There’s bound to be an infinite amount of possibilities and ideas when it comes to the types of aliens that can be imagined. And when it comes to how these aliens are perceived, one can guess that it varies from place to place. In America, aliens are mostly seen as green or gray men that constantly threaten the globe. As for Japan, aliens are bound to be perceived as just as attractive as Earth’s most gorgeous and handsome models. (I mean, we’ve all read Urusei Yatsura, and Lum is a goddess amongst alien beings!)

Which brings me to the fourth volume of COSMOS. Half of this volume is focused on aliens who run a host club. Not only are the handsome men working the club not of this earth, but neither are some of its patrons. However, just as most host clubs in Kabukicho are, there are a lot of shady things that are going down, which is why Kaede and Cosmos need to infiltrate it.

What occurs is pretty much what you’d expect if you know your host club knowledge. (And no, simply reading Ouran High School Host Club will teach you jack squat!) The alien hosts are swindling money from the patrons, as they attempt to convince them to better their lives by draining their wallets. But unlike the human host clubs, they have a special doctor that can wipe the memories of customers, making them forget that they’ve spent hundreds of thousands on the attention of hot men.

It’s a fun little storyline, and it has some great fighting moments from Homura, who make the slimier people behind the scam pay with their broken bodies. With that being said, I can’t help but feel like there’s a lack of a moral or lesson in this story that could’ve wrapped things up nicely. Sure, there’s a good twist concerning the woman the main host was attempting to trick. But perhaps there’s not supposed to be a moral, as the life of hosts is filled with new suckers born every moment.

Then there are the two stories that bookend this one. Kaede’s younger sister, Sakura, starts a new school, where her classmates may or may not be aliens. However, even if there are big differences running through the student body, Sakura has a knack for making friends and getting people to join her new music club. One of the new members is Gen Genda, whose sketchy looks overshadow his kind personality. (Sucks at playing the trumpet, though!)

The volume ends with what is shaping to be the big story of COSMOS: the Pied Piper. In order to gain info to take them down, the team needs to talk to Rona, who was not only Prisoner Zero in his cell but was a founding member of the Cosmos organization! He’s also got a knack for predicting events, which may come in handy when it comes to dealing with the Pied Piper. Of course, this volume doesn’t allow us to see how this mission goes down; only how it merely begins.

COSMOS’s fourth volume has a good standalone story, while giving off some good lore and progress with the main narrative. However, considering that we’re still in the early stages of COSMOS, one can guess that the Pied Piper may actually be a smaller piece of a more complicated puzzle. (Then again, Hard-Boiled Cop and Dolphin, Ryuhei Tamura’s last series, ended at just five volumes, so we’ll see how long this one goes!) Still, with space being infinite, one hopes that Tamura will deliver with some unique aliens and invaders as the series moves forward.

Promotional consideration provided by Chantelle Sturt of VIZ Media. Click here to read past reviews of COSMOS!