Her Majesty’s Dog 3 by Mick Takeuchi: B-

From the back cover:
By necessity Amane Kamori lives a life of secrecy. The only ones who know the truth about her powers and Hyoue’s true form are her best friend Takako and her cousin Hayato. But when Amane’s desire to help others exposes her powers to a stranger, the high school shaman finds herself at the mercy of a manipulative and egotistical classmate. If Amane is the “slave” of this new “master,” does that make Hyoue his “super-slave”?!

Review:
To miquote Willow, “I think this book’s mostly filler.”

To be sure, it’s all pleasant enough filler, and I continue to like Amane, with her cool exterior and earnest faith in others, even when it leads her into trouble. I like her friend, Takako, too, but Hyoue still doesn’t do much for me. Each volume so far has had a spot near the end where Hyoue and Amane bicker and he vows not to help her, but always ends up doing so anyway. I suppose we’re supposed to be all, “Hyoue! Squee!” in those moments but I just find the squabbling odd, as it arises from the most inconsequential comments.

Anyway, this volume starts off with Hyoue acting strangely on account of gambling debts that he has amassed on behalf of some random old guys. Amane has amazing luck with dice, as it turns out, and saves the day. That’s… pretty much the extent of that chapter.

Next, they meet a jerky kid at school who is, of course, a teen celebrity. Usually they’re models, but this one’s an actor. This guy, named Aoi, lies all the time, is possessed by a female spirit, and has a great deal of angst. Amane, of course, gets through to him by believing in him and now there’s another person who knows her secret. Last volume, a big deal was made about Takako promising not to reveal it, et cetera, but now this other guy knows and it’s like it’s no big deal.

Lastly, a girl who’s been cast out of the Kamori clan sells her shamanic skills online until Amane puts a stop to her endeavors. Amane is capable of sympathizing with her, too, since the girl just needed a way to support herself away from the suffocating atmosphere of the village (which she left so she could indulge in her hobby of ogling pop stars), and somehow seems to convince her to give up cursing people with her powers of sincere speechifying.

And that’s pretty much it. Oh, except for a couple of panels in which it seems the Kamori clan sends someone after Amane to either return her to the village or kill her. Her cousin Hayato, who is utterly devoid of any kind of characterization, was briefly gone and came back, so I guess we’re meant to wonder whether it’s him or not, but he’s so dull I sincerely doubt it.