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PREFACE

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?

MANGA 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.

BOOK REPORT  

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.

CHARACTERS: Mana Kirihara, the heroine, is that bright, spunky girl who everyone loves. She has faced tragedy in her past including the death of her father 7 years ago and the recent loss of her mother. Mana likes everyone and wants nothing more than for everyone to get along. Now living with her aunt she is eager to resume her relationship with her old friend Kaname. She has no memory of her latent powers or knowledge of the battles she about to face.

Kaname Kusakabe is a good student and member of the basketball team under Isshin. He spends most of his time with his best friend Naoya. Mana’s return brings up bad memories of his past and he attempts to avoid her to keep things buried but when she is in danger he summons his Darklore power and flies to the rescue.

Naoya Itsuki is the male heir to the Evolution Girls Organization (EGO) and their psychic powers. He is the most aware of the violence and death of the Aquarian Age but chooses to be as normal a high school student as he can be. He spends his days sleeping in class, however because his numerous part time jobs keep him too busy. He is very loyal to his best friend Kaname but has no idea that the other boy has any power. At first he wants to kill Mana to destroy her powers but after she Mind Breaks him he becomes her guide and most loyal supporter.

Isshin Shiba, captain of the basketball team and upper classman, is also a devoted pupil of the Arayshki (magic of the East). He is a bit obsessive and trains his hardest for everything he does, between avoiding the Omani (arranged marriage meetings) his family sets up. He is drawn to Mana without realizing why but he devotes his entire being to protecting her.

Tsukasa Amou is a boy with no past. He was “found” one day by Tomonori who took him home and has been caring for the boy as an adopted son. He is fragile and often depressed because he cannot remember his past. His encounters with Mana bring him strength and his powers and memories begin to return.

Tomonori Nakaura is a respected math teacher, despite his relative youth. He is a Priest/ Disciple of the magic faction Wiz-Dom and spends his time on the look out for rogue and evil powers in his area. He took in Tsukasa and has been caring for the boy but is taken aback when he discovers the power that his charge possesses.

FANSERVICE: 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.

FOOTNOTES:

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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