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Being the impatient “have to have the whole story right now” girl I am I promptly rushed out to buy the rest of the series

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Juvenile Orion (Aquarian Age)

Review by Bunni Suki

Author: Sakurako Gokurakuin

Artist: Sakurako Gokurakuin

Company: Broccoli Books

Length: 197 pgs.

Category: Fantasy/ Romance

Rated: PG 13 (Violence)

EXTERNAL EXAM

Mana Kirihara has been through a lot in her 16 years. Now an orphan, she returns to her hometown after a 7 year absence hoping to find her best friend Kaname.

Their reunion is far from joyful.

Painful secrets buried in the past rise to the surface drawing Mana, Kaname, and their friends into the middle of an ancient magical war. With unimaginable powers at their disposal the group must decide what they believe in. Will they perpetuate the violence that has lasted two thousand years or will they band together and at last bring peace to the Aquarian Age?

DVD VISION TEST

ARTWORK: This is obviously a shojuo manga so the artwork is full of intricate detail and beautiful boys. The characters are all pretty and well formed but sometimes they’re so similar it’s hard to tell them apart. There is a constant feeling of motion as they are swept up in situations they do not understand and thrust into battle or drawn into the past. Flashbacks provide much of the explanation and link the individuals together.

SOUND EFFECTS: The effects appear double, both in Japanese and English which can be a little overwhelming, especially in smaller panels but it’s nice to see the effect of the original while reading the smaller translation.

EDITS: The book is in unflipped form and no obvious censoring or other changes.

EXTRAS: It seems like half the book is taken up with extras! In the beginning is a color art-shot of Kaname, then Character Stat. pages before the story even begins. The actual story ends on page 181 but the book continues with notes and sketches from the mangaka, a name/ relationship chart for the 6 main characters, a preview of Volume 2, and a 10 page explanation of the Juvenile Orion Trading Card Game, which the book is based on. As far as I can tell it was a game first then a story- not the other way around. After that of course are the obligatory ads for merchandise and other series by Broccoli.

WIDESCREEN REVIEW

STORY: The tale has been told before, of a magical and ancient war going on in the streets and in the skies that humanity never notices, but Sakurako Gokurakuin has done a nice job of taking the characters from the TCG and fleshing them out. Each of the main cadre is searching for acceptance and help and it is clear from the beginning how much they all need each other. The relationships are complex and feel real. It is easy to believe these people have spent years beside each other but never noticed the other was as “special” as they were, since they were too involved with their own pain.

TRANSLATION: The attitude of the kids when they’re with their friends is relaxed, even if they are speaking more proper English than most high school students would. They have a little more respect for upper classmen and teachers too (for the most part) but conversation sounds like conversation. Lessons about the Aquarian age and its factions have that pedantic “school lesson” feel to them which adds the appropriate reverence and helps you absorb the complicated past.

FAN SERVICE: Most of the fan service is for the ladies. Shirtless bishonen abound, especially Kaname who just can’t seem to keep his clothes on when he uses his powers. Mana is cute and her skirt is impossibly short but the panties never appear (sorry guys) but everything is so pretty, you just don’t care.

THE 2 VIEW

Honestly, I picked up this book because through a series of incidents (and sales) I ended up with two copies of the Juvenile Orion calendar and I thought all the boys were really pretty. So I figured “what the heck, let’s give the bishonen a read.” I really like the series. It does remind me of other ones I read- largely Crescent Moon, but I was drawn to the characters. Mana is just the sort of girl you want to have saving the world one person at a time. She has no ambition for power or personal gain; she just wants people to be happy.

What can I say- I like pretty boys, so I completely approve of the overly shojuo drawings. It left me wanting more. I was annoyed that the last half of the book was all about the card game but I was impressed that the story itself had overcome those roots and had actual content rather than skipping from battle to battle.

I would have loved it if the character could have relaxed their speech a little more but it does give the story a formal, proper feeling. These kids are part of a larger society and they act how they are supposed to act, even when they’re just with their friends. It makes it all the more startling when they whip out their super powers and fight to save the world that doesn’t even know they exist.

Being the impatient “have to have the whole story right now” girl I am I promptly rushed out to buy the rest of the series and the box (cause you’ve gotta have the box) so I could keep reading. The story continues to evolve and the villains are very fun and well worth the wait. If you like magical wars or pretty boys I would highly suggest spending a little time with Juvenile Orion.

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