About the Mangaka
Tateno Makoto, also uses the penname Shinjuku Tango, is best known for two titles Yellow and Happy Boys. A number of her titles have been translated into English, including King of Cards, Hate to Love You, Omen, Red Angel, 9th Sleep, Hero Heel, Ka Shin Fu, Steal Moon, and Yellow.
About the Manga
If you buy only one volume of manga this month buy this one!! Of all the volumes I’ve read this month this one is by far the best, and has the highest re-readability, I’ve re-read mine now over thirty times and I still love it!!.
This was a pure impulse buy, I was flicking through previews and something about the title appealed to me. Thankfully there were no pictures otherwise I have to admit the cover would have put me off (I order online through a 86th Floor).
As I said the cover would have put me off, and even now I find myself cringing a bit, a shocking pink it almost hurts the eyes to look at it.
However, the old saying “Don’t judge a book by it’s cover” is so true with this volume.
Tateno’s art in this volumes is decidedly Yaoi at times, but I found I loved everything about the art. The settings and scenery have been well extremely well drawn, and the character designs are simply amazing.
Sowil (our hero) has a feminine touch to him, but thankfully it doesn’t go overboard as happens a lot in Yaoi. In other words it’s easy to always see him as a guy. He’s not quite bishonen, though he’s close to it. Rather his design is more of a ‘cool’ guy style.
Character wise it’s impossible not to like him, he does everything a hero should do. He’s got the tragic past, all important quest, but also the all important character flaw. Reading the volume I really got into him as a character, and found him to be very well fleshed out and developed from the outset.
However for me, it’s he twins that make this series so enjoyable. It’s just simple little things that make them so adorable, tripping in unison for example. When I saw that I couldn’t help buy giggle over it and also feel sorry for them.
They give Sowil an element that he would otherwise be without, a subtle form of humour to relieve the tension.
The twins are without a doubt my favourite characters in the volume, and I can’t help but want them to be the leads. Allu is an oracle who hears the voice of the Demons where as Eru hears the voice of the Angels.
This leads to some rather funny turns of events, and proves a point, never ask either an angel or demon for advice hehe.
Their character design is exceptional and is a perfect blend of personality and looks. Tateno’s choice of a simple design for the twins works amazingly, and reinforced by an introverted personality makes them an amazing duo.
A few reviewers are a bit cautious due to the episodic nature of this first volume, however for me I can’t really see it have being anything other than episodic. Sowil is travelling, to find his lost past. So he’s basically wandering from place to place doing things as he goes. So given that as a plot hook it’s going to be semi episodic.
However we are shown that there is a joining undercurrent to the individual events that happen, all of them tie to Sowil. We’re also shown hints of a deeper plot with enemies.
I think as a first volume this is one of the best I’ve read this year so far and Tateno has created a truly amazing and interesting series.
Initially I wasn’t overly keen on DMP’s over size, making it a more manhwa size. However almost all of DMP’s titles are larger than average, so it’s not so bad.
I really don’t like the pink cover, it doesn’t fit the volume at all. I would have gone for a soft blue. I have no complaints with the translation, though it did feel like it had had a minor re-write at times. The editing was great, with good choice of fonts for an easy read. Best of all there’s no guttering in this volume, so it gets a thumbs up from me there.
Needless to say this series goes to my top ten Essential Reads, it’s the first impulse buy I’ve not regretted in a loooong time.
Where to Buy
August 12, 2009 @ 15:13.
I saw this in the bookstore and passed on it at the time. But with a note to myself to come back and check it later when I had more time and money. Your glowing review has made me up this title in my list of potential buys. I’ve always liked Tateno’s work, so it’s not hard to sell me on anything of hers to begin with. LOL