The standout chapter in Vol 4 (Chapter 27: “The Gift That Keeps on Taking�) features Hotaru pulling a con on another con artist. A low-level scammer tries to sell her fake “exit plans� for criminals. Instead of turning him in, she spends 20 pages systematically dismantling his entire operation—reimbursing his victims, framing him for a crime he didn’t commit, and then offering him a job.

For those who have been following the cat-and-mouse game of Hotaru—a genius con artist with a heart as cold as her calculations are precise—this volume has been teased as the "point of no return." But does it live up to the hype? Does it swindle its own readers into a false sense of security? Let’s peel back the mask.

(also known as Shin Damashiya Honpo: Hotaru 4 ) requires an understanding of the plot and the series' specific genre. This Japanese film series follows a private investigator who targets swindlers that prey on women.