Crimson Hero 12 by Mitsuba Takanashi: B

December 17, 2009 by 3 Comments

crimsonhero12From the back cover:
With one of their ace players injured, Nobara and the Crimson Field girls must fight harder than ever. Their challenge is the Newcomers’ Tournament, and their performance in this venue will determine just how far the team can go. But Nobara’s distracted when she learns that one of her not-so-secret admirers seeks to crush Yushin and destroy the boys’ team!

Review:
The girls’ team has done fairly well in the Newcomers’ Tournament, but losing Tomo to injury means they’ve got to hurriedly train a stand-in just to have the minimum number of members required to play. Meanwhile, when Nobara is injured during one of those “locked in the gym storage room” scenes followed by a “creepy stalker tries to corrupt me but I’m protected by my virtuous true love” rescue, this puts them at enough of a disadvantage that they end up finishing in 13th place, though they’re not entirely out of the running as far as their dream of reaching the Spring Tournament goes.

Despite the fact that the finals round of a tournament is underway, most of the volume actually centers on the love triangle of the series. Haibuki’s solicitude after Nobara’s incident with the stalkery guy makes her feel even more guilty for not telling him about her proto-relationship with Yushin, and she begins to think it wouldn’t be so bad if he knew. Yushin decides to handle things himself and, after the boys win their tournament and Haibuki both compliments Yushin on his captainship and the team on their general awesomeness, Yushin judges that the time is right.

I’ve never really liked Haibuki much, but the way he reacts to this news makes me want to smack him. I mean, nobody would react well to finding out they’ve been duped for months, but he plays the role of the wounded party to the hilt, moving out of the dorm in a huff and considering an offer to transfer to another school. I would’ve been more sympathetic, perhaps, if Takanashi-sensei hadn’t depicted him so woodenly during crucial scenes; an opportunity to really make us feel the horrible pain of betrayal was squandered there. Still, even had she done a better job, I still would’ve ended up hating him for immediately ringing up Tomo, whom he knows still has feelings for him. Don’t mess with her heart, you ass! I could get behind the storytelling decision to transition Haibuki into more of a villainous role, but I have a feeling we’re supposed to believe his actions are the result of profound heartbreak and not simply self-pity.

Crimson Hero may not be the best Shojo Beat has to offer, but I do still like it enough to want to follow the story, even if I can’t really get invested in the romantic plotline. I think I’d like it more if it were simply about Nobara and Yushin trying to strike a balance between loving each other and simultaneously pursuing their goals of volleyball greatness. If I’m lucky, Haibuki really will transfer out and leave the two of them alone, but I don’t think that’s very likely.

Review copy provided by the publisher.

Filed Under: Manga, Shoujo Tagged With: , ,

Butterflies, Flowers 1 by Yuki Yoshihara: B+

December 17, 2009 by Leave a Comment

butterfliesflowers1The Kuze family used to be rich, with a retinue of servants ready to cater to their every whim. The daughter of the family, Choko, grew up experiencing the tender care of the chauffeur’s son, whom she called Cha-chan. Alas, after her father’s investments all tanked in an economic downturn, the family was forced to dismiss their household staff and open a soba restaurant.

Thirteen years have passed since then and Choko, now twenty, has just been hired at a new job. Almost immediately, she’s handpicked to join the administrative department by its manager, Masayuki Domoto, who seems to delight in harassing her constantly. It’s only when a disgruntled, knife-wielding man conveniently arrives to threaten her life that Domoto slips and calls her “Milady,” thus revealing the truth: he is Cha-chan. Happily, Choko catches on right away and no tiresome cluelessness ensues.

From then on, Domoto switches between his two personalities—the stern taskmaster and the devoted servant—causing Choko to refer to him as “scary and indulgent.” He picks Choko up for work each morning, but treats her shabbily while she’s there, yet is always around to protect her, whether it’s from the lecherous advances of a drunken client or the massive New Year’s Eve crowds at the family restaurant. It doesn’t take her long to fall for him, and though she tells him so, he doesn’t understand her feelings at all. By the end of the volume, Choko has embraced more of a master role in order to help Domoto see her as an independent woman and not the little girl he helped to raise.

