As I made it clear in my review of its first volume, Super Psychic Policeman Chojo has a leading man problem. Despite him being the title character, Chojo lacks the pizzazz to be considered any lead role, let alone a Shonen Jump one! In fact, it’s Chojo’s partners, Nao and Cop-Bot, who constantly steal the spotlight from our so-called “hero”. So does this leading man problem find a way to reverse itself in its second volume? Well…kinda.

For the most part, Volume Two of Super Psychic Policeman Chojo still places a focus on other characters rather than Chojo himself. With that being said, the stories revolve around Chojo in one way or another. Case in point, Nao, Chojo’s former partner Yuki, and high schooler Lily set out to find out who “Chihiro” is, and who they are to Chojo. It’s a fun little mystery, with the “Chihiro” reveal surprisingly paying off in the end.

Another example involves a new character: Heisuke Ban, a middle school student who wants to learn a psychic power from Chojo. His intentions are not the least bit good, with hints of using them for reasons that would only be suitable for a comic book that’s sold in a shrink-wrapped cover. Be that as it may, when Chojo shows how he uses his powers for good rather than perverted deeds, the titular character earns a bit of respect from his peers and Ban. Still, that doesn’t keep Ban from wanting to use psychic powers for all of the wrong reasons!

Even though respect for Chojo is earned here, he loses it quickly when he’s swindled by a local fortune teller. With the aid of just about every character that’s been introduced up to this point, Chojo and the gang solve the mystery of how this fortune teller was able to trick our protagonists in more ways than one. The story not only delivers with some good laughs, but how the villain stumped Chojo initially is surprisingly clever!

Speaking of clever, a big highlight in this volume of Super Psychic Policeman Chojo involves a convenience store mystery. Chojo, Nao, and Cop-Bot find themselves working at a 7/11-ish store in order to catch a thief. But in Kevin Smith fashion, we see why there’s no greater Hell than working in retail, with the multitude of tasks they have to do as a sales clerk being more than any human or robot can handle. (I’ll admit: I had Vietnam War-like flashbacks reading this chapter, due in part to my 20+ year history working at a local CVS!)

However, it’s not until the last two chapters in this volume where Chojo actually shines as a leading man. Due to his unpopularity, Chojo is forced to wear a helmet when he goes on cases. It results in him going full-blown Ultraman with his disguise, as it causes his new identity to skyrocket. Not only is it a great story with hilarious twists here and there, but it’s also a terrific love letter to the tokusatsu genre as a whole.

Although Super Psychic Policeman Chojo still has a leading protagonist issue, Volume Two shows signs of that issue being cleared up in the future. While there are still too many moments where Chojo’s not in the spotlight, the stories that still somewhat surround him still are entertaining. And when the manga allows him to actually play the hero, he does so in ways that actually help him earn the right to be in the pages of Shonen Jump. Maybe next time, Super Psychic Policeman Chojo will let our hero be fully in charge, in a manner that won’t cause a monkey’s paw to curl a finger eerily.

Promotional consideration provided by Chantelle Sturt of VIZ Media.