Title: 陸上防衛隊まおちゃん (Mao-chan) Vol. 3
Artist/Author: RAN
Original Creator: 赤松健 (Ken Akamatsu)
Book Size/Pages: Small B-6, 200pp., w/furigana
Original Serialization: Monthly Shonen Magazine Special 8/03-3/04
First Printing: 4/16/04
Rating: 3/4

The cover doesn't look that impressive, although like before the artwork inside is superb. The stories are fun although some are just way too far-fetched. Again, these stories are independent of the anime and don't really follow a storyline.

Like the anime, there's a chapter in here with a Love Hina tie in. This time Keinosuke Urashima is featured as a suicidal exam flunkee who believes that no one cares about him, especially a girl named Nanasegawa. Pretty nice to see him again in manga form.

There are no color pages in any of the Mao-chan tanks, although there were color pages in the monthly magazine (I used to subscribe to Magazine Special and saved some of the color Mao-chan pages). There are two pages of character descriptions, especially with some aliens and AASS as well as a short paragraph from the author.

16. 借金返済大作戦です！！ (The Great Plan to Repay Debts): Yuriko and Chinami are working long hours to earn enough money to pay back their debts. They hear about this beauty contest and Chinami decides that Yuriko should enter. Yuriko makes it to the last round, but is ambushed by her opponent's cronies. So Chinami steps in for her and wins the competition (although the money still isn't enough).

17. 富士の樹海で大訓練です (Training at the Fuji Woodlands): Misora blames herself for their team getting lost in the woods. Since Sylvia drank all their water, so goes out to find some more. In the woods she finds a troubled boy about to commit suicide because he can't getting to Tokyo U. He fails in his 14th attempt at death so he has a talk with Sylvia. Misora feels better and gets reunited while that boy receives messages from girls named Nanasegawa and Motoka telling him to come home.

18. 大事な大事な仲間です (Very Treasured Friends): Mi-kun has been equipped with a super gun. However, Mao doesn't like it and Mi-kun runs away and joins the bad dogs gang as they cause trouble and steal dog food. One of the dogs points out that Mi-kun has a ribbon, the ribbon Mao gave him the first time they met. During an alien "attack" when both Sylvia and Misora are decommissioned, Mi-kun comes back but doesn't use his gun as he knows Mao would disapprove. Turns out that the tank himself wanted the upgrade for Mao's sake. The next day he's restored back to normal.

19. SL旅行を防衛です (Protect the Vacation by Train): Mao and gang are on a train which turns out to be an alien. They try to figure out how to stop it but can't. They manage to detach the passenger cars, but Mao doesn't make it and is carried off into space. As Japan weeps for her, she comes back. She managed to tame the alien locomotive by giving it sweet potatoes.

20. タイヤキたべて防衛です (Protect and Eat Taiyaki): Mao can't finish her carrots and so her grandpa tells her not to come home until she does. After school, Sylvia takes them on a quick trip to Sapporo for some Taiyaki. Aliens attack (Chinami and Yuriko are there). The girls don't want to make an appearance since their grandpas would find out they had snuck out. However, they defeat the alien and get commended rather than berated.

21. 防衛隊、最大の危機 (The Largest Crisis for the Defense Force): The Defense Force has been replaced by the 3 members of AASS (Anti-Alien Special Soldier). They have a month full of successful victories over aliens which puts them in favor with the public. At the end, Mao hands over her clover to Haru, the head of AASS. However, Yuriko is curious to all these invasions as she didn't know about them. Turns out that those "aliens" were just costumes and the victories were for show.

22. あなたが真のヒーローです (You Are The True Hero): In order to help Mao, Yuriko summons some real aliens that she hopes only Mao and gang can defeat. The aliens cause a lot of chaos in the city. Haru tries to attack, but gets tossed back. Mao finds him and shows him how much she cares for Japan, even if it means protecting a little sprout. He defeats the aliens, but gives the credit to Mao.

23. 博物館を防衛です (Protect the Museum): Chinami and Yuriko believe they have received a message from the alien boss telling them that he's coming and they better have something to show him. So the two cat girls plan to steal Japan's oldest treasure. The Defense Force is prepared, but the two girls snag it. They almost make a clean getaway until Mao shows up. Yuriko accidentally drops the artifact and just then the alien ship lands. Turns out that the boss is just another alien. Since he looks a lot like the broken artifact, he gets returned to the museum in lieu.

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