrible situations.
Sakae Saito did a wonderful just with the pacing and illustrations of this volume. Each panel is packed with detail that glides your eyes across every page to catch all the subtle details. There are moments where the duo show their immaturity during stressful situations that make light of dangerous circumstances, but I feel like they should really take things more seriously, at least when their lives are at stake.
Character expressions and environmental detail each receive a considerable amount of attention. This is used as a way to guide the reader’s emotions during the scarier scenes. It makes it easy to feel immersed in the action and had me a little scared about how these girls plan to navigate this unforgiving world moving forward.
Touring After the Apocalypse Vol. 2 is a gorgeous continuation of this series that leaves readers on a powerful cliffhanger. The overall tone is optimistic and playful, but the situations that the duo face threaten their lives. There’s a bit of a disconnect between their approach to survival and the challenges they face, but their established personalities cause you to smirk as you say to yourself, “That’s such a Youko thing to do.”
