Manga: Rozen Maiden vol.1

 Rozen Maiden v1

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.

April 7, 2008 :: Comedy, Fantasy, Manga :: No Comments »

Manga: MeruPuri vol. 1

 MeruPuri vol. 1

Warning: This document contains spoilers!

Story: 7
In this manga the fairy tale world comes together with our normal everyday life as a young prince from a kingdom comes through the mirror of a teenage girl to hide himself from his older stepbrother who did cast a spell on him. The prince takes shelter in the girl’s home for the time being and this causes all kind of weird events to happen.

I like the whole fairy tale meets modern world idea. It is funny to see the differences between the worlds and what situations come out of it when the worlds connect. However I’m not sure I like the lolicon aspect of this manga. The prince is only 10 years old or so but his body grows older in the dark because of the curse that is put upon him. This causes the lead girl to think of him as a guy from her age at times. But since these are exactly the questions she asks herself as well, it is bearable. Of course she can turn the prince to his original self by giving him a kiss. So I still have doubts about this aspect of the series.

Art: 8
About this aspect of the series I can be very short: The artwork is simply great. I like the adorable character designs. It sometimes feels a bit crowded but it is easy to follow along. The combination of the attractive art and the enjoyable, sometimes wacky story gets you drawn in easily.

Character development: 7
As stated before, the male lead is originally only 10 years old and on top of that being a prince, so he is very spoiled. On the other hand he can also be very cute. The funny thing is that when he grows older, his body does but his mind doesn’t. This causes some comical situations.

The female lead dislikes the little prince at first but soon warms up to him since he can also be very endearing. Sometimes I have the feeling the bond between them is a bit rushed since the two did grow all attached towards each other in only a matter of days. There are even some hints towards love between the two main characters. While from the little princes side this is mainly a childish love, our female lead is still affected by it. This complicates her everyday life where she is considering a relationship with a classmate of her. To make matters worse, the stepbrother also declares his love for the main character while kidnapping her.

Overall: 7
The artwork is great so that’s no reason to leave this manga on the shelf. However I wouldn’t recommend it if you can’t stand lolicon at all since the series does have elements of that. However if you are looking for a fun fairy tale meets modern world manga and doesn’t take the underlying hints to loli seriously this story provides an enjoyable read.

March 22, 2008 :: Fantasy, Manga, Shojo :: 2 Comments »

Manga: Clover (CLAMP) vol. 1

Clover vol. 1

Warning: This document contains spoilers

Story: 7.5
Sue is a special child who has grown up without any human contact. This is because she has a hidden power, a power so great that the government feared it’s discovery.
Therefore Sue is very lonely. Sue has only one wish, to get to Fairy Park. Kazuhiko is forced to escort her to this place which of course isn’t without dangers, cause as it seems there are more people aware of Sue’s powers and they do anything to capture her.

Now the above synopsis doesn’t come as clear across as I have written it. It took me some time to figure out what Clover exactly is about. It seems that, as with a lot of CLAMP titles, I need to read more titles to get more revealed of the story. To my opinion this is nothing more then an introduction volume. Nevertheless it was an interesting introduction story that leaves many questions. I think it is a good concept because people will probably read the next volume to hopefully get their questions answered. As for now things are still kind of vague.

Art: 8.5
This manga is unlike any other from CLAMP. Of course you can see by the character designs that it is CLAMP, however the surroundings are really different. There is an intense use of negative space and panels are drawn on weird places. This gives the manga a unique feel, but also makes it a bit harder to follow.

As I am a huge CLAMP fan I know I’m biased however I find this style of artwork one of the best out there.

Character development: 7.5
Sue kind of reminds me of Chii from Chobits. She has an innocent character and isn’t aware of her own powers. She doesn’t know much about the world as she has been locked up all this time. In the first volume it becomes clear already that Sue is very lonely and that she longs for company. She hasn’t reached her destination yet, and therefore she is unhappy. In the final chapter of the manga, a glimpse of Sue’s power is awakening.

Kazuhiko used to be in the military. He is assigned to deliver a package which turned out to be Sue. Some vague scenes point to a troublesome and dark past, which we will probably see more of in one of the future volumes. He is very protective towards Sue and very kind. He also gets the role of a teacher to Sue.

Kazuhiko has several friends and foes that help or interfere on the journey to get Sue to her destination. There is this bad guy, who seems fond of Kazuhiko as his play toy. He makes a reference that he is the one who caused Kazuhiko to lose his hand and now has to live with an artificial one.

Overall: 7.5
All though things still leave my puzzled after this manga, I think this is one with potential. I know I will be reading more of it to know the rest of the intriguing story. Because it is CLAMP, it was enough reason for me to check this one out, and I know that they have lesser works as well, but I think this ones might turn out to be quite enjoyable.

March 9, 2008 :: Action, Fantasy, Manga :: No Comments »