Technically, Butterflies, Flowers is josei, but so far, it doesn’t feel much different from other romantic comedy titles in the Shojo Beat line. It’s a tad racier, with references to sex and some profanity, but one could find that in shojo properties without much effort. I’m sure many will read and enjoy it without being aware of any distinction concerning its origins.

Choko is an okay character: your typical cheerful, clumsy, hardworking type. Because of her sheltered upbringing, she sometimes comes across as incompetent and experiences chibified shock quite often. I like her the best when she switches into aristocratic mode and takes charge of the situation, be it bullying Domoto into seeing a doctor when he falls ill or deciding that even if he can’t grasp that her feelings for him are real, she’s going to keep on demanding his affection until he catches on. Domoto himself is an extremely difficult character to figure out—which one is the real him?—but some of the nicest moments occur when he’s flustered by Choko and shows his more vulnerable side.

Overall, this series is a lot of fun, though definitely lighter fare than I’d been expecting. Still, I like the characters and, even more, I’m intrigued by the new power dynamic emerging in the final few pages. I’ll definitely be back for volume two!

Review copy provided by the publisher. Review originally published at Manga Recon.

Filed Under: Josei, Manga Tagged With: ,

Honey and Clover 8 by Chica Umino: A

December 17, 2009 by Leave a Comment

honeyclover8After an excellent seventh volume focusing primarily on Takemoto and his journey of self-discovery, Chica Umino replicates the feat with another fantastic installment, this one centering on Yamada and the choice she faces: continue to torture herself by working alongside the long-time object of her affections, Mayama, and the woman he loves or accept the chance to move on presented by Nomiya, Mayama’s coworker.

It’s so very easy to sympathize with Yamada here as she vacillates between anguish over and tearful acceptance of the palpable shift in Mayama and Rika’s relationship. Though she recognizes she has no chance, it’s still difficult to let go of her feelings. Not only did she think she could prove her love was strong by persisting for so long, it also kept her safe from fresh heartbreak. Now, she must finally admit to herself that such a gesture is meaningless, as she takes the first tentative steps toward opening herself up to new possibilities.

Powerful moments aren’t lacking in the other characters’ lives, either. In Mayama’s interactions with Rika we glimpse a far more emotional side of him than we’ve ever seen before, and though elements of one particularly poignant scene are rather unfortunately ambiguous, it’s still nothing short of riveting. I’m also growing quite fond of Nomiya, whose carefully crafted demeanor of cool is shattered by the strength of his feelings for Yamada.

All in all, this is an exceedingly strong volume of a series that is just getting better and better as it approaches its conclusion.

Review copy provided by the publisher. Review originally published at Manga Recon.

Filed Under: Josei, Manga Tagged With: ,

Kaze Hikaru 6-8 by Taeko Watanabe: A-

December 12, 2009 by 1 Comment

kaze6Even though I’ve enjoyed the earlier volumes of Kaze Hikaru, it is these three volumes—which expertly combine romance, humor, character development, and historical events (with exciting bits of foreshadowing)—that have secured my undying love for the series.

We begin in the summer of 1864. The Shinsengumi is waiting for the Bakufu government to take a stand regarding exclusionism and is growing frustrated with the hesitant leadership. Instead of protecting the shogun, they’re being used to round up members of the radical Choshu clan. At one point, we see Vice Captain Hijikata torturing one of these fellows for information. I love that Watanabe-sensei doesn’t shy away from depicting these characters doing unheroic things (although I do weary of Sei objecting every time and showing no deference to authority) while managing to make them sympathetic anyway; it’s not as if Hijikata enjoys torturing someone, but he takes up the role of the hardass villain so that beloved Captain Kondo doesn’t have to.

