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Manga: Rozen Maiden vol.1

Story: 8
The first volume basically follows the same storyline as the anime. (Or the anime is true to the manga, but I watched the anime first) It focuses mainly on Shinku in this volume and it is the introduction to a strange story about dolls that have a mind of their own. This volume is only the beginning of things to come and there isn’t too much going on yet but it surely makes the reader curious because it does let on that there is much more going on then is revealed. In the last chapter of the volume Jun and Shinku are entering the N-field, a place where many worlds are connected, for the first time and it ends meeting the mysterious hare.

If you have seen the anime already, this volume won’t tell you anything new. However since it was long ago I did see the first season of Rozen Maiden I didn’t mind reading it again because it still stays an intriguing story.

Art: 9
The artwork is very detailed and beautiful, particularly the characters. Costumes are also an aspect of attention. They use negative space on a frequent base, especially in the N-field. The background aren’t really detailed but since the foreground already is, using too detailed backgrounds would make things crowded to my opinion. All in all the manga is really eye-catching and there isn’t anything I could find that brings down the quality.

Characters: 8
As stated before this volume is mainly focused on Shinku and Jun. The personality of Shinku is one like a lady that has high standards and peculiar wishes. She sees Jun as her servant but Jun is not amused and this causes many quarrels. Yet they as the volume progresses they start to care for each other. Even though they continue bickering, they also start to appreciate one another.

Suigintou also makes her appearance in this volume and she and Shinku fight for the first time. However backgrounds and details aren’t revealed yet, except for the fact that Suigintou and Shinku have a deep rooted hate for each other.

Nori, Juns sister, is the last character I want to point out. It is instantly clear that she cares deeply for Jun but that he doesn’t appreciate that much. Nori is a very caring and acts like a substitute mom since their parents are living elsewhere. There are some other characters introduced but there appearance is so brief that I won’t say anything especially about them here, since they don’t play any parts yet, like Hina-Ichigo’s owner and the hare.

Overall: 8.5
This is a must read for anyone who hasn’t watched the anime! The unique story and characters are one of a kind. There is a good mix between humor, cuteness, action and mystery and therefore appealing to a broad audience. Even if you have seen the anime already, it is still worth getting because it is really no punishment to read everything again. However don’t expect anything new, at least not in this volume.