Title: D.Gray-man Chapter 223
Author: Katsuro Hoshino
Publisher: Shueisha
Language: Japanese
Format: Digital
Pages: 24
Genre: Shonen, Battle
Publication Date: July 15, 2016
Another three months have passed and we are back with another chapter of D.Gray-man and a rather short chapter at that. Seriously, 24 pages for three months? Come on, Hoshino… you can do better than that.
Anyway, this chapter of D.Gray-man was looking to be an info dump as Allen found the mansion in his subconscious last chapter, but here he just comes to a realization that Nea is inhabiting his body in the real world, but he’s still himself inside his mind. Just when he can’t press forward, he is reminded of how his friends are connected through bonds by an image of Johnny. I swear… Johnny x Allen is the biggest non-yaoi yaoi relationship I’ve seen since Teito x Mikage from 07-Ghost. Be that as it may, this gives us a glimmer of hope that Allen can return to being himself.
On the outside, Nea doubts that he needs Howard Link’s help. In some odd dialogue, Nea said he had no choice but to have Marian Cross help him in the past. The way that it was worded hints towards Cross not being human? Nea says all he needs is Timcanpy (since Tim is the key to opening the gate to and from the ark), but Link tells him that he was destroyed which shocks Nea. This is when Fiddler shows up and demands that Link release the Millennium Earl, who he sealed away. We get a reminder of just how freaky Fiddler is and when he attacks, which was enough to release the Millennium Earl.
The remainder of the Noah Clan gathers and rescue the Earl, but the Earl is pretty broken. He keeps muttering over and over that he’s not Mana and even Tyki feels that he has heard that name somewhere before. This is where the chapter ends.
Final Thoughts
This was a rather uneventful chapter of D.Gray-man that didn’t really go anywhere, but it does set up for, hopefully, a huge info dump next chapter because the story is getting pretty confusing. One thing for certain is that both the Earl and Nea are continuing to refuse the fact that they are one in the same and we still don’t know what is inside of that mansion. Also, we still don’t know the fate of Lavi after his run in with Fiddler earlier on the series. They also didn’t touch anymore on what Bookman said last chapter, either which adds even more confusion into the mix. This is just one big mish mash at the moment and it desperately needs some straightening out.
I was looking through the MyAnimeList forums after reading the chapter and one user came up with the idea that Allen is a former Bookman and that the Earl is the Heart that he’s been seeking. Evidence to support this is when Allen had blood splattered on his hand from the Earl, it began to resonate. That would be an insane plot twist if the Earl was the Heart, but wouldn’t that also make Nea/Allen the Heart as well? It just seems too weird, but at the same time, it kind of fits. It’s definitely an interesting theory and we’ll see where Hoshino decides to take the story.
I guess we’ll find out those answers in October and I hope it’s a lot longer than 24 pages. We’re going to need more than a weekly manga’s length in the next JUMP SQ issue in order to sort through all of this!
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