The intelligence obtained by the torture indicates the Choshu clan will be gathering at an inn called Ikedaya to discuss an attack on Kyoto, which leads into one of the most awesome scenes in the series so far. Sei and Okita head out into battle together, and when he appears to’ve been killed, she is transfigured by fury and turns into quite a competent fighter. Further awesomeness occurs when, after seeing Okita safely to the infirmary, she doesn’t linger by his side but instead leaves him to return to the fray where her brothers are still fighting. It’s wonderful to see Sei so thoroughly exhibiting the qualities of a bushi, and I also love how much the Ikedaya incident will continue to influence the story from here on out.

kaze7One consequence of Sei’s impressive performance at the Ikedaya is that Captain Kondo wants to adopt her as his heir, an honor Sei must decline on account of her gender but without giving either a full explanation or offense. She wonders why Okita, who has essentially been raised by Kondo since the age of nine, isn’t the heir, and it is revealed that Okita has vowed to commit seppuku when Kondo dies. This explains a lot about Okita and his undying devotion to Kondo (further fleshed out in volume eight), and appearance of maintaining a carefree life. He can’t think about things like love, even though it appears at one point that he has begun to see Sei as something other than a child, because his life is not truly his to do with as he wishes. What a great reason for keeping two leads apart!

Meanwhile, two members of the Shinsengumi, Vice Captain Yamanami and Assistant Vice Captain Todo, receive a lot of attention in these volumes. Yamanami wasn’t able to participate in the Ikedaya incident due to illness, so he doesn’t receive the bonus pay that some men get and proceed to spend on whores. They feel sorry for him and lend him some money, and when he goes to the red light district, he meets Akesato, the lady with whom Sei stays three days a month while menstruation is in progress. Yamanami is a simple and kind fellow, and he and Akesato end up falling in love, but he’s reluctant to pursue it because it’d be a betrayal of his friend. Akesato finally admits Sei’s secret, so that makes two members of the Shinsengumi who know it now.

kaze8This development of Yamanami makes sense when, after a huge battle (Kinmon no Hen) ravages the city with fire, he and Todo (the sick members of the group who’ve been left behind to guard headquarters) think to head over to the nearby prison to help with evacuation. When they arrive, they find the magistrate in the act of murdering the prisoners rather than release them and react with hostility to his actions. While they await being sentenced to seppuku for their disrespect, Todo seeks out the source of rumors that the Shinsengumi was responsible for the atrocity and ends up falling in love with a prostitute. I guess no proper ladies want anything to do with these rowdy fellows.

I really don’t have any complaints. The historical moments are positively riveting, and though the slice-of-life aspects are understandably less so, they’re still quite good. I am kind of sad, though, that Okita’s backstory includes a scene where he runs into Sei as a child. What a shojo trope that is; I’m always kind of annoyed wherever it turns up, even when it’s in a great series like this one. And, make no mistake, it is great.

Filed Under: Gender Hijinks, Historical Fiction, Manga, Shoujo Tagged With: ,

Black Cat 6-8 by Kentaro Yabuki: B

December 9, 2009 by 1 Comment

blackcat6Black Cat is the story of Train Heartnet, who used to be an assassin with a group known as Chronos but has left that life behind to become a bounty hunter (Sweeper). He travels about with his gizmo-making partner Sven and Eve, a young girl/weapon, trying to life as free and peaceful a life as possible while nabbing wanted criminals. Of course, his past just won’t leave him be and he’s been approached both by Chronos and their adversaries, the Apostles of the Stars, to get involved in their conflict.

In volume six, the gunman of the Apostles of the Stars grows impatient with the plans of his leader, Creed, and decides to challenge Train. He hurts Eve as a way to lure Train out, and it’s nice to see Train be furious for a while as he and the other gunman battle it out. Afterwards, Sven tries to leave Eve behind but he’s miserable without her and Train covertly engineers a reunion.

blackcat7Volume seven introduces Jenos, another of Chronos’ Numbers (an elite group of assassins), whose job is to recruit Rinslet (a thief and occasional ally of Train’s) for information-gathering purposes. While Train and friends encounter a string of various small fry—he tells Sven that he knows Creed’s going to challenge him again one day, but until that time he’s going to carry on his Sweeper work—and help a kid whose desire for revenge sparks memories of Train’s own past, the plot with Jenos and Rinslet ramps up and they seem poised to work together.

