Kamatani Yuhki has only done two works to date, this Nabari no Ou, and a single volume work titled Liberamente. Nabari no Ou was her debut work, and is still currently running after ten volumes. She maintains a blog, but bear in mind it’s all japanese.

About the manga

This series really is weird, just when you think you have a handle on it it turns into something else. Though I have to admit this does make it more appealing a read, since it keeps me on edge.

If I’m honest I didn’t think much of the cover design. It’s well drawn certainly, but for me it lacks oomph and power. It doesn’t say anything about the volume, or about the characters, it just is.

The colour panel on the inside however is pretty awesome. It has the major characters of this volume, they all look pretty cool (including the guy from the front cover), and it has a presence about it that gives it the oomph it needs.

The art is growing on me true, and at times I think the art really looks good. Some of the character designs are bloody awesome and fit the characters perfectly. Yet at other times I feel that Yuhki didn’t really put any effort into it.

While its certainly true that these tend to be support scenes, there are a lot of them. Also I found a few important scenes were like that as well, which was rather disappointing.

Out of the three volumes so far though I have to say Yoite and Miharu are definitely the best and most interesting characters of the series. Yoite because out of all the characters I feel his design and concept are the best and most fitting. Miharu’s is an okay design, but it really becomes awesome when he starts his play acting and gets chibified or comicy. Though that doesn’t happen much in this volume sadly.

However once again it’s the story that really makes this series so freaking awesome. I love it because there is no clearly defined good and bad guys, and this gets reinforced again this volume.

This time around the story takes some rather unexpected twists, that quite frankly I thought were intriguing, and definitely sparked my interest as to where things will go from here.

However even while coming out with the main story of the volume, we also get some hints into Miharu as well. And frankly I found those few panels to be more creepy than the rest of the volume put together, and most definitely the most interesting.

Since the hints about the secret art in him is more than everyone seems to think it is. I really look forward to seeing how this plays out and effects people.

The story this volume is rather short to be honest, since the vast majority of it is split between visual and impact. Setting up fight scenes, or revealing several rather large secrets. But very little in the way of actual story progression, though I got the impression the volume four will be very interesting, story wise.

Yen Press did a great job as usual, with this volume. A good smooth translation that flows well and doesn’t feel stilted or rewritten. The editing was done really well, with good placement of the text, and a great choice of fonts. Also, as with other volumes we get a set of translation notes, some of which are obvious, and some are just interesting (such as the world physics year).

After having read the three volumes I think it’s worth putting on my Essential Read List. It has all the elements a good manga needs, and while it does have it flaws, these are easily overlooked.

Where to Buy

• Brits: Play.com or Amazon UK
• Yanks: Borders or Amazon US
• Canadians: Chapters or Amazon CA

About the Mangaka

Kamatani Yuhki has only done two works to date, this Nabari no Ou, and a single volume work titled Liberamente. Nabari no Ou was her debut work, and is still currently running after ten volumes. She maintains a blog, but bear in mind it’s all japanese.

About the manga

I really loved this volume, mainly because we have a story here where there is no out and out good guy or bad guy scenario. I also love the way the various characters interact and grow, though I think to much has been revealed to fast, in some places.

The art for this has really grown on me as I’ve been reading it in the anthology. It fits the characters, and the airy light feel the characters get at times is really fitting, especially with Miharu.

I really liked the way the characters have been designed in this series, which I admit is a change from what I though in volume one. The truth is the characters, for the most part, feel more real, and look more human than I was expecting. Especially the head bad guy, he looks more like your average uncle more than the leader of the bad guys hehe.

The other aspect I really liked, was the comical and chibi use. Granted it has a stronger impact on me this volume since I’d just read two volumes of Goong where they’d been badly used. However I found the comic and chibi use in this volume to be awesome, and I couldn’t help but laugh over them.

It’s not all good art however, there are a few times  I found the art a bit weird. Though I think that was due more to the way it was used rather than it being bad. For example the character Yukimi, who looks after Yoite, his eyes really just feel out of place, much like his design in general. It doesn’t really fit with the other character designs.

But I sort of like these odd differences, they give the series that little something extra to set it apart from others.

Yoite is another with a rather unique feel, in both his character design and personality.

Where this series excels and really grabs you though is the story, which is totally mind blowing.

As I said in the beginning there is no real ‘bad’ or ‘good’ guy in this series. While the Grey Wolves were initially portrayed as the bad guys, in truth they’re revealed to be no different that the others. They all have the same objective, and in truth give the same orders to their men.

This really surprised me, and has really gotten me into the story. When there is a clearly defined set of sides it can get a bit uninteresting at times. However when you have a scenario like this, with no clear sides, it’s interesting to see how they go at it. Ultimately one side will be the bad guys, but it’s always fun trying to figure out the changing flows.

This volume clearly showed that perfectly, as a supposed enemy turns out to be something else. I was also impressed by the way we get information on both Yoite and Miharu’s personalities. These two are central characters, but because of the way they were set up in volume one it’s hard to easily reveal information and history without destroying the image we have of the characters

Yuhki does this really well, not only do we get some information, but we also get a glimpse into both Miharu and Yoite. The setting really has me on edge now waiting for the next volume, and I can’t wait to get my hands on it.

Yen Press return for another excellent volume, with no issues with the translation or the editing. Was thankful for a gutter free volume as well. As always I was impressed with the attention to detail that Yen give their releases, and this volume was no exception. Even little things such as browsers and phone call notices were translated.

Another awesome volume like this and ill be adding it to my Essential Read list!!

Where to Buy

• Brits: Play.com or Amazon UK
• Yanks: Borders or Amazon US
• Canadians: Chapters or Amazon CA

About the Mangaka

Kamatani Yuhki has only done two works to date, this Nabari no Ou, and a single volume work titled Liberamente. Nabari no Ou was her debut work, and is still currently running after ten volumes. She maintains a blog, but bear in mind it’s all japanese.

About the manga

I’ve been chopping and changing my mind over this series as I’ve read it in the anthology. Yet I find myself changing it once again while reading in tankobon format.

Reading the series in anthology format, and reading it in tankobon format give off completely different feelings. In the anthology form (as in reading it in Yen Plus) I found myself floating from liking the series, to apathy.

This is because of the way the story flows, we get chapters of fun or action, that really make you like the story. Then we get chapters of nothing, that really leave you wondering what it was you just read.

Reading it in it’s tankobon form however you come to realise that the chapters of nothingness are essential for breaking up and relaxing the series. Otherwise it would have become bog down by it’s own action scenes.

Art wise, I do tend to flip (yeah I’m really indecisive at times!!) again between liking and disliking it. The cover art, and the colour panel are amazing, and the cover really does show of Miharu’s apathy towards life in a great way.The colour page is equally stunning, but I’m biased as hell cause Raimei is in it

Sadly the art within the manga itself is rather inconsistent, and tends to go from great to awful. However I tend to be more forgiving since this is her first work.

My main issue with the art is the way she can draw really well one moment, but in a few panels it’s horrid. True some of these are done deliberately to emphasise the scene, but others I don’t know, they just look bad.

However where this series really grabs me is on the premise, flow, and consistency. Ninja stories have been done to death, but this time we have a different twist (or different for me at least). Taking a secret art and hiding it in someone is a interesting turn of events that really makes reading interesting.

I was especially happy with the characters, they were all well fleshed out and interesting. Miharu and Raimei are by far my favourite because their personalities are so well established. There are several twists in the plot that I really thought were awesome.

The twists and turns in this volume aren’t as interesting as what’s to come (naturally), but what we are treated to is a perfect stage setting volume. All of the characters are introduced in such a way you can’t help but like them.

The star of the series is of course Miharu, his apathy and devilry are on an epic scale. I just love the way he manipulates people to get them to do what he wants, or the way he changes suddenly.

The other aspect of the story that has really got me intrigued is the Shinra Banshou. While it’s hinted that secret arts are books of, well, secret techniques, that each village holds and guards. The shinra banshou however seems to be different, in that it’s sealed within a persons body (in this case Miharu), yet is also sentient and alive. Several time in this volume it’s hinted at.

Personally I can’t wait to see just how sentient it is, and whether the girl he see’s is the secret art, or someone from his past.

Yen Press did an excellent job on this, the translation is smooth and consistent, and while I’m not overly keen on their font choices for some of the text, the fonts they picked do fit. As always they leave all honorific’s intact, and include a glossary of japanese terms.

My only minor grievance this volume is on the acronym MEXT, it’s dropped on the reader with no explanation for it, leaving the reader having to hunt the glossary for it. It would have been nice to have it on the panel border, just to help the ease of reading and understanding.

As it stands right now I’d add this to my Essential Read list, however I want to wait for another volume or so to be published before I make my mind up fully. It is possible (and has happened in the past), that the story could take a nose dive. thankfully this is a series of average length (10 volumes), giving plenty of room for the series to grow and breath.

Where to Buy

• Brits: Play.com or Amazon UK
• Yanks: Borders or Amazon US
• Canadians: Chapters or Amazon CA