Many thanks to Yen Press for providing a review copy.
About the Mangaka
No real information available on Mikabe Sesuna sadly. If you have any please drop me a line.
About the Manga
I’m not really sure what to make of this series to be honest. On the one hand it has elements I really love in a series (not to mention a gothic lolita), but it also has all the bits I hate in a series as well.
I know this is a fantasy series, and I should treat it as such. However I like my fantasy to at least make a semblance of sense, which this series sadly doesn’t.
I’m guessing (or hoping) the how and why will be answered at some point, however I find the entire situation un-plausible, even for a fantasy series, it has to many holes in the plot hook.
The art of the series, is rough. It’s not bad, as some series have been. But it lacks the polish to make the art something special.
The cover design is disgusting, the green background with her hair is just horrid. The way her hair seems to be the same colour as her skin is equally a bit off, almost like she wasn’t caring about it. The other aspect of the cover I hate is the title font, it’s totally wrong.
Oddly, if the cover had had a different colour scheme to it, the font would have fit better I think.
Unfortunately the issues don’t stop there. Tena’s design is inconsistent throughout the volume, especially the way her face is drawn, it’s almost like she’s different people.
About the only thing consistent about her was her personality, which I have to admit I found funny at first. However as the volume went on I found it grating. I kept thinking of Louise from Zero’s Familiar, who has an almost exactly the same personality and treats the main male lead the same way. However the difference is in the atmosphere the characters build.
Tena sadly lacks atmosphere, completely, it’s nothing more than a book of pictures.
Hibiki is also annoying, but with him it’s because his personality changes from page to page. When we first meet him he’s rescuing a child, the next he’s being an arrogant sod that needs a swift kick, and that’s the way it goes through out the volume.
Either personality would have worked well in this setting, but the constant swapping between Mr Nice Guy, and Mr Bastard, destroys the setting.
Sadly the story makes even less sense. Granted, since this is the first volume Sesuna could have focused on setting up the characters, rather than the story. But I do find myself wondering over the way the story flows in this volume.
To much time is spent on Tena stabbing Hibiki, and frankly if I was him I would have turned her over and given her the spanking of her life, cause she needs it. Spoilt and arrogant are good personality hooks, but they’re taken to far in this volume for me.
However that doesn’t mean it’s a total was out, the concept alone is enough to keep me interested a few more volumes. And I’m hoping that the story will pick up soon and swoop me off my feet.
This was the first Yen Press titles in a while to have some really bad guttering issues, and even after only one read through the spine was damaged. And there was nothing wrong with the translation or editing as far as I could see.
Sadly, this doesn’t go on my Essential Read list, and barely avoids the Junk Heap, though who knows what future volumes will do to it.
Where to Buy
This volume is due for release 3rd August 2009
July 7, 2009 @ 06:02.
Of course you’ll have guttering issues with manga if you stick it in a rain gutter with rain.