While each volume has featured its fair share of fighting, volume eight, which introduces still more of the Numbers, has perhaps the most, as Rinslet and a team of Numbers find their way/are lured to Creed’s hideout and must make their way past his minions in order to get to the man in charge. It’s kind of weird that the series’ protagonist is absent for such a long stretch, and I think I’d like this plot better if Rinslet wasn’t so obnoxious to the Chronos commander. In any case, the volume ends on a cliffhanger just as Train is about to enter the fray. In place of a final chapter is a bonus story called “Stray Cat,” which was a trial version of the series.

blackcat8Black Cat is a lot of fun in general, and my complaints about it are few. It’s to be expected that a shounen series would involve a lot of fighting, so I don’t consider that a flaw whatsoever, even if such chapters don’t afford a reviewer much to say except “the art is clean in action scenes.” The big issue is the overarching plot. It’s not difficult to understand or anything—Chronos and Creed are at odds and they both want Train on their side—but I don’t really care about it much. More, I’m enjoying the series on a purely volume-to-volume basis and while characters’ actions are propelled by this plot, it’s not as if I’m particularly invested in its resolution or anything. The real strength of the series is the camaraderie between Train and his team, and it’s for those interactions that I truly stick around.

That said, there is something nice in knowing that Black Cat wraps up in only 20 volumes. “Only?” you might scoff, but that’s actually rather short for a Shonen Jump series. With endearing characters, enjoyable action, and the promise of a story that will resolve without (hopefully) dragging on so long you no longer care, Black Cat is definitely a series worth checking out.

Filed Under: Manga, Shounen Tagged With: ,

Tsubasa: Those with Wings 3 by Natsuki Takaya: B-

December 7, 2009 by Leave a Comment

tsubasawings3After a disappointing start and lackluster middle, Natsuki Takaya finally delivers a mostly satisfying conclusion in this, the final volume of Tsubasa: Those with Wings.

We begin with Kotobuki and friends (sans Raimon, who is prohibited from leaving the country by a bomb in his brain) in Japan, where they conveniently meet the Tsubasa’s creator and learn the secrets of its origin. After several tedious chapters featuring characters sitting around and talking, the plot picks up when Raimon is captured by the army. Kotobuki wants to rescue him but lacks confidence so Rikuro, a mysterious boy who has helped her on a few occasions, shows up and replays Raimon’s past for her so that she can see how much she has helped him already. Painful backstories are Takaya-sensei’s forte, and Raimon’s proves to be unexpectedly touching.

From there, the story morphs into an enjoyable sci-fi action tale, with Kotobuki making her way through a sprawling military complex to rescue her love and ultimately facing off against the big villain (who, of course, has angst of his own). Along the way, she lends encouragement to allies and enemies alike, showing a profound resemblance to Tohru Honda from Fruits Basket. Indeed, this quote about Kotobuki could easy apply to Tohru, as well:

She isn’t supposed to have the time to be worrying about anyone else right now. Still… her foolishness somehow always winds up becoming much-needed support for someone else.

Coming back to the same themes and character types might, in some creators’ hands, feel like uninspired regurgitation, but with Takaya it feels more like someone playing with and fine-tuning ideas. If nothing else, Tsubasa: Those with Wings is interesting as a milestone on the way to a greater work.

Review copy provided by the publisher. Review originally published at Manga Recon.

Filed Under: Fantasy, Manga, Shoujo Tagged With: ,

Honey and Clover 7 by Chica Umino: A

December 6, 2009 by 6 Comments

honeyclover7From the back cover:
Takemoto’s journey across Japan continues, and though he’s sleeping in empty lots and subsisting on convenience store food, he seems to be getting closer to understanding what made him ride away from school and his friends. But with his money running out and his bike on its last legs, will he have to give up on his quest before he finds what he’s looking for?

Review:
Comedic antics can sometimes overshadow the thoughtful depiction of young adulthood in Honey and Clover, but then a volume like this comes along, full to the brim with gentle metaphor and universal observations, and I realize anew just how great this series is.

The spotlight in this volume is pretty evenly shared by Takemoto and Hagu, each of whom is trying, in their own way, to work out what it is they want from life. Takemoto’s journey has taken him to a tourist town, which takes him by surprise, as he realizes he was so obsessed with how far he could get that he hadn’t actually been paying any attention to the scenery. This parallels his predicament at art school, where he was constantly comparing himself to others and had no clue what he wanted for himself.

After a stint with a temple-restoration group—with whom he’s tempted to remain because the feeling of usefulness banishes his doubts and insecurities quite effectively—he continues on to the northernmost point in Japan, this time paying a lot more attention to the world around him. It’s easy to see how valuable the experience has been for him, and when he finally returns to school, though he claims he didn’t find any big answers on his journey, he’s clearly a more relaxed and confident person than he was when he left. I love how Umino portrays his growth with subtlety; it’s evident in simply his expressions that he’s not the same Takemoto that he was before.

Hagu, meanwhile, is tasked with running a summer art course for kids. Most of her students are appropriately child-like and able to have fun with it, but one boy, who’s under a lot of self-imposed pressure to succeed academically, asks Hagu for pointers on how to win a prize, believing this will give him a boost towards getting into a prestigious middle school. Various people have given Hagu advice lately on what to do to win certain competitions, but she realizes that when she sets a certain target like that, she loses all ability to paint freely and spontaneously. In talking to this kid, they both have a kind of catharsis and help each other find the simple beauty in art again.

It’s no exaggeration to say this volume made me teary twice, when each of these characters finally figured out what it was they needed to do to remain true to themselves and find happiness. I also liked that this volume has very little to do with romance, despite the fact that Takemoto realizes the purpose of his journey was to figure out just how much the life (and people) he was leaving behind meant to him. Both of the series’ two love triangles do get touched on a bit, but now it feels like they’re really ready to be addressed in the final few volumes, as Takemoto is finally in shape to be a viable contender for Hagu’s heart.

Filed Under: Josei, Manga Tagged With: ,

Very! Very! Sweet 5 by JiSang Shin and Geo: B+

November 30, 2009 by Leave a Comment

veryverysweet5Be-Ri thought she’d been doing a good job hiding the fact that she is in love with her sister’s boyfriend, San-Ne. After he humiliates her by revealing he’s known all along, she seeks out a relationship where she won’t get hurt and agrees to date her ardent admirer, Mi-Hyuk, for whom she feels nothing. Japanese transplant Tsuyoshi, who has formed a friendship with Be-Ri, is unexpectedly bothered to see her with another guy and tries various ways to convince her to break it off, short of actually confessing his own feelings.

Very! Very! Sweet is a really interesting series. There are always parts of each volume that I’m not too fond of—usually these involve the clingy Mi-Hyuk or Erica, Tsuyoshi’s ex-girlfriend who will not accept that things are over between them—but there are many great scenes and surprisingly complex conversations throughout, as well. I once described the romantic entanglements in this series as a “love polygon,” and that still holds true, but lately an emphasis on the fleeting nature of human feelings has introduced a melancholy element to the series that I like very much.

I’m also impressed by how much character development the leads have received. Tsuyoshi was initially a spoiled brat, but has embraced the move to Korea as an opportunity for change and has almost entirely left his old persona behind. Be-Ri, meanwhile, has begun to question whether she liked San-Ne for the right reasons and, though her earnest attempt to develop feelings for Mi-Hyuk is bound to end in failure, she is at least attempting to move on from unrequited infatuation.

All in all, Very! Very! Sweet is a series that has improved as it has progressed. I definitely recommend it.

Review copy provided by the publisher. Review originally published at Manga Recon.

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Very! Very! Sweet 4 by JiSang Shin and Geo: B

November 28, 2009 by 2 Comments

veryverysweet4From the back cover:
Tsuyoshi and Be-Ri’s charade has Grandfather convinced, but it’s just a bit too convincing for Erica and Mu-Hyuk. Forming a coalition of their own, the pair is determined to prevent Tsuyoshi and Be-Ri from becoming anything more than business partners. Meanwhile, Gyu-Ri and San-Ne are on the rocks as Gyu-Ri’s unfaithfulness becomes increasingly apparent. Be-Ri watches their relationship crumble before her eyes, her heart filled with concern for the suffering San-Ne. It could be an opportunity to make her move, but as much as she cares for him, does she really want her true feelings out in the open at a time like this?

Review:
In order to appease Tsuyoshi’s visiting grandfather, Tsuyoshi is pretending that he’s found a nice Korean girlfriend in Be-Ri. The two parties concerned see this as a business partnership (he’s promised her a swanky cat tower for her cooperation), but their respective stalkers (Erica and Mu-Hyuk) are determined not to allow them any alone time together. Their plan backfires, however, because Tsuyoshi and Be-Ri happen to be neighbors and when Tsuyoshi’s beloved cat accidentally eats a hanging decoration and must be rushed to the vet, it’s Be-Ri that he turns to for help. Later, amidst some family drama concerning Be-Ri’s sister and her boyfriend, the two run into each other again while taking out the trash and Tsuyoshi refuses to leave her alone to cry.

The moments between the two leads are my favorites in this volume, and are good enough that I nearly forget how much I dislike Erica. Thankfully, Tsuyoshi seems to agree with me, because he tells her they should end things for good. If only I could believe she’d just give up and go home. Some of the subplots that have been percolating near the surface also get a lot of attention in this volume. Be-Ri’s sister, Gyu-Ri, has been attracted to Tsuyoshi’s uncle, Ito, ever since his arrival. Lately, she’s been hanging out with him and making cryptic remarks to her boyfriend, San-Ne, about how one’s feelings can change imperceptibly. Their conversations are fascinating, and after Gyu-Ri consoles a drunken Ito, who has just learned some (unfortunately confusing) family secrets, Be-Ri encounters a drunken San-Ne, who is heartbroken and tries to put the moves on her, admitting that he’s known about her feelings for him all along and making her feel like a fool. All of this makes for a lot of awesome drama!

If only Erica were gone, the family secrets made more sense, and Be-Ri’s argumentative grandmother hadn’t shown up, I would’ve given this volume a higher grade. I really like the chemistry between Be-Ri and Tsuyoshi, especially how they’re forming a friendship before anything else. Too, this story stands out because of its portrayal of the perils of cat ownership. Previously feline leukemia has been discussed and we’ve seen Be-Ri scooping the litter box. This time it’s about kitty’s inability to resist the temptation of tasty-looking inanimate objects. As someone who once rushed a cat to the vet for eating a wad of tape, this situation definitely rings true. Plus, how could I dislike a boy who cries when his beloved pet is in pain? It’s impossible, I tell you.

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From Far Away 1-5 by Kyoko Hikawa: A-

November 26, 2009 by 8 Comments

fromfar1When I recently solicited opinions about which of several shoujo fantasies I should read, respondents were clearly in favor of From Far Away and left enticing comments about its charms as well as their abiding love for it. Because of its length (fourteen volumes), I’ve decided to tackle it in chunks. Here’s the first installment; others will follow soon!

This is the story of Noriko Tachiki, an ordinary schoolgirl who is suddenly transported to another world. The residents there believe in the legend of The Awakening, a being who will come to awaken and control the Sky Demon, a powerful monster sought after by the various countries in the world. Izark Kia Tarj, a traveling warrior whose parents struck up a bargain to raise him until he becomes the Sky Demon, goes to the area where The Awakening is due to appear, intent on killing it, but when he finds it to be an innocent girl with absolutely no knowledge of her significance, he ends up helping her elude monsters as well as those who would wish to capture her. She accompanies him on his travels, and on the way they help the downtrodden with their problems, be they bands of thieves, monsters, or corrupt government officials. As Noriko and Izark spend more time together, the connection between them deepens, but too much togetherness also accelerates Izark’s transformation.

Stories where schoolgirls are mysteriously conveyed to other lands aren’t exactly rare in the land of manga. I bet you can think of several without even trying. What sets From Far Away apart is two things: likable characters and storytelling skill.

fromfar4Noriko may think she’s an ordinary girl, but compared to other shoujo heroines in her position, she’s a marvel. She can get shaken and upset, true, but she manages to do so without ever being whiny. In fact, shedding tears causes her shame, and she tries hard to be brave and useful. One of the best examples of her maturity comes when Izark seeks to leave her with a trusted friend, Gaya. Even though she feels insecure without him around, Noriko does not throw a hissy fit. Instead, she thanks him properly for all that he has done for her and only once he has gone does she break down. Izark is interesting, too. He’s got a complex about being regarded as a monster by his own family, and Noriko’s worry and care over him affects him greatly. (If you just thought of Kyo and Tohru from Fruits Basket, I assure you you’re not alone.) Eventually, he finds himself becoming attached to her and it’s really wonderful when he begins to initiate the post-danger relief hugs that Noriko had been trying to restrain, believing that he didn’t like it when she did that. Usually badass heroes with this much angst aren’t known for being demonstrative.

The supporting cast is pretty great, too. I love that this is not one of those series where all of the good guys are attractive. As Izark and Noriko travel and help people, they begin to amass a band of allies, among whom are a few bishounen but also some different character types. Barago, a guy Izark was forced to fight in an arena, is big and burly with a receding hairline and I was really happy when he ended up tagging along. Gaya is not pretty and has a rather matronly figure, but is nonetheless acknowledged as a skilled warrior in her own right. She’s also kind-hearted, and watching her girlishly dash about after Izark in a chapter detailing their first meeting somehow begins to make her seem more feminine. A perfect happy ending would have Barago and Gaya get together.

fromfar5 As far as storytelling goes, there are a number of things that make From Far Away unique. Foremost is the fact that Noriko is not instantly able to understand Izark’s language when she first meets him. Early volumes, therefore, rely a good deal on non-verbal storytelling, which is something I always love a great deal. It’s not until the third volume, after making a concerted effort to learn the language, that she is really able to make herself understood and able to pick up the gist of what’s being said around her (like the fact that she may be this Awakening thing everyone’s talking about.) Secondly, though the story essentially progresses in an episodic manner, each scenario is used to achieve important character moments. The more Izark uses his powers, for example, the more danger he faces of transforming into a monster. Things come to a head at the end of the fifth volume and if you’re going to read this in chunks like I’m doing, I advise you to try to get that far before pausing. It’s definitely worth it.

The only real complaint I could make about the storytelling is that sometimes, when a few things are going on at once, it’s possible to become a little lost in terms of chronology. As an unrelated complaint, the VIZ edition sometimes translates the sound effects in silly ways. “Shazam” is a particular favorite.

With so many countries out to obtain the Awakening, as well as the sense of foreboding concerning Noriko’s potential to turn Izark into a destructive beast, it seems likely the plot will become even more dark and complex as it goes along. Right now, Noriko is easy to like and sympathize with, but I suspect I shall like the story even more when she’s experiencing some genuine anguish. While I do earnestly wish for a happy ending for all, a little pain along the way will only make it that much better.

Thanks, again, to all who recommended this series to me! Reviews of the remaining volumes are forthcoming!

Filed Under: Fantasy, Manga, Shoujo Tagged With